I used the Pixel 2 XL for most of 2018. Even if it wasn’t my main phone, I always had it as a back up in case there was something I needed to snap a picture of. After the in October, I was more excited for the Pixel 3 XL software, than the hardware.

Operates nicely, no lag., Camera takes incredible pictures, Great features such as Call Screen, Night Sight, and Google Lens

Battery life could be better, Phone is simple looking, No expansion slot / headphone jack, Retail price is high (look for promos)

Google announced the third generation of its Pixel phones last week , once again with regular- and XL-sized variants. I was given the Pixel 3 XL to review, and I absolutely love it... except for the hideous notch.

It's one of our favorite phones of the year, but the Pixel 3 XL isn't what we usually see from big-screen phones. For instance, it costs less than $1,000 (more specifically, $899, £869 and AU$1,349), and it has only one rear camera lens.

The Pixel 3 XL has a top-of-the-line camera that includes an enhanced low-light feature and it can now take wider selfie shots; It's water resistant, has wireless charging and its Google Assistant has convenient new skills such as call screening

The phone's onscreen notch is taller than other phones'; It doesn't have expandable memory or a headphone jack

The Pixel 3 is the ultimate expression of Android and proof that AI done right can make your life easier.

Excellent performance; Quality OLED display; Top-tier cameras; Charming design; Call Screen is a godsend

A bit expensive; Bezels could be slimmer

When Google hardware chief Rick Osterloh introduced the Pixel 3 last week, he didn't utter the word "Android" a single time. The Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL are Google phones. They swim in a sea of Google data and promise to use Google's machine learning to make everything better: photos, annoying spam...

Larger; better screen; Beautiful design; Excellent camera and wide angle selfie cam; Radically improved screen; Loud; clear front-facing speakers; Excellent camera and wide angle selfie cam

Largish top and bottom bezels; Easily scratched rear finish; Limited availability from US carriers and internationally; Doofy notch; Easily scratched rear finish; Limited availability from US carriers and internationally

Google's Pixel 3 XL has speed, fantastic software, an excellent camera, and unrivaled A.I. features you can't find anywhere else.

Excellent camera, Fluid software, useful A.I; features, Fast performance, Fingerprint-free rear glass design, Great screen, speakers

Mediocre battery life; The notch is really; really ugly; Photos can sometimes look too saturated

For the third year in a row, Google has released its own-brand smartphone under the PIxel label, in a choice of two sizes, to try and put into physical form its vision of what a mobile phone should be – a direct, Google-ified, Android rival to the iPhone .

Google aces the camera again; Screen is big and beautiful; Pixel Android and speedy updates

Did you notice that notch; Battery life is unspectacular; No in-screen fingerprint reader

If there's one thing I wanted from the Google Pixel 3 XL, it's that it didn't make a repeat of last year. The Pixel 2 XL was an otherwise cracking phone but its flawed display held it back from greatness.

Fabulous camera; Superb performance; Android Pie goodness

Mediocre battery life; No secondary rear camera

Perhaps ironically, software has always been the central conceit to what Google has offered with the first two generations of Pixel hardware. Try as you might, there's no shying away from this fact. Sure, the hardware is solid and delightfully minimalist but it's nothing unique.

Incredible photography; Slick software

Kinda boring hardware; Less battery life than the competition

Google Pixel 3 review: The Pixel 3 is the right phone for geeks and early adopters, but it's still not ready to be a mass premium seller like the iPhone XS and Galaxy S9.