Scott and I have already written up our preliminary thoughts on the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL , but now it's time to go a bit deeper into the phones that are front and centre of Google's idea of what Android on a phone should be.

Google Pixel 3 XL is currently Google's top Android smartphone of the year 2018 and it features the all-new Android 9.0 Pie out-of-the-box. Aside from the new Android software, the phone offers a camera that's almost unbeatable in its class, dual selfie cameras, a new glass design with wireless...

Sleek & Light Weight Design | Matte Glass Back | Solid Build Quality; Pure Android | Smooth UX | Faster Android Updates; Ming-Boggling Camera Performance | Wide-Angle Selfies; Unlimited Google Photos Storage (~3 Years; Crisp & Bright OLED Display; Top-Notch Performance (Snapdragon 845; Playground Is...

No 4K at 60fps; No Dual SIM Option; No microSD Support

The Google Pixel 3 XL is the big-screen, best-camera phone combination of 2018, a one-two punch when it comes to offering an expansive, color-rich display and photos your friends won't believe came from a smartphone.

Best camera phone we've tested; Problem-free 6.3-inch OLED display; Solid battery life vs smaller Pixel 3

The notch cut out is hard to ignore; Not one-hand friendly as Pixel 3; More expensive; like all 2018 phones

The Google Pixel is the panacea of Android phones, designed to show what you can do with pure Android software, tuned to the Google-designed hardware. Its pièce de résistance is the camera, where Google's aim is to showcase what artificial intelligence (AI) can really do.

Outstanding camera performance; Android Pie is clean and fast; High quality design and build; No screen issues this time around

Battery life isn't class leading; Some software foibles

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.

The Google Pixel range has always been for Android purists – those who want Google's operating system without the customisation and bloat provided by most manufacturers.

Top-quality camera; Lots of power; Pure Android with speedy updates

Sub-par battery; Big bezels; Screen could be sharper

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 is back with its third-generation smartphone and the larger of the two siblings packs a modest specification set, but what it lacks in hardware, it makes up for in software

Superior camera performance; Impressive battery life; Premium design and finish

Single rear camera can be limiting; No HDR10 or Dolby Vision; Notch is big and ugly

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

If you want a no-nonsense phone that just works, this is what you buy. It truly has become the iPhone of Android, and will likely appeal most to users who aren't interested in lots of options, tweaking the interface, or making the phone feel like a one-of-a-kind device that no-one else has.