Should you upgrade from the Pixel 2 XL to the Pixel 3 XL?

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Google Pixel 3 XL

Latest and greatest

$899 at Best Buy

Pros

• Large, high-quality screen.
• Great camera.
• Dual selfie cameras.
• Wireless charging.

Cons

• No headphone jack.
• Large display notch.

Google refreshed its hardware and jumped to a 6.3-inch, 18.5:9 display — but it's not all about size, the display is dramatically better as well. The rest of the phone builds on all of Google's strengths: simple hardware, capable specs, smooth software, and an amazing camera experience front and back. It also added wireless charging and kept stereo speakers.

Google Pixel 2 XL

Still solid

$550 at Best Buy

Pros

• Robust metal construction.
• Great camera.
• Still has modern software.

Cons

• No headphone jack.
• Last year's processor.
• Subpar screen.

This was Google's top device a year ago, and that means for the most part it still feels modern today. The specs, hardware, and software are all up to speed and the camera is still fantastic. But its screen was bad then and looks even worse now.

The Pixel 3 XL isn't a massive upgrade from the Pixel 2 XL, but there are a few changes that could make it worth it if you're particularly upset with a few aspects of the phone.

Is the Google Pixel 3 XL a worthy upgrade from the Pixel 2 XL?

This comparison effectively hinges on two points: how much do you dislike the Pixel 2 XL's display, and how big of a deal is it to spend $900 on a phone?

Google was at great pains to make sure the Pixel 3 XL's screen didn't repeat any of the problems of the Pixel 2 XL — and if you have the Pixel 2 XL, you know what I'm talking about. It's dim, lacking that "punch" of color so many other phones have, and is proven to be more susceptible to burn-in and image retention than the competition. The Pixel 3 XL addresses all of these points. It's brighter, more accurate, more colorful, and generally exhibits all of the qualities you expect for a phone of this price. If you're underwhelmed by your Pixel 2 XL's screen, the Pixel 3 XL may be appealing just from that point alone.

The screen upgrade is so important because elsewhere, the Pixel 3 XL isn't necessarily a huge upgrade from the 2 XL. There's a new processor inside, but the rest of the specs remain unchanged. The external hardware didn't change in size or shape, which is a good thing in most people's eyes, but the new glass back does offer a better feel and wireless charging capabilities.

Category	Pixel 3 XL	Pixel 2 XL
Operating system	Android 9 Pie	Android 9 Pie
Display	6.3-inch OLED 2960x1440 (18.5:9) Gorilla Glass 5	6-inch OLED 2880x1440 (18:9) Gorilla Glass 5
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 Pixel Visual Core	Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 Pixel Visual Core
RAM	4GB	4GB
Storage	64/128GB	64/128GB
Expandable	No	No
Rear camera	12.2MP, 1.4-micron f/1.8, OIS, PDAF	12.2MP, 1.4-micron f/1.8, OIS, PDAF
Front camera 1	8MP, f/1.8, auto focus 75-degree lens	8MP, f/2.4, fixed focus
Front camera 2	8MP, f/2.2, fixed focus 97-degree lens	n/a
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 802.11ac 2x2 MIMO, Bluetooth 5.0 LE, NFC, GPS	Wi-Fi 802.11ac 2x2 MIMO, Bluetooth 5.0 LE, NFC, GPS
Audio	Stereo speakers USB-C	Stereo speakers USB-C
Battery	3430mAh Non-removable	3520mAh Non-removable
Charging	18W USB-C PD Qi wireless	18W USB-C PD
Water resistance	IP68	IP67
Security	Fingerprint sensor	Fingerprint sensor
Dimensions	158 x 76.7 x 7.9 mm 184 g	157.9 x 76.7 x 7.9 mm 175 g
Colors	Just Black, Very White, Not Pink	Just Black, Black & White

The display is unequivocally better, and there are a few hardware upgrades — is that worth $900?

If the display upgrade alone wasn't enough to change your mind, perhaps you'll be interested in the new camera features. The front-facing camera has been upgraded with auto focus and a new sensor, and it's now assisted by a secondary wide-angle camera for better portrait mode and group selfie shots. The rear camera takes fundamentally better photos, and better leverages the Pixel Visual Core — but chances are that many of its new features can actually make their way back to the Pixel 2 XL (in due time). The Pixel 3 XL takes great photos, but the Pixel 2 XL is no slouch — it spent a year at the top of the charts in image quality.

So let's bring this all back together and talk about price: the Pixel 3 XL costs $899. If that seems like a lot of money to you, and you own a Pixel 2 XL already, this upgrade probably doesn't make a whole lot of sense. The screen is unequivocally better, the camera experience is an upgrade, and a couple of extra hardware features are nice — and in the end, you don't lose anything. But are those relatively small changes worth scrapping your phone and paying another $899 for a Pixel 3 XL.

Google Pixel 3 XL

Latest and greatest

$899 at Google Store

Google's best-ever phone.

Phones are large nowadays, and Google's Pixel 3 XL is no exception. A 6.3-inch OLED screen is dramatically improved from the Pixel 2 XL, and the rest of the experience builds on Google's strengths: awesome software, great performance, innovative camera features and guaranteed updates.

Google Pixel 2 XL

Still solid

Still a modern and capable phone.

$550 at Best Buy

The Pixel 2 XL has been updated to Android 9 Pie and is still a modern phone in so many respects. If it weren't for the poor display quality, it'd be easier to enjoy the performance, software and quality camera — but on the whole, it's still a good phone if you find it at a discount.