Leading the smartphone camera race for a year with the Pixel 2 and 2 XL, Google had a tough act to follow. The Pixel 3 and 3 XL focus on new software-based features and utilizing the Pixel Visual Core to take better photos than the last generation, but also significantly upgrade the front-facing camera setup for selfie shots. As I work through my full review process, I wanted to share my first handful of photos taken with the Pixel 3 and 3 XL so you can get a feel for what these cameras are capable of in the real world.
These photos are, for the most part, submitted without comment. I'm still formulating my opinions on the entire Pixel 3 and 3 XL experience for my full review, and a big part of that is analyzing how well the cameras perform. For now, take a look at my first photos taken with the Pixel 3 and 3 XL and see for yourself what they can do.
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The one big thing to note here is that Google's super-low-light mode, Night Sight, is not yet available to test — so all of the darker photos here are taken with regular HDR+ processing. Everything else has been taken with the standard camera app as it shipped from Google, submitted without edits or tweaks.
For more opinions on the Pixel 3 and 3 XL, check out our hands-on preview — come back soon to see our full review!
