I’ve been using the Google Pixel 3[1] over the past week, and the number one question people have asked me about it is whether they should ditch their iPhone for one. Running a close second is the question that’s come from existing Pixel users—a much smaller but still enthusiastic group of people. They want to know whether to upgrade.
I’ll start by answering the second question: Yes. If you’re currently using a first-generation Pixel phone or a Pixel 2, you’ll want to upgrade. The $799 Pixel 3 is a joy to use. It has an improved camera, a better processor, and a new mobile security chip, the effects of which can’t really be felt in any discernible way except as added peace of mind. Google’s Assistant is scarily good. The new phone also supports wireless charging, which improves the whole experience in a significant way despite removing such a small barrier. The act of simply digging out and plugging in a cable, it turns out, is a drag.
The answer to the first question—whether it’s worth switching from an iPhone to a Pixel 3—is more complicated. For a many, that answer is no. The Pixel 3 is not an iPhone killer. I wish I could say it was, because stronger competition in the phone market is an excellent thing. (That’s not to say Android as an operating system needs any help; the number of devices in the world running Android far surpasses the number of those running iOS. However, Google-made Pixel phones are loaded with the most optimized version of Android out there.)
But current iPhone users still might not feel Google’s extensive software smarts can outweigh the benefits and conveniences that come with iOS. Maybe all of their friends and family...