Some phones have an easier go of it before they see the light of day at a company's official unveiling. They may get a few leaks here and there, maybe a few images of the handset out in the wild, or renders that aim to create a realistic expectation based on previous rumors. And then there are the handsets that get leaked so often and so frequently that by the time they can get officially announced, there's not much else to actually talk about.
Those cases are probably the most obvious reasons why you should stay away from the rumor mill if you like watching the announcement events.
Google is set to announce the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL on October 9, but you may already have a pretty clear picture for what to expect when that big day rolls around. The Pixel 3 XL has leaked out so many times by now, both in renders, rumors, leaks, and pictures out in the wild, that there really isn't much to be surprised about. Yes, we're still waiting for the finer details, especially how Google plans on justifying that huge notch with its own face unlock feature, but the broad strokes are certainly already there.
With the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL laying some solid groundwork last year, there is a lot to be excited about with this year's smartphone lineup from Google. The latest version of Android, Pie, is a solid software release, so all we're really missing is the exceptional hardware. I have no doubt that, even with that notch, the Pixel 3 XL will be a popular handset for Google.
But, with that being said, I can't help but wonder if there is something that you're looking for in particular with Google's upcoming flagships. Whether you've owned a Pixel smartphone in the past, or have been waiting to pick one up, I want to know if there is a particular feature, spec, or something else for you to consider upgrading to either one of the new handsets later this year.
For me, it's an easy thing: the display. I liked the Pixel 2 XL quite a bit last year. It was definitely my favorite Android handset in 2017, even if it wasn't on the market for that long. That being said, I got rid of the phone because the display wasn't great. Not really all that good when you put it up against displays like the Galaxy S8 or the iPhone X.
It definitely wasn't good enough for what the Pixel 2 XL was as a flagship handset meant to go head-to-head against Samsung's and Apple's, or for how much it cost. Maybe if I hadn't used those other devices I probably could have lived with it, but I knew there was (much) better options out there.
And that's basically all I'm looking for with the Pixel 3 XL this year. I can already tell you I'm going to hate that notch, whether I can hide it or not (just like I do on the iPhone X), but as long as the display is as high quality as I believe it should be, it might be something I can live with.
But, what about you? What do you want to see in the next Pixel smartphones? Let me know!