Pixel XL vs OnePlus 3 review
Can the 'flagship killer' topple the Google phone?
Who knew the OnePlus 3 would prove to be one of the most exciting releases of 2016? The so-called "flagship killer" managed to combine a winning price with high-end specs.
Just like OnePlus, then, Google is attempting to make similar inroads (at least in the hardware sense), and the Pixel XL has proved a formidable entry in the race for 2016 smartphone dominance.
With all that in mind we thought it prudent to compare like for like, so when thrown together which of our two competitors comes out on top?
Design
Pixel XL: 155x76x8.5mm, 168g, USB-C
OnePlus 3: 153x74x7.4mm, 158g, USB Type-C
The OnePlus 3 is a real coming of age story. For the first time the design represents that of a true premium device. The handset deftly mixes a full metal unibody construction with subtle curves. In fact there's more of a whiff of the HTC 10 about it, and that's not necessarily a bad thing.
OnePlus has really aimed for elegance, as evidenced by the replacement of the sandstone rear with cool aluminium and precision-drilled speaker holes that evoke a sort of industrial chic.
Google's Pixel XL is also a bit of a looker with its two-tone case and similar full metal jacket. The top third of the Pixel's rear dazzles with a glass finish, and it's here where the fingerprint reader and 12.3MP camera reside.
Not to be outdone, the OnePlus 3 incorporates a fingerprint scanner, but here it's built into the front Home button.
Size-wise the Pixel XL certainly lives up to its name, measuring 155x76x8.5mm vs 153x74x7.4mm. It's a touch bigger in every dimension, as well as 10g heavier. You'll struggle to use either one-handed unless you have large hands.
The OnePlus 3 has a further trick up its sleeve in the shape of the Alert Slider. Nestled above the volume controls, the Slider is a physical switch that toggles notification behaviour. Turning the Pixel's volume all the way down enables a 'Do not disturb' mode which has some uses, but for anything else you'll need to rely on the Nougat OS (see Operating System below).
Both phones have USB Type-C connectivity, and the Pixel XL handily includes an adapter that allows migration from your old phone should you want to transfer.
The OnePlus 3 and Pixel XL both lack IP67/IP67 certification, so you'd best avoid exposing them to dust or water for any length of time. Hopefully we'll see this on the specs sheet next year.
The OnePlus 3 is available in Graphite and Soft Gold, whereas the Pixel XL comes in Quite Black and Very Silver.
Winner: OnePlus 3
Display
Pixel XL: 5.5in 2560x1440, 534ppi
OnePlus 3: 5.5in 1920x1080 pixels, 401ppi
The two phones match when it comes to screen size, but the OnePlus 3 doesn't put it to best use. That 5.5in panel is wasted as it's capable of only Full HD. Compare that to the Pixel XL's QHD offering and the OnePlus comes off somewhat lacking. Both use AMOLED panels which are more energy efficient than their LCD counterparts.
When the two phones are put side by side we found blacks are gloriously inky, but there's a noticeable yellowish tinge to the Pixel when viewing whites. In terms of colour and vibrancy at least, the OnePlus 3 reminds us more of the displays on the latest Samsung Galaxy handsets. It's definitely a little more in your face.
You'll want to protect every inch of these large screens. Thankfully Gorilla Glass 4 is at hand, and the OnePlus 3 adds to that by including a pre-fitted screen protector.
Blue light filters are becoming all the rage and these two offer their own night modes to help prevent eye strain when the evening draws in.
Winner: Pixel XL
Pixel XL vs OnePlus 3 review
Can the 'flagship killer' topple the Google phone?
Operating system
Pixel XL: Android 7.1 Nougat
OnePlus 3: Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow, Oxygen OS
If you crave a purer Android experience, along with instant OS upgrades, the Google Phone is the only sensible option here. The Pixel XL runs the very latest Android build (7.1) which adds a few more features like support for Daydream VR, a manual storage manager, Night Light mode and several new developer tools.
It comes with the Google Assistant (a super-powered Siri for want of a better explanation), the Pixel Launcher Home screen, plus Google's Allo instant messenger and Duo video messenger services.
The swipe for notifications feature is worthy of a mention as it takes advantage of the rear-mounted fingerprint reader, allowing you to cycle through everything received without reaching for the screen itself.
The OnePlus 3 runs Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow, but if the rumours surrounding the upcoming OnePlus 3T handset are true, we don't think it'll be too long before we see Nougat.
As usual OnePlus has added its own Oxygen OS layer, which admittedly doesn't affect the Android experience too much. It also adds some gesture-based controls of its own and a 'Proximity wake' option, and integrates popular keyboard app SwiftKey from the off.
OnePlus is very much an enthusiasts brand, so it shouldn't surprise you to learn that there's an abundance of unofficial utilities and tools available should you want to root around. OnePlus has also launched an Oxygen OS beta programme where it offers early 'community builds' of its newest software releases.
Winner: Pixel XL
Hardware
Pixel XL: Snapdragon 821, quad-core 2x 2.15GHz and 2x 1.6GHz, 4GB of RAM
OnePlus 3: Snapdragon 820, quad-core 2x 2.15GHz Kryo and 2x 1.6GHz Kryo, 6GB of RAM
The Google Pixel improves slightly on Qualcomm's Snapdragon 820 that featured in many of 2016's handsets. Google says the slight bump in chipset architecture to Snapdragon 821 should provide performance increases of around 10 per cent, although interestingly the clock speeds for the Snapdragon 820 and 821 processors are the same.
At this point, it's also worth addressing the OnePlus' epic 6GB of RAM. Earlier this year we compared the OnePlus 3 with phones that all used the Snapdragon 820 chipset too (albeit with less RAM), and time and again the challenger from China blazed ahead.
When put against the Pixel XL the results are telling to say the least. The OnePlus 3 still comes out on top.
We ran a set of benchmarks in Geekbench 4. The Pixel XL returned scores of 1,543 single-core and 4,086 multi-core, while the OnePlus 3 scored 1,747 single-core and 4,239 multi-core.
The Pixel XL returned 4,480 on our PCMark (Work) test, but the OnePlus 3 scored a blistering 7,185.
On Antutu the Pixel XL managed 139,503, whereas the OnePlus managed slightly more at 143,469.
Obviously the weight of such benchmarks shouldn't be exaggerated because it's the day-to-day use we're most interested in. To that end it's hard to really tell either phone apart, as performance is snappy and the experience is fluid across both.
That said, it's clear that the OnePlus 3 is doing something more behind the scenes, and we suspect it could have something to do with that generous RAM allowance.
Winner: OnePlus 3
Pixel XL vs OnePlus 3 review
Can the 'flagship killer' topple the Google phone?
Cameras
Pixel XL: 12.3MP rear-facing, f/2.0, 8MP front-facing
OnePlus 3: 16MP rear-facing, f/2.0, OIS, EIS, 8MP front-facing
The OnePlus 3 and Pixel XL were able to capture images with complex details and realistic shadows.
The OnePlus 3's 16MP camera uses a Sony IMX 298 sensor and has two different shooting modes: HDR and HD. In this case (and somewhat confusingly) HD stands for High Quality. The 12.3MP Pixel XL goes one further by adding an HDR+ mode which is enabled by default.
From top to bottom: Pixel XL and OnePlus 3.
Both phones use the same f/2.0 aperture, but the Google phone's 1.55µm pixel size clearly gives it an edge by allowing more light into the camera when faced with tricky low light situations.
And while this picture of Belgian beers is never going to win prizes for composition, as the day's light begins to fade the OnePlus 3 (below bottom) has a hard time matching the Pixel XL (below top) for quality. The colours give the bottles a flat appearance, and the whole scene looks washed out.
The OnePlus 3 gets one up on the Pixel XL by offering optical and electronic image stabilisation. Disappointingly, Google's phone is capable only of EIS tricks, and that's limited to recording video.
Winner: Pixel XL
Pixel XL vs OnePlus 3 review
Can the 'flagship killer' topple the Google phone?
Battery
Pixel XL: 3,450mAh
OnePlus 3: 3,000mAh
The Pixel XL has a beefier battery capacity than the OnePlus 3, and Google quotes 14 hours for WiFi/LTE data use. We think the big G is doing itself a disservice as we regularly went two days before reaching for the charger. In stark contrast the OnePlus 3 lasts only until around bedtime on an average day.
OnePlus has finally embraced fast charging in the form of its Dash Charge functionality. On the above evidence you're going to put it to good use, but it's capable of fully charging an extinguished battery in just an hour. Whichever way you cut it, that's fast.
More dubious is Google's claim that the Pixel XL can get seven hours of charge in as little as 15 minutes. In our experience that's just not the case. You'll get a 30 per cent charge at a push and there's no way it'll last you as long. Total charging time still isn't bad, though, and you can expect to see that 100 per cent mark in around 100 minutes.
Winner: Draw
Storage
Pixel XL: 32GB/128GB
OnePlus 3: 64GB
The OnePlus' 64GB is a good starting point but that's as far you're able to go as there's no microSD support. So if you need more you might be better off with the Pixel's top-tier 128GB offering.
But while that 128GB capacity is generous, it does come at a price (more on that next). And the Google phone also falls short of offering expandable storage. Boo.
There is, however, a silver lining. Google offers unlimited storage in the cloud for photos and videos (at highest quality too no less). So if you take a lot of pictures, or shoot lots of video, this might just be the incentive you need.
Winner: Pixel XL
Price
Google Pixel XL: £719 (32GB), £819 (128GB)
OnePlus 3: £329 (64GB only)
Summary
It's a bit of a mixed bag when it comes to recommending one phone significantly over the other.
The OnePlus 3 camera has more megapixels, Google's sensor technology gives it a clear edge and makes it worthy of the hype. However, the upgrade to the Snapdragon 821 doesn't quite beat the OnePlus 3 in benchmark terms, so as far as we're concerned the update to the hardware is more a sidestep than a jump ahead.
We're in two minds. Even at the base 32GB level, the Pixel XL costs more than twice as much as the OnePlus 3, and with the swings and roundabouts throughout it's hard to justify that sky high price.