Google’s Pixel 4 and 4 XL are here at last, after a mountain of leaks. But the choice isn’t quite as easy as “big” or “small" because Google’s new phones are expensive, at $799 and up — and because the excellent Pixel 3 and Pixel 3A are still sticking around for hundreds of dollars cheaper.
Here’s the full lineup as of today:
If your budget tops out at $500 or so, we’ve already covered the tradeoffs between the Pixel 3A and Pixel 3, including water resistance, wireless charging, a higher quality screen, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. We’ve also already compared the Pixel 4 to other flagship phones.
So let’s tackle this another way. What does the Pixel 4 offer (on paper) compared to any previous Pixel? What, if anything, do you give up? Scroll down to the phone you own and see — and if you don’t see enough differences to satisfy your upgrade itch, you’ll know it’s OK to wait.
Pixel 3 and 3 XL
If you bought a flagship Pixel 3 just last year, it may be tough to justify another purchase so soon — but the Pixel 4 certainly has plenty of new toys for early adopters, including a bona fide miniature radar for air gestures, a genuine Face ID competitor for unlocking your phone without a fingerprint, a faster screen than ever before, and the second rear camera (with a telephoto lens) that Google always insisted it never needed.
What you get with Pixel 4
- A second 16MP camera with a telephoto lens
- Google’s seemingly speedy Face Unlock
- 90Hz “Smooth Display” with Ambient EQ automatic color temperature
- Built-in Soli radar sensor for air gestures in apps
- “Pixel Neural Core” for faster Google Assistant and real-time audio transcription
- Slightly faster processor
- 2GB of additional memory
- Dual exposure controls for the camera
- Slightly wider f/1.7 aperture on main camera (vs. f/1.8)
- Slightly larger screen on the standard Pixel 4 (5.7 inch vs. 5.5 inch)
- Larger battery on the Pixel 4 XL (3700mAh vs. 3430mAh)
- New “limited edition” orange color option
- The new no-notch design with prominent metal band and camera square
What’s the same
- Google’s excellent 12-megapixel camera (assuming nothing’s changed) with Night Sight
- Screen size on the XL (6.3 inches)
- HDR support
- 64 and 128GB storage options
- Dual stereo speakers
- 18W fast charging
- Wireless charging
- Water resistance
- Squeezable sides to summon the Google Assistant
- Android 10
- 4G LTE support on all major US carriers
What you lose
- Fingerprint reader
- Unlimited Google Photos uploads at original quality
- The second portrait selfie camera
- A tiny bit of space in your pocket (both phones are a tenth of an inch taller and slightly thicker)
- Both phones are half an ounce heavier
- The ability to brag that you only need a single camera instead of a square
- The notched screen on the Pixel 3 XL
Pixel 3A and 3A XL
Upgrading from the Pixel 3A and 3A XL is a more intriguing proposition. It came out just five months ago, but perhaps you were tempted by Google’s offer of getting one of Android’s best cameras for $399, liked what you saw, and see your Pixel 3A as a potential hand-me-down? Or perhaps you’re considering the 3A now, and want to see if the Pixel 4 is really worth double the money before you plunk cash down.
What you get with Pixel 4
- A second 16MP camera with a telephoto lens
- Google’s seemingly speedy Face Unlock
- 90Hz “Smooth Display” with Ambient EQ automatic color temperature
- Built-in Soli radar sensor for air gestures in apps
- “Pixel Neural Core” for faster Google Assistant and real-time audio transcription
- Notably faster processor (Snapdragon 855 vs Snapdragon 670)
- IP68 dust and water resistance
- Wireless charging
- Aluminum and glass body (instead of plastic)
- Premium OLED screen with HDR support
- 2GB of additional memory
- Dual exposure controls for the camera
- Slightly wider f/1.7 aperture on main camera (vs. f/1.8)
- Larger screen on the Pixel 4 XL (6.3-inch vs. 6.0-inch)
- Oh-so-slightly larger screen on the standard Pixel 4 (5.6 inch vs. 5.5 inch)
- A bit of extra space in your pocket with standard Pixel 4 (two-tenths of an inch shorter and one-tenth narrower)
- 128GB storage option
- New “limited edition” orange color option
- The new design with prominent metal band and camera square
What’s the same
- Google’s excellent 12-megapixel camera (assuming nothing’s changed) with Night Sight
- Dual stereo speakers
- 18W fast charging
- Squeezable sides to summon the Google Assistant
- Android 10
- 4G LTE support on all major US carriers
What you lose
- 3.5mm headphone jack
- Fingerprint reader
- Pixel 4 is half an ounce heavier, Pixel 4 XL an ounce heavier than their 3A-gen counterparts
- Pixel 4 XL is very slightly thicker
- Blue color option
- The ability to brag that you only need a single camera instead of a square
Pixel 2 and 2 XL
Now we’re in two-year upgrade territory, and the upgrades are more obvious — with the Pixel 2 and 2 XL, you no longer already possess one of Android’s best cameras nor a recent processor, there’s no headphone jack to tie you down, and the battery on your aging phone is probably feeling a little low. There’s also no simple way to buy the Pixel 2 or Pixel 2 XL new. So let’s talk upgrades, shall we?
What you get with Pixel 4
- An upgraded 12MP main camera (assuming nothing’s changed since Pixel 3)
- Slightly wider f/1.7 aperture on main camera (vs. f/1.8)
- A second 16MP camera with a telephoto lens
- Google’s seemingly speedy Face Unlock
- 90Hz “Smooth Display” with Ambient EQ automatic color temperature
- Built-in Soli radar sensor for air gestures in apps
- “Pixel Neural Core” for faster Google Assistant and real-time audio transcription
- Notably faster processor (Snapdragon 855 vs Snapdragon 835)
- Much larger 5.7-inch screen for Pixel (vs 5.0-inch)
- Larger 6.3-inch screen for Pixel XL (vs. 6.0-inch)
- Slightly larger batteries (3700mAh vs. 3520mAh for XL, 2800mAh vs 2700mAh for Pixel)
- Better IP68 dust and water resistance (vs IP67)
- Wireless charging
- Premium OLED screen with HDR support
- 2GB of additional memory
- Dual exposure controls for the camera
- New “limited edition” orange color option
- The new design with prominent metal band, camera square and full glass back
What’s the same
- Google’s excellent 12-megapixel camera (assuming nothing’s changed) with Night Sight
- Dual stereo speakers
- 18W fast charging
- Squeezable sides to summon the Google Assistant
- Android 10
- 4G LTE support on all major US carriers
What you lose
- Fingerprint reader
- Unlimited Google Photos uploads at original quality
- A tiny bit of space in your pocket (both phones are a tenth of an inch taller and slightly thicker this gen)
- Both phones are 0.8 oz heavier than their Pixel 2-gen counterparts
- Blue color option
- The possibility of dropping your phone on a mostly-metal back instead of guaranteed glass
Pixel and Pixel XL
If you’re still holding onto the three-year-old Pixel or Pixel XL, you’re probably starting to miss out. Yes, you’ve still got a headphone jack, you got the Night Sight camera upgrade, and you’ve probably upgraded to Android 10 by now — but hardware has marched forward, particularly that camera, and it may be time you did as well.
What you get with Pixel 4
- An notably upgraded 12MP main camera with optical image stabilization
- Wider f/1.7 aperture on main camera (vs. f/2.0)
- A second 16MP camera with a telephoto lens
- Google’s seemingly speedy Face Unlock
- 90Hz “Smooth Display” with Ambient EQ automatic color temperature
- Built-in Soli radar sensor for air gestures in apps
- “Pixel Neural Core” for faster Google Assistant and real-time audio transcription
- Much faster processor (Snapdragon 855 vs Snapdragon 821)
- Much larger screens (5.7-inch vs. 5.0 inch for regular, 6.3-inch vs. 5.5-inch for XL)
- Slightly larger 3700mAh battery on Pixel 4 XL (vs. 3450mAh)
- Much better IP68 dust and water resistance (vs. IP53)
- Wireless charging
- Dual stereo speakers (up from just one)
- Premium OLED screen with HDR support
- 2GB of additional memory
- Double the base storage at 64GB
- Dual exposure controls for the camera
- Squeezeable sides to summon the Google Assistant
- Pixel Visual Core and hardware security module
- New “limited edition” orange color option
- The new design with camera square and full glass back
What’s the same
- 18W fast charging
- Night Sight camera mode
- Battery size (on regular Pixel)
- Android 10
- 4G LTE support on all major US carriers
What you lose
- Fingerprint reader
- 3.5mm headphone jack
- Unlimited Google Photos uploads at original quality
- A tiny bit of space in your pocket (Pixel 4 is a tenth of an inch taller, Pixel 4 XL is two-tenths)
- Both phones are about 0.8 oz heavier than their Pixel 2-gen counterparts
- Blue color option
- The possibility of dropping your phone on a mostly-metal back instead of guaranteed glass
Every Pixel’s specs compared
Specification | Pixel 4 | Pixel 3 | Pixel 3a | Pixel 2 | Pixel | Pixel 4 XL | Pixel 3 XL | Pixel 3a XL | Pixel 2 XL | Pixel XL |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Display | 5.7 inches, 90Hz | 5.5 inches | 5.6 inches | 5.0 inches | 5.0 inches | 6.3 inches, 90Hz | 6.3 inches | 6.0 inches | 6.0 inches | 5.5 inches |
Resolution | FHD+ (2280 x 1080?) | 2160 x 1080 | 2280 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | QHD+ (3060 x 1440?) | 2960 x 1440 | 2160 x 1080 | 2880 x 1440 | 2560 x 1440 |
Pixel Density | 444 ppi | 443 ppi | 441 ppi | 441 ppi | 441 ppi | 537 ppi | 523 ppi | 402 ppi | 538 ppi | 534 ppi |
Processor | Snapdragon 855 | Snapdragon 845 | Snapdragon 670 | Snapdragon 835 | Snapdragon 821 | Snapdragon 855 | Snapdragon 845 | Snapdragon 670 | Snapdragon 835 | Snapdragon 821 |
RAM | 6GB | 4GB | 4GB | 4GB | 4GB | 6GB | 4GB | 4GB | 4GB | 4GB |
Storage | 64GB, 128GB | 64GB, 128GB | 64GB | 64GB, 128GB | 32GB, 128GB | 64GB, 128GB | 64GB, 128GB | 64GB | 64GB, 128GB | 32GB, 128GB |
Rear camera | 12MP, 16MP tele | 12MP | 12MP | 12MP | 12MP | 12MP + 16MP tele | 12MP | 12MP | 12MP | 12MP |
Front camera | 8MP | 8MP, 8MP (wide) | 8MP | 8MP | 8MP | 8MP | 8MP, 8MP (wide) | 8MP | 8MP | 8MP |
Battery | 2,800mAh | 2,915mAh | 3,000mAh | 2,700mAh | 2,770mAh | 3,700mAh | 3,430mAh | 3,700mAh | 3,520mAh | 3,450mAh |
Biometrics | Face Unlock | Fingerprint | Fingerprint | Fingerprint | Fingerprint | Face Unlock | Fingerprint | Fingerprint | Fingerprint | Fingerprint |
Water protection | IPX8 | IPX8 | No | IPX7 | IPX3 (barely any) | IPX8 | IPX8 | No | IPX7 | IPX3 (barely any) |
Wireless charging? | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
Fast charging | 18W | 18W | 18W | 18W | 18W | 18W | 18W | 18W | 18W | 18W |
Ports | USB-C | USB-C | USB-C, 3.5mm | USB-C | USB-C, 3.5mm | USB-C | USB-C | USB-C, 3.5mm | USB-C | USB-C, 3.5mm |
Daydream VR | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
Weight (lbs) | 0.36 | 0.33 | 0.32 | 0.31 | 0.31 | 0.43 | 0.40 | 0.36 | 0.38 | 0.37 |
Dimensions (in.) | 5.79 x 2.7 x 0.32 | 5.70 x 2.70 x 0.30 | 6.0 x 2.8 x 0.30 | 5.7 x 2.7 x 0.30 | 5.7 x 2.7 x 0.34 | 6.31 x 2.96 x 0.32 | 6.20 x 3.00 x 0.30 | 6.3 x 3.0 x 0.30 | 6.2 x 3.0 x 0.30 | 6.1 x 3.0 x 0.34 |
Starting price | $799 | $799 | $399 | $649 | $649 | $899 | $899 | $479 | $849 | $769 |
Update, October 16th at 5:15PM ET: Added the Pixel Neural Core which enables real-time audio transcription. It’s possible it’s a rebranded Pixel Visual Core, since it replaces that core and similarly does machine learning, but Google does say the real-time transcription feature it enables is exclusive to Pixel 4.
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