Q: I’m trying to decide between upgrading to the Pixel 3 or the Galaxy S10 — any thoughts?
A: Anyone looking for the best in class in the Android world will likely land on this same question, and, frankly, you can’t go wrong with either of these handsets.
The Pixel 3 was released six months before the Galaxy S10, but that small difference in time is huge in the technology world.
The biggest factors to consider are how you use your device as well as your existing accessories.
Galaxy S10’s superior specs
From a standpoint purely of technical specifications, the Galaxy S10 is superior in a multitude of areas, including more base storage (128 to 512 GB vs. 64 to 128 GB) with a micro SD expansion slot, a slightly larger screen (6.1-inch AMOLED vs. 5.5-inch OLED) with higher pixel density, longer battery life, a slightly faster processor (2.8 GHz vs. 2.5 GHz), a 3.5mm headphone jack and double the RAM (8 GB vs. 4 GB).
The Galaxy S10 also incorporates three rear cameras: one 12-megapixel lens for standard photos, one 12-megapixel 2X optical zoom lens and one 16MP-ultrawide lens.
From an interface standpoint, the Galaxy S10 display has no bezel around it, and the fingerprint sensor is incorporated into the bottom of the display, so there’s no wasted real estate on the front for a physical button.
The Pixel 3’s fingerprint sensor is on the back of the device, which makes it impossible to use if the phone is laying on a surface, but I’ve found the Pixel 3’s fingerprint sensor more responsive as I tend to struggle to get my thumb in the right place on the S10’s virtual sensor.
Pixel 3’s advantages
Despite the Galaxy S10’s technical advantages, it shouldn’t be the only consideration when choosing between the two devices.
If you’re really into taking pictures with your smartphone, there are a number of compelling reasons to go with the Pixel 3.
Google’s Night Sight technology has created by far the best low-lighting images of any smartphone camera I’ve ever tested. If you go to a lot of concerts, shoot a lot of images at night or shoot outside at dawn or dusk and don’t want to use the flash, this artificial intelligence-driven computational photography technology is amazing.
Night Sight can grab up to 15 frames in a fraction of a second and combine them automatically using AI to choose the best color, white balance and lighting.
The Pixel 3 also has Super Res Zoom, which allows its single lens to come close to what the S10’s 2X optical zoom lens offers.
Another Pixel handset benefit is that all your images and videos get backed up to Google Photos in full resolution, while non-Pixel devices are compressed to 16MP photos and 1080p video.
One final feature that I really love on Pixel phones is the call screening option, which makes dealing with unknown callers much better than any of the call-screening apps required on other phones.
Hands-on option
The best way for you to compare them side-by-side is to visit a Verizon store — they have the exclusive for the Pixel 3 among the major carriers.
