Google Pixel 3 XL revealed in high-quality unboxing video

[HEXUS]

See the new Google smartphone and its accessories, plus the device powered on.

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[Faiakes]

A notch!

Seriously?

[Wozza63]

Nice fat boi notch. No thanks Google.

[smargh]

Looks like an Essential PH-1 but with with a bigger notch and QI charging.

Meh.

I'd be interested if it had a removable battery though.

[peterb]

Neat little USB-C to 3.5mm headphone adapter! No doubt that will produce howls of anguish - that and a notch - "We're doomed"

[Faiakes]

I mean, if your phone has a "6.2-inch OLED display with a 1440x2960 resolution" why does it need a notch?

It's just a gimmick...

[aidanjt]

Neat little USB-C to 3.5mm headphone adapter! No doubt that will produce howls of anguish

Yeah, it'll probably make you want to stab yourself in the ear drums with the 3.5mm jack. I flat out refuse to buy a phone without a built-in jack that can use the SoC's audio circuitry. Even if I get bluetooth ear buds, I'm still going to want wired as fallback.

[philehidiot]

Neat little USB-C to 3.5mm headphone adapter! No doubt that will produce howls of anguish

Yeah, it'll probably make you want to stab yourself in the ear drums with the 3.5mm jack. I flat out refuse to buy a phone without a built-in jack that can use the SoC's audio circuitry. Even if I get bluetooth ear buds, I'm still going to want wired as fallback.

I'm the same. I spent a goodly amount on some very decent headphones which are 3.5mm. Headphone tech has not really moved on that much, it has been slow evolution so that they're 10 years old makes no difference. This is something I accounted for when buying, that they would be a long term investment. A phone without a 3.5mm jack is just not going to ever be bought by me. You can get phones with some very good audio and I make use of that as part of the "spend a fortune on one device and don't buy multiple separate ones" policy.

I'd be cautious about Bluetooth headphones. There's a reason Apple had to make their own chip for theirs. I've been finding Bluetooth quality to be poor relative to wired tech and also some of it is just plain unreliable and buggy. I may be out of date and things may have improved but they would have to seriously improve before I'll touch it, especially given the extra cost and inconvenience (charging, easy loss).

[peterb]

Yeah, it'll probably make you want to stab yourself in the ear drums with the 3.5mm jack. I flat out refuse to buy a phone without a built-in jack that can use the SoC's audio circuitry. Even if I get bluetooth ear buds, I'm still going to want wired as fallback.

The only real snag (I have found) using earbuds with a usb-c/lightning connector (either natively through an adaptor) is the inability to charge at the same time.

Not really an issue for me as I use bluetooth headphones which I find better than earbuds anyway.

[Usernamist]

People who hate notches = people who hate screenspace = people who are too dumb to deserve to have a voice

[Iota]

The only real snag (I have found) using earbuds with a usb-c/lightning connector (either natively through an adaptor) is the inability to charge at the same time.

Not really an issue for me as I use bluetooth headphones which I find better than earbuds anyway.

Can't say I ever use earbuds (always fall out of my ears...), and the only time I use anything remotely resembling headphones is my headset I use for gaming. I do however use bluetooth for connecting to my car, which isn't as terrible as it could be.

People who hate notches = people who hate screenspace = people who are too dumb to deserve to have a voice

Useful contribution.

[Seeven]

Looks like an Essential PH-1 but with with a bigger notch and QI charging.

Meh.

I'd be interested if it had a removable battery though.

Everybody talk about removable battery, but I wonder somebody used that feature on regular basic, by actualy changing the battery by himself.
Today, changing the battery at an authorized store is kinda cheap, and no more expensive than the battery itself

[jimborae]

In other news Hexus now links to sites/videos featuring stolen goods and hardware........interesting moral dilemma is it not?

[aidanjt]

People who hate notches = people who hate screenspace

Nope, people who hate notches are people who hate their screen space being intruded upon by obnoxious obstacles.

[3dcandy]

Notches and no headphone socket will become commonplace I think. Though Samsung seem to be resisting both so far, more have those design choices than those that do

[Ttaskmaster]

People who hate notches = people who hate screenspace = people who are too dumb to deserve to have a voice

People who generalise about other people = People with closed minds.

I can't see why anyone would ever take issue with a notch other than "I hate Apple and everything they do is bad."

People who like notches = Peole without sympathetic design and aesthetic senses.

Everybody talk about removable battery, but I wonder somebody used that feature on regular basic, by actualy changing the battery by himself.
Today, changing the battery at an authorized store is kinda cheap, and no more expensive than the battery itself

It's more about being able to yank the battery and force the phone to restart, in the event that an app or something causes the phone to seize. Not had it with my current one, that I recall, but it used to be a thing for me and I know a fair few other people who've had it... mainly playing Star Wars Galaxies.