Google Pixel 3 Battery life – Not the strongest part of the phone

One of the biggest reasons to go for a ‘big’ phone is the improved battery life. Having a larger device naturally means there’s more space to stick in a sizeable cell.

In comparison, the 2900 mAh battery tucked inside the Google Pixel 3 seems, well, paltry.

As with specs, just looking at battery size doesn’t tell the whole story, With its 1080p display at 5.5 inches, the Pixel 3 doesn’t use as much juice in regular tasks as some of its bigger rivals and comparing it to something with a similar sized screen, like the Samsung Galaxy S9, you’ll notice the battery sizes are more comparable.

What I will say though is that if you want a phone that’ll comfortably last the day then go with the larger Pixel 3 XL. I still have battery anxiety with the Pixel 3, and while it gets me through the day, it’s not quite as reliable.

Streaming an hour of video on Netflix ate through between 11-13%, with about 30 minutes of Asphalt 8 taking the battery down approximately 10%. These are similar results to an iPhone XS and slightly better than the Pixel 2 I was using for comparison.

Wireless charging makes its Pixel debut here and I think should now be a requirement on high-end phones. It’s so handy just being able to plonk the phone on a pad and top up the charge. Alongside the Pixel 3, Google is selling Pixel Stand, a slick, vertical charging pad that not only charges the Pixel 3 wirelessly at 10w (the iPhone XS, for example, can only wirelessly charge at 7.5w) but enables some clever features too.

You could say docking the Pixel 3 into the Pixel Stand makes it like a Google Home Hub: it can give a briefing in the morning, makes the time more visible and there’s a nifty alarm feature that’ll try and wake you up slowly through bright colours on the screen. At £69/$79 it’s not cheap, but it’s a nice addition that does what it’s meant to do very well.

Why buy the Google Pixel 3?

A year on and the Pixel 3 is still a great phone. However, that’s mostly down to the photos. The poor amount of RAM has reared its head and with the Pixel 3a offering just about the same camera skills in a much cheaper phone it’s a hard sell.

We’re also eagerly awaiting the Pixel 4, which looks set to pack an extra camera on the back, smoother display and plenty of new shooting modes.

Still, if you can find it for a good price we’re happy to continue recommending the Pixel 3 for its camera and low-light shooting alone.

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Verdict

As much as we like the Google Pixel 3, you’re probably better off going for the Pixel 3a right now. Or waiting for a price-drop that’ll likely come when the Pixel 4 is announced.

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