Fans of the Google Pixel line are geeking out over the best look yet at designs for the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL expected to debut in October this year. MySmartPrice in particular has released a couple 360-degree renders which show off the subtle updates made to last year’s models, with the XL sporting a more exclusive top notch to separate it from its smaller counterpart.
Pixel 3 Render
As always, we’re concerned with repairability here at Group Vertical, so let’s take a closer look at the design features that may foreshadow the breakages and repairs to come.
Charging port is intact: Google hasn’t followed Apple’s lead here. Charging ports are visible on the renders for both phones, which means this part will still see plenty of wear from users who charge batteries the traditional way, and use the USB-C port to plug in their headphones. If the user regularly uses wireless charging and earbuds however, this part may not get much use. That’s assuming the Pixel 3 supports wireless charging, though…
All-glass back housing (for wireless charging?): A glass back allows wireless charging, but so far the renders show a distinctly two-tone back housing that jives with the past two Pixels. The top is clearly glass, but the bottom two-thirds is a matte finish, and the material is hard to identify.
The new contoured border makes the two textures blend more smoothly, so it certainly looks like a single component. If it is indeed glass, as has been rumored, then expect more back housing repairs than before.
Dual front cameras: The twin apertures gracing the screens on both phones seems to imply a new two-camera system. Some folks doubt it, but whether it’s dual cameras or a new sensor, does this mean facial recognition is on the way? If so, we wonder if the new Pixels’ firmware will allow this/these part(s) to be replaced without ruining facial recognition functionality, a problem afflicting iPhones equipped with Face ID, which we’ve talked about before.
Pixel 3 XL Render
Notched screen on the Pixel 3 XL: You get inside a Pixel phone by removing the screen display from the frame housing, iPhone-style, so the notch might make screen removal a more delicate process. Also, the increased 19:9 aspect ratio on this phone means less users will be likely to tolerate spider cracks in the top corner, so you can expect more repairs to come from this, too.
That’s about it for the hardware on display. The changes from the Pixel 2 line aren’t too radical, but it never hurts to speculate and experiment, particularly when technology becomes more sophisticated, and, in the case of Apple’s Face ID on the iPhone 8 and iPhone X, starts to complicate third-party repair.
Until the Pixel 3 is released and gets dropped on cement, you can always come here to shop for replacement parts for other Pixel phones. And keep your eyes peeled in October, when we’ll really know what the Pixel 3 and 3 XL are all about.