Hi, Here are some impressions I’ve formed along with some notes on the Google Pixel 3 XL phone over the past fortnight. Firstly the Pixel 3 XL is not a small phone though the bigger size has many advantages, a better spaced onscreen keyboard experience for example. I have been using Android phones full-time for the last 4 years and the Google Pixel 3 XL is certainly one of the most useable and flexible phones I’ve ever put my hands on. Setup and installation is straight forward and you will need to enable Talkback if you have no vision, this is done by placing 2 fingers on the centre of the screen and following the voice prompts. Once the phone is up and running then very little modification should be required in order to fully utilise and navigate the phone. The Pixel 3 launcher – the app that controls layout and navigation of the phone – is one of the easiest launchers to navigate that I’ve encountered thus far, in other words no complicated gestures or swiping movements need to be used. To bring up the Apps list from the home screen swipe up with 2 fingers. To move from the Apps List back to the Home screen perform another 2 finger upwards swipe. To move into the “Recent Apps list perform a 2 finger swipe up, hold and release. If these swipes don’t suit you then you can change the layout by introducing buttons – back, home and recents – to the bottom of the screen through the Settings App. Lining your fingers up for swiping from the bottom of the screen is incredibly easy due to the big notch taken out of the screen at the bottom of the phone, this notch handles one of the 2 front facing cameras. Added to the Pixel 3 XL experience is the built-in Google assistant which can be accessed at any time by squeezing the bottom half of the phone. I often find myself disabling the Talkback Screen Reader on the Pixel 3 XL and just relying on the Google Assistant to get my work done, dictate messages and email, make Voice calls and so on. Unlocking the phone is easy with the fingerprint reader found near the centre on the back of the phone, the reader is easily identified as it is indented into the rear of the phone. The construction of the phone consists of an aluminium frame with glass front and back. The glass back is slightly lacquered to prevent the phone from sliding. The phone does not have a 3.5MM headphones jack but does come with a set of USB-C earbuds and a USB-C to 3.5MM adapter on a lead which means the adapter should last for quite some time. The quality of stereo sound through the front firing speakers – one at each end on the face of the phone – is outstanding, front firing of sound makes a huge difference. The Pixel 3 XL can be bought for well under $1000 from Telstra etc.
