The Google Pixel 3 Review: The Ultimate Camera Test
by Andrei Frumusanu on November 2, 2018 11:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Smartphones
- camera
- Mobile
- Pixel
- Snapdragon 845
- Pixel 3
GPU Performance
GPU performance of the Pixel 3 should be relatively non-surprising for the most part – again we see the Snapdragon 845 at play and its Adreno 630 GPU should be performing excellently. This year the only real differences between devices was how vendors decided to set up their thermal throttling mechanisms and how the hardware itself is able to dissipate sufficient heat – as the SoC’s peak performance lies above the sustainable thermal envelope of a given device.
In the 3DMark Physics test, the Pixel 3 performs as expected in peak performance, however we see a more than usual decline is sustained performance compared to other Snapdragon 845 phones. Here it is possible Google has more strict thermal limits on the CPU.
The graphics results on 3DMark are more in line with other S845 devices, still the small Pixel 3 does end up slightly lower in performance. It’s notable that the Pixel 3 here ends up with a lower sustained performance score as the Pixel 2 family – showcasing the worst-case scenario for the SoC.
In the new Aztec benchmark, the new GPU architecture does help quite a bit in terms of differentiating itself from last year’s Pixels, however still the Pixel 3 ends up at the lower end of S845 phones in terms of the sustained performance.
Finally in Manhattan and T-Rex, the Pixel 3 ends up in the same ballpark range as last year’s Pixels – again a worst-case scenario for the new SoC.
Among Android devices the Pixel 3 doesn’t stand out too much from the competition, however is still going to be able to perform very well. One has to keep in mind GPU and gaming performance is very much tied to the hardware capabilities, and in this regard we’ll see major jumps with the next generation GPUs.
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Dr. Swag - Saturday, November 3, 2018 - link
https://www.xda-developers.com/google-camera-photo...satori3000 - Saturday, November 3, 2018 - link
Appreciated. Was hoping this was an application, I'm not side loading anythingImpulses - Saturday, November 3, 2018 - link
It's gonna be available as an update to the stock camera pretty soon.zodiacfml - Saturday, November 3, 2018 - link
Impressive, beating a camera site on the review of the camera. I also like your emphasis on the highlights. I am particular with this especially on brightly colored objects. I prefer this choice of Google.You are correct that it has crushed blacks to increase contrast due to the soft highlights.
I think you can control exposure despite in HDR mode for night scenes.
Lastly, the phone gives me an impression of a Nexus 5 but it has good pricing unlike this.
Why dont you set a static scene studio for resolution and low light tests?
Ethos Evoss - Saturday, November 3, 2018 - link
Overrated crap phone ..Simsurf - Sunday, November 4, 2018 - link
I simply refuse to pay more than $1000 for any phone. When did we start accepting this as the norm. Still rocking an immaculate refurbished pixel XL 128gb for $500 on eBay twelve months ago. And when this one dies I'll get last year's model again. If I want to play games I get in my PC. If I want a good photo i use my dslr.Commodus - Sunday, November 4, 2018 - link
You can't always bring your PC and DSLR with you though, can you? I don't know about you, but if I'm out on the town with my partner I'd rather not lug a big camera around just in case there's a good photo opportunity. It's about having the best experience that's always available in your pocket.Impulses - Monday, November 5, 2018 - link
There's pocketable P&S with 1" sensors or even tiny M4/3 bodies that can outshoot $1K phones with relative ease tho, and they're still plenty portable... Photography enthusiasts are spoiled for choices these days despite a shrinking market... I'm not picking sides, I've now bought two Pixels (OG & 3) and I shoot some of those same camera options I alluded to.Arbie - Tuesday, November 6, 2018 - link
"There's pocketable P&S with 1" sensors or even tiny M4/3 bodies that can outshoot $1K phones with relative ease".Examples? I want small size and good low-light performance at auto settings.
zodiacfml - Tuesday, November 6, 2018 - link
It is not even increasing part cost. The Pocophone F1 has flagship specs at only $300