Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL launch: UK release date, prices and leaks

Google is launching the third version of its Pixel smartphone line-up at events in London and New York this afternoon.

The keynote, which kicks off at 4pm UK time, will see the unveiling of the Pixel 3 and larger Pixel 3 XL devices. Both are rumoured to feature edge-to-edge displays, although the Pixel 3 XL is expected to incorporate a notch design similar to Apple’s latest batch of iPhones.

The new Pixels will also feature the latest version of Google’s smartphone operating system (OS), Android 9 Pie.

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With the official launch just hours away, here is a round-up of reports about Google’s new smartphones:

When do they come out?

According to TechRadar, orders will open for the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL as soon as the covers come off the new smartphones this afternoon.

And “an early October launch event would mean the Google Pixel 3 is also likely lands in stores in October”, the site says.

How much will they cost?

Fans will have to wait until the launch to find out the official price tag for the new smartphones. If the prices are comparable to those of last year’s Pixel 2, expect to pay from around £629 for the Pixel 3, and £799 for the Pixel XL, says The Inquirer.

What’s new?

Going by reports in the run-up to the launch, the Pixel 3 will sport a 5.5in display with a resolution of 2160x1080, while the Pixel 3 XL is a little larger at 6.3in and packs more pixels at 2880x1440, says Trusted Reviews. That would make the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL larger than the predecessors, by 0.5in and 0.3in respectively.

Images posted by serial leaker Evan Blass on Twitter indicate that the displays on both new models will be edge-to-edge panels. The Pixel 2’s large bezels are almost non-existent on the Pixel 3. Meanwile, the Pixel 3 XL appears to adopt a notch design, where the display wraps around the phone’s camera at the top of the panel, and which first appeared on last year’s iPhone X.

Google is also offering greater artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities on its new smartphones, 9to5Google reports.

Among the new AI-powered features are “Top Shot”, where the camera takes a burst of images moments before and after the user presses the shutter button, the rumour site says. The AI then selects the best shot.

There’s also a “super res zoom”, which may use AI to artificially extend the camera’s zoom capabilities.

However, while Google competitors such as the iPhone XS and Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus have moved to dual-lens cameras, the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL are believed to retain the same single lens set-up as their predecessors, according to Wired.

“Google, it seems, is confident it can do the kind of depth of field trickery seen on rivals without the aid of a second camera,” the magazine adds.

Is Google streaming the Pixel 3 launch?

Yes. Google is hosting a live stream of today’s product launch on the company’s Made by Google YouTube channel.