What do you prioritize when investing in a smartphone? Is it sleek design, high-quality camera, or smooth performance? For me, a dependable battery is paramount, especially in a flagship device.
In my experience with the Pixel 3 XL, I’ve grown fond of the phone. However, many of you may be curious about its battery life performance.
Before delving into battery performance, it’s worth noting that Google has downsized the Pixel 3 XL battery by 90mAH compared to its predecessor. While the Pixel 2 XL boasts a 3,520mAh battery, the Pixel 3 XL now offers 3,430mAh, despite their similar dimensions.
Despite this reduction, Google expresses confidence in the Pixel 3 XL’s ability to last all day. However, I remain skeptical of such claims. It’s essential to subject these assertions to scrutiny, as they may not always align with reality. Google has refined the Pixel, with minimal changes under the hood apart from the necessary SoC upgrade. Let’s now assess the battery’s performance.
Pixel 3 XL Battery Life
The Pixel 3 XL’s battery life has been impressive. My typical usage involves gaming for the review, taking numerous pictures, and watching HDR videos on YouTube, with mixed cellular data and Wi-Fi connectivity. The QHD+ display, like its predecessor, I prefer to keep in Ambient Display mode, which further drains the battery.
Now, let’s consider the typical lifespan of the Pixel 3 XL. With moderate usage, including occasional gaming, brief camera experiments like Playground filters, and some web browsing, I achieved 19 hours of usage with 4 hours of screen-on-time.
Pushing the Pixel 3 XL to its limits with extended gaming sessions and more photos yielded over 6 and a half hours of screen-on time (SOT) and over 15 hours of overall usage, which is decent, considering wireless charging capability.
The ambient display consumed about 4% battery, potentially extending usage by 30 minutes to an hour, depending on usage habits.
For casual photography, social media, moderate gaming (excluding lengthy sessions in graphics-heavy games like PUBG), and moderate to heavy YouTube and Netflix use, this battery easily lasts over 24 hours. You can count on it.
Disabling Adaptive Brightness may extend battery life by an hour but could diminish the premium user experience, as it is highly effective on the Pixel 3.
Adaptive Battery
With the latest Android Pie on the Pixel 3, Adaptive Battery significantly enhances battery life through AI learning. It prioritizes resources for frequently used apps, reducing battery usage.
The feature adds time to the battery’s backup but also means less frequently opened apps could be killed in the background or take longer to open. This might be due to the 4GB RAM, which sometimes feels insufficient compared to the competition. We’ll test this more thoroughly in our performance deep-dive.
Google Pixel 3 XL: Time To Recharge
In the box, Google supplies an 18W fast charger which is pleasantly fast. In my case, the charger took around 100 minutes (1 hour and 40 minutes) to go from 5% to 100%. Charging the battery from 5% to 50% takes between 35-40 minutes, but it’s advisable to spend that extra hour for a full charge to ensure the Pixel 3 XL lasts through the day.
As with premium devices, charging slows as it nears completion to prevent battery overheating. Throughout charging, the phone and glass back stay at a comfortable temperature without signs of overheating.
Pixel 3 XL Wireless Charging with Pixel Stand
The Pixel Stand, a new accessory, complements Pixel 3’s wireless charging. Google also subtly criticized Apple, which has remained silent about AirPower.
Regarding the Pixel Stand, it enables the Pixel 3 to stand vertically, suitable for work desks, tables, and bedstands. Besides charging the smartphone, it transforms it into a smart display with toggles for message and notification interaction, music or radio playback, calling, and setting alarms. Voice interaction is also enabled through Google Assistant. The Pixel Stand charges the Pixel 3 at 10W, the typical maximum for Qi-compliant devices. Additionally, it supports charging an iPhone XS or Galaxy S9/Note 9.
To get the Pixel Stand, you’ll need to buy it separately for $79 (around Rs 5,800). If you’re eager to go cordless, it’s a feature Google deserves credit for. While there’s no information on pricing or availability in India, since the Pixel Stand is listed on the Google Store, it should be available around or after the Pixel 3 launch.
Pixel 3 XL Battery: Meets Flagship Expectations But Lacks ‘Superfast’ Charging
Fulfilling our expectations, the Pixel 3 XL’s battery life is satisfactory for a flagship device. The smartphone lasts almost a day with moderate usage, even with its QHD+ display, which is a desirable battery performance.
What leaves me longing is the absence of super fast charging technology like Dash Charge on OnePlus devices and VOOC Flash Charging by OPPO. However, the Pixel Stand compensates for this, allowing you to charge your Pixel 3 XL overnight while also using it as a smart display.
If you’re still undecided about the smartphone, you can read our full review of the Pixel 3 XL and stay tuned to our YouTube channel for a video review soon.
Pre-order Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL on Flipkart (starts at Rs 71,000)
Pritam Chopra is a seasoned IT professional and a passionate blogger hailing from the dynamic realm of technology. With an insatiable curiosity for all things tech-related, Pritam has dedicated himself to exploring and unraveling the intricacies of the digital world.
