As expected, Google revealed its new flagship phones today, the Google Pixel 3 and the Google Pixel 3 XL.

Upon announcing the new models, Google said: “Today we’re introducing Pixel 3 and Pixel 3XL, the new smartphones from Google. Pixel brings you the best of Google in a phone, powered by AI to deliver more helpful, thoughtful and enjoyable experiences. That means a phone that answers for you when a telemarketer calls, a camera that uses AI to make sure you never miss the shot, and a more helpful visual and audio experience while charging, powered by the Google Assistant.”

The base Pixel 3 has a 5.5in screen, while the bigger Pixel 3 XL features a 6.3in screen.

But surely there must be more differences than screen size, right?

Let’s take a look to find out.

Google Pixel 3 vs Google Pixel 3 XL: Specs

Here are the specs for the Google Pixel 3:

• Display: Fullscreen 5.5” display, FHD+ flexible OLED at 443ppi
• Dimensions: 145.6mm x 68.2 mm x 7.9 mm
• Storage: 64GB or 128GB
• Memory: 4GB LPDDR4x RAM
• Processors: Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 
• Front camera: 8 MP, 1080p video
• Rear camera: 12.2 MP, Optical + electronic image stabilization, 4K video
• Battery: 2915 mAh
• Colors: Just Black, Clearly White, Not Pink

And here’s the specs for the Google Pixel 3 XL:

• Display: Fullscreen 6.3” display, QHD+ flexible OLED at 523ppi
• Dimensions: 158mm x 76.7 mm x 7.9 mm
• Storage: 64GB or 128GB
• Memory: 4GB LPDDR4x RAM
• Processors: Qualcomm Snapdragon 845
• Front camera: 8 MP, 1080p video
• Rear camera: 12.2 MP, Optical + electronic image stabilization, 4K video
• Battery: 2915 mAh
• Colors: Just Black, Clearly White, Not Pink

Okay, there’s no denying it. These phones are VERY similar when it comes to internal specs. Matter of fact, they’re identical. Both phones come in either 64GB or 128GB storage options, all models of both phones feature 4GB LPDDR4x RAM, and both phones sport a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor with an Adreno 630 GPU. So trust me, choosing which one you want will be no problem at all based on spec.

Google Pixel 3 vs Google Pixel 3 XL: Display & Design

The difference between these phones lies in their display. No–not even their design; their display. But let's just get the design out of the way because there is a single difference. Besides the fact that the XL is physically larger and weighs a bit more because of its size, the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL look virtually identical. Each has an Aluminum frame and hybrid coating and is IPX8 water and dust resistant.

Now let’s get to that display, which is the main difference. The Pixel 3 has the smaller 5.5in display. It’s an FHD+ flexible OLED at 443ppi. Because of its dimensions, it's also got an 18:9 aspect ratio. The Pixel 3 XL, on the other hand, has a larger 6.3in display that is a QHD+ flexible OLED at 523ppi. However, it’s got an 18.5:9 aspect ratio. Because of the slightly different aspect ratios, content, video, and apps could look *slightly* different depending on which phone you get.

Google Pixel 3 vs Google Pixel 3 XL: Battery

This should come as no surprise, both phones also come with the same battery despite having different screen sizes. Though each has a 2915 mAh battery that needs to power different sized displays, Google says each model gets the same battery life. Each Pixel also features 18W fast charging and Qi wireless charging.

Google Pixel 3 vs Google Pixel 3 XL: Cameras

Google! You’ve really made this “versus” too easy. Even the cameras are exactly the same in both phones. Both feature an 8 MP, 1080p video front camera and the exact same 12.2 MP rear camera, which features optical and electronic image stabilization and records in 4K video. What's really a shame is Google has not followed the trend by adding dual lens rear cameras to its flagships.

Google Pixel 3 vs Google Pixel 3 XL: Cost

The final difference is, of course, the price. For the 5.5in Pixel 3 you’ll pay £739 for the 64GB model and £839 for the 128GB model.

For the 6.3in Pixel 3 XL you’ll pay £869 for the 64GB model and £969 for the 128GB model.

Bottomline? 

The Pixel 3 XL is bigger and has a larger battery. You also get the benefits of having a larger display too, which makes for better media experiences. The meat and potatoes of both phones, however, are very similar.

But this is to be expected: Google has always made its Pixel phones very similar; it doesn’t like making concessions on the smaller handset and only makes cuts that won’t be noticed.

Why’s that? Simple: it doesn’t want to penalise people for wanting a slightly smaller phone like Apple and pretty much every other phone maker does. This is a good approach to phones. I just wish more firms did it.

I mean, even the displays are similar this time around: both use OLED panels, so you’re getting excellent visuals on both.

The big different is price. The XL is more expensive. But when you look at the specs of both handsets, it’s kind of hard to see why – they’re both almost completely equal where it counts.