Pixel 3 XL teardown confirms Google picked a Samsung AMOLED display
Now you know who's behind the curtain.
The Pixel 3 XL as dismantled by iFixit.
iFixit's latest teardown took on the new Google Pixel 3 XL. While there weren't many surprises, it did clear up one of the remaining mysteries about the phone: which company made its display.
Turns out it's a Samsung AMOLED, the same type of display (though not necessarily the same screen) that appears in Samsung's latest models such as the Galaxy Note 9 and the Pixel 3's predecessors, the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL.
That helps explain the PIxel 3 and Pixel 3 XL's great results for color gamut, accuracy and more in DisplayMate's latest phone display tests.
A couple other notable takeaways from the teardown: The Pixel 3 has a lot more adhesive than the Pixel 2 models, much like the Galaxy S9 Plus, making it harder to repair. It's easy to remove the battery, but more difficult to get to other parts that frequently need attention. And the full-size glass back makes it more likely to crack if dropped.
There's a lot of thermal paste to transfer heat from the chips to outer metal for better dissipation.
Google unveiled the new Pixel phones at an event on Oct. 9, where it also showed off the Google Home Hub and the new Pixel Slate. Google says the cameras on the Pixel 3 and 3 XL are even better than the Pixel 2, in part because of its continued confidence in its single rear camera. The phones also have two front-facing cameras that can capture wider selfie photos.
You can see how the camera on Google's Pixel 3 compare to Apple's iPhone XS in CNET's camera showdown.
First published Oct 16.
Update, Oct. 17: Adds more information on Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL.
