Pixel 3 Lite Gets Reviewed Even Though It Doesn’t Exist Yet

Damien McFerran 06/02/2019 – 7:41am

Google will be happy

Google hasn't announced the Pixel 3 Lite, but that hasn't stopped a Russian tech blogger from reviewing the new phone. Rozedke’s surprisingly in-depth review is a rather odd beast, as it's a disarmingly hands-on appraisal of a phone which, in formal terms, at least, doesn't actually exist yet.

The Russian blogger posted a full video review – which has since been removed – detailing pretty much every aspect of the upcoming device. Codenamed 'Sargo', the Pixel 3 Lite is a close match in purely physical terms to the existing Pixel 3, but there are some key differences to note.

While the Pixel 3 used a glass back, the Pixel 3 Lite is made entirely of plastic. It also uses an LCD screen instead of an OLED one – something that might be a blessing as the LG-made OLED panel used in the 'standard' Pixel 3 has caused all kinds of issues.

Inside, the Snapdragon 670 chipset is calling the shots which means the Pixel 3 Lite will be less powerful than its older sibling. It will be twinned with an Adreno 615 graphics chip and 4GB of RAM – entry-level specs in the world of Android, basically. According to Rozedke, the battery is rated at 2915 mAh and the phone supports Quick Charge 4+.

Of course, one of the main selling points of the Pixel line is its amazing camera, and it would seem that Google hasn't pulled any punches here. The Pixel 3 Lite uses pretty much the same setup as the other Pixel 3 phones, and Rozedke is reporting that the 12 megapixel main camera and 8 megapixel front-facing camera are both as good as the ones seen on the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL, despite the fact that this phone will obviously be cheaper.

The expected cost of the Pixel 3 Lite is around $400 to $500 dollars, which isn't quite budget territory but is cheaper than the standard Pixel 3. While Rozedke expresses some disappointment that Google didn't opt for a slightly more powerful processor, we'd imagine that the Snapdragon 670 will be more than adequate for most users, making this one of the phones to watch in 2019, despite its lower-than-flagship status.

As for when it's expected to launch, we'd imagine that day is quite close – especially if near-finished units are out in the wild right now. Of course, there's a chance that this review could be a hoax, but given how much data is on display here, we're not sure that is the case.