Google Pixel 3 released back in November and was certainly an iterative improvement over the Pixel 2.
However, the handset still delivered an improved design, a slightly tweaked camera system and new internals.
Just like previous Pixel devices, the 3 comes in standard and XL varieties.
The former comes with relatively thick bezels on its top and bottom while the latter arrives with a controversial notch at the top.
While the Pixel 3 certainly does not have an industry-leading design, it does offer quality software and arguably the best camera system on the market for Android enthusiasts.
In fact, Express.co.uk went so far as to say the Pixel 3 had the “best rear camera on a smartphone” when we reviewed it back in October.
We said: “Put simply, the Pixel 3 has the best rear camera on a smartphone right now.
“Images captured on both the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL easily fooled people into thinking they were from a DSLR.”
While the Pixel certainly places its camera on a pedestal, it appears the handset’s photography offering could soon be trumped by Xiaomi’s latest flagship.
DxOMark, an outlet renowned for meticulously testing smartphone cameras and assigning them a score based on performance, recently reviewed the Chinese firm’s forthcoming handset, the Mi 9, and stated it was more capable than the Pixel 3.
The Xiaomi Mi 9 flaunts a triple-camera system on its rear, similar to the Mate 20 Pro and Galaxy S10, that is comprised of a 48-megapixel main sensor, a 16-megapixel wide-angle system and a 12-megapixel telephoto unit.
DxOMark awarded the handset’s rear array a result of 107.
Such a figure is higher than notable flagships such as the Pixel 3, iPhone Xs Max, Samsung Galaxy S9+ and the OnePlus 6T.
In its verdict of the Mi 9, DxOMark said the handset represents the firm’s step “into the big league of smartphone cameras”.
The publication added: “Xiaomi has impressed us in the past with devices such as the Mi MIX 3 and Mi 8, but the Mi 9 takes things to a whole new level, placing the Chinese company’s latest flagship model firmly into the big league of smartphone cameras—right up there with the heavy-hitters from Apple, Samsung, and Huawei.
“With convincing results across the board and no major flaws, the Mi 9 is the third-best device so far for still imaging, edged out only by Huawei juggernauts Mate 20 Pro and P20 Pro. In video mode it does even better, finding itself at the very top of our ranking, making it the top choice for mobile video shooters.
“This is partly due to the Mi 9 being the first test device recording 4K video by default and therefore scoring very high for texture and detail, but it also puts in a very good performance in all other test categories.”
For reference, it is worth noting the Google Pixel 3 was awarded a total of 101.
The Xiaomi Mi 9 is expected to debut at the firm’s event at Mobile World Congress (MWC) today.
In addition to arriving with a triple-camera setup, the Mi 9 is also anticipated to come with a 6.39-inch AMOLED display, a 3,300mAh battery and have incredibly fast internals.
The Mi 9 has been claimed to be powered by Qualcomm’s latest and greatest Snapdragon 855 processor and have 8GB of RAM.
Express.co.uk is attending Xiaomi’s showcase in Barcelona and will be bringing you all the latest announcements.
Proceedings will begin at 9.30am UK time or 10.30am local time.