More importantly, you now have to consider the competition that much more carefully. If you're paying up front, Samsung's Galaxy S9 and LG's G7 offer larger screens and a few clever tricks (such as variable aperture and dual rear cameras) for $50 less. That's not including aggressively priced hardware like the OnePlus 6 and the upcoming 6T. And of course, your options widen further if you're not wedded to Android. Who knew Apple's iPhone XR would sound like a bargain at $749? While the Pixel 3 does have plenty of tricks that might justify the outlay, it's not as easy a choice as it once was.

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