Canada Price Battle: Google Pixel XL vs. Zenfone 3 Deluxe

Canadians do (not) get to enjoy an inflated price for products in comparison to the US market. This is life for Canadians but the exchange rates have meant even more of a divide in terms of prices.

So for our Canadian visitors, let’s look at the Zenfone 3 Deluxe vs. Google Pixel XL price comparison. This is relevant now because Canadian retailers will be shipping the Zenfone 3 Deluxe very soon and pre orders have begun at some retailers.

We see Canadian pre orders for the Zenfone 3 Deluxe available at NCIX and Amazon.ca right now. US pre order details are here.

We’ve done a vs. article for the Zenfone 3 Deluxe versus the Google Pixel XL. Barring reading that article, here are the main differences spec wise between the two phones.

• The Pixel XL has the slightly faster Snapdragon 821 vs. the Snapdragon 820 in the Deluxe.
• The Pixel XL in this comparison has 32GB which is less storage (although you can pay a lot more money for the 128GB model) than the 64GB that comes with the Deluxe. Also consider the Deluxe has expandable microSD card storage and the Pixel XL does not.
• The Pixel XL does have a better camera, although give the Deluxe some time to iron out the software because it packs the newest Sony sensor. As it is, Pixel XL has top of class camera but don’t discount the quality of the Zenfone 3 Deluxe camera either.
• The Pixel XL comes with 4GB of RAM and the Deluxe comes with 6GB of RAM.
• The Pixel XL of course can tout the “pure” Android experience and the quick OS updates. That’s fine, however consider that Google is only offering 2 years of updates to their phone and 3 years of security updates. So essentially after three years, it appears you cannot use the phone. The question is what Asus will provide in terms of support with OS and security. We are efforting to find out what Asus is going to say publicly about their term of support for the Zenfone 3 Deluxe. I’ve had the Nexus 5 and I can honestly say that the pure experience is no longer a selling point or at least it’s not worth paying a premium for in my opinion.
• The design of these two phones is something that may or may not sway your decision. People have been quite critical of the Pixel XL design because of its thickness. Yes the Pixel XL doesn’t have the camera bump but it is wedge shaped as a result. The all metal design with the invisible antenna line design is a premium looking design.

Google Pixel XL (32GB) – CAD 1,049

Asus Zenfone 3 Deluxe (ZS570KL) – CAD 699

[Note: If you’re from the US, price for the Google Pixel XL is USD 769 and the Zenfone 3 Deluxe is USD 499. A difference of USD 270.]

Summary: So consider the $350 additional costs for the Pixel XL and whether it’s worth buying a phone with less storage and less RAM but a slightly faster processor. Is the pure Android OS experience and better camera worth an extra $350?

I’m just wondering if not having expandable storage and being tied to wifi would limit the use and enjoyment of the device. You can’t view your photos and videos if you’re outside a wifi zone. More than that, it’s a lot harder to put your movies or TV shows on the phone to watch while in transit or traveling.

You will have to pay another $130 to get the 128GB Pixel XL but to increase the Zenfone 3 Deluxe to 128GB, you would need to buy a 64GB microSD card which costs around $40 to $60.

If you care about price, then you need to look at the pros and cons for each device and decide what sacrifices you’re willing to make. You need to decide how much the features are worth to you.

The reality is the price difference is very substantial. Perhaps you can find a compelling reason to spend $350 to $480 for the Pixel XL, but it’s safe to say the Asus Zenfone 3 Deluxe offers the best overall value.

If you’re intersted in buying the Zenfone 3 Deluxe in Canada, pre orders are available at NCIX and Amazon.ca right now. If you are from the US, check our article here.