Google's new Pixel 3: Secure payments, wireless charging and a notch

Google has announced its new Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL smartphones, designed to compete with the latest from tech heavyweights Apple and Samsung.

The latest phones have a new security chip, which Google is calling "Titan M", which is similar to one introduced by Apple in 2013. The new chip will store biometric data and encrypted information needed for digital payments and transactions.

The two new devices only really differ in size - the Pixel 3 has a 5.5-inch FHD+ screen (2160 x 1080 pixels), whereas the XL version's QHD+ display is 6.3 inches (2960 x 1440 pixels) with a notch for the selfie camera.

Google is still resisting the trend of multiple camera lenses, instead opting to double down on its single shooter and its software enhancements to photos, notably with an improved digital zoom function based a technology for satellite photography.

By overlapping photos on top of each other, the camera's software is able to help users zoom into objects without losing quality.

Amateur photographers will also be able to make use of the larger RAW photo format for later editing of their shots.

The front camera does have two lenses, however, one with a larger wide-angle lens to allow for bigger and better group selfies. The cameras also have a special "night mode" setting for better pictures taken in almost complete darkness - however this feature will not be enabled until after a later software update.

One area where Google is joining the smartphone trend is with wireless charging, with the Pixel 3 being the first from this series to get this functionality.

As with previous Pixel editions, the tech giant is capitalizing on its expertise in machine learning and artificial intelligence. For instance, the feature "Google Lens" can identify information in images such as addresses or telephone numbers without access to the cloud.

The Pixel 3 will cost 649 dollars for 64 GB of internal storage and 840 dollars for the larger XL. Both with dust and splash protection (IP68), they two phones go on sale in November.