People aren’t buying smartphones like they used to, primarily because they’ve gotten so expensive that consumers are hanging on to them for three or four years.
So, instead of building a phone with more bells and whistles, Google is stripping out a lot of the expensive stuff and building a phone called the Pixel 3a that starts at $399.
Google Pixel 3a is the latest entry into the Pixel smartphone series and a very different proposition from the Californian search company. Until now, Pixel has always been a direct response to the iPhone – a premium smartphone powered by high-end internals and with tightly integrated hardware and software.
But the latest Google-designed handset is something entirely new. The Google Pixel 3a doesn’t feel like the affordable cousin of a high-end phone it feels more like a powerful and impressive mid-range handset in its own right, with great specs and useful features inherited from the Pixel 3 that you won’t find in any other similarly-priced device.
You’ll get the latest Android OS features and security updates guaranteed for the next three years, and will enjoy the Material Design user interface designed by Google, which is objectively more attractive than the software on most Android handsets in this price range (here’s looking at you Huawei, Honor and Xiaomi).
Sure, Google has cut some corners to achieve the starting price the plastic body doesn’t feel as premium, the lack of water and dust resistance means you’ll have to be more careful out and about, and the ability to shoot ultra-wide selfie shots will be sorely missed. That said, we’re not sure these are worth paying twice as much as the Pixel 3a and getting the flagship Pixel handset instead.
Like the iPhone XR and Galaxy S10e, the new Pixel 3a is designed to be a palatable balance of price and features. The camera has always been the star of the show when it comes to the Google Pixel range, and it’s one area where you won’t really notice that you’re not using the flagship.
Specifications Pixel 3A
CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 670
Memory: 4GB
Storage: 64GB
MicroSD storage: None
Screen size: 5.6-inches
Resolution: 2,280 x 1,080
Connectivity: USB-C, 3.5mm headphone jack, Bluetooth 5.0
Battery: 3,000mAh
Size: 151.3 x 70.1 x 8.2 mm
Weight: 147g (5.2oz)
Operating system: Android 9.0 Pie
Good
Affordable price point
Brings back the headphone jack
Has Active Edge
Bad
Weaker camera
No wireless charging
Feels a little slower than the Pixel 3
