Google Pixel 3a & Pixel 3a XL launched – Mid range Pixels!

The rumours of mid-range Pixel phones started last year after the Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL launched. Today, the company finally launched two mid-range Pixel devices named Google Pixel 3a & Pixel 3a XL. One of the best things about both the phones is that they both have the same rear camera as the high-end Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL.

With a starting price of $399, the Pixel 3a could be the phone for you if you want a great camera & pure Android experience but don’t want to spend on high-end Google flagships.

We already know everything about both the phones but let’s recap all that again one last time. The design remains similar to the Pixel 3, so there is an 18:9 screen on the front, a single rear camera, a rear-facing fingerprint scanner & a dual-tone design on the back. It is worth mentioning that the phones have a plastic build, so everything is plastic on the outside.

One extra thing is the headphone jack. Yes, both the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL have a headphone jack. Still, don’t expect the same to happen with the high-end Pixel 4 devices coming later this year. They are not coming with one.

Talking about the specifications, the Google Pixel 3a has a 5.6-inch OLED Full-HD+ display (1080 x 2220 pixels) whereas the Pixel 3a XL gets a bigger 6-inch panel with the same FHD+ resolution (1080 x 2160 pixels). The display is protected with the Dragontrail glass.

Under the hood, the Google Pixel 3a has the 10nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 670 processor with Adreno 615 GPU while the bigger Pixel 3a XL gets a more powerful 10nm Snapdragon 710 processor. Both the phones have 4GB RAM and 64GB ROM. So, there is only one storage option with both phones.

Let’s talk about that camera, that damn camera! Both the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL have a 12.2MP rear camera (IMX363) with f/1.8 aperture, 1.4-micron Pixel size, Dual Pixel AF, Optical Image Stabilization & EIS. Keeping the ISP aside, this is the same camera as the one on Pixel 3, so you can imagine how great the camera is. On the front, there is a single 8MP f/2.0 camera.

There is no denying the fact that one of the best camera features of the Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL is the Night Sight that lets you take some incredible photos in low light. Since the camera sensor is the same, the Google Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL can take some seriously good photos in the dark and at the I/O, Google even compared the images taken by Pixel 3a’s camera versus those taken with iPhone X’s in low light.

Other camera features include Top Shot, HDR+ & Super Res Zoom.

The smaller Google Pixel 3a has a 3,000mAh battery while the Pixel 3a XL gets a bigger 3,700mAh battery. Both phones support 18W Fast Charging via USB Type-C port. Both the phones have stereo speakers but the second speaker is placed on the bottom & not on the bottom chin. There is also Active Edge which means the sides are pressure sensitive.

Both the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL come in three colors – Purple, Just Black & Clearly White. The Google Pixel 3a is priced at $399 whereas the Pixel 3a XL costs $479. In India, the Google Pixel 3a is priced at Rs 39,999. So yes, the phones are way too overpriced in a market like India

What are your views on the specifications & the pricing of these mid-range Pixels? Do let us know via the comments section.