Pixel 3a

Last updated
  • Pixel 3a
  • Pixel 3a XL
Pixel 3a wordmark.svg
Pixel 3a (2019).svg   Pixel 3a XL (2019).svg
Diagrams of the Pixel 3a (L) and Pixel 3a XL (R)
Brand Google
Manufacturer Foxconn
Series Pixel
Codename
  • Sargo (Pixel 3a) [1]
  • Bonito (Pixel 3a XL) [1]
Compatible networks GSM/EDGE, UMTS/HSPA+, CDMA EVDO Rev A, WCDMA, LTE, LTE Advanced
First releasedMay 7, 2019;5 years ago (2019-05-07)
DiscontinuedJuly 1, 2020;4 years ago (2020-07-01)
Successor Pixel 4a
Related Pixel 3
Type
Form factor Slate
DimensionsPixel 3a:
H: 151.3 mm (5.96 in)
W: 70.1 mm (2.76 in)
D: 8.2 mm (0.32 in)
Pixel 3a XL:
H: 160.1 mm (6.30 in)
W: 76.1 mm (3.00 in)
D: 8.2 mm (0.32 in)
Weight
  • Pixel 3a: 147 g (5.2 oz)
  • Pixel 3a XL: 167 g (5.9 oz)
Operating system Android 9 "Pie"
Last: Android 12
System-on-chip Qualcomm Snapdragon 670
CPU 2.0 GHz + 1.7 GHz, 64-Bit Octa-Core
GPU Adreno 615
Memory4  GB LPDDR4X
Storage64 GB eMMC 5.1
Removable storage None
SIM Nano SIM and eSIM
Battery
  • Pixel 3a: 3000 mAh
  • Pixel 3a XL: 3700 mAh
DisplayPixel 3a: 5.6 in (142 mm) FHD+ OLED at 441  ppi, 2220 × 1080 resolution (37∶18)
Pixel 3a XL: 6.0 in (152 mm) FHD+ OLED at 402 ppi, 2160 × 1080 (2∶1) resolution
Both displays have Asahi Dragontrail Glass
SoundStereo speakers
Rear camera12.2  MP (1.4 μm) with f/1.8 lens, Dual Pixel Phase autofocus, optical and electronic image stabilization 1080p at 30/60/120  fps, 720p at 30/60/240 fps, 4K at 30 fps
Front camera 8 MP with f/2.0 lens and 84° lens, [2] fixed focus, 1080p at 30 fps, 720p at 30 fps, 480p at 30 fps
Connectivity Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz + 5.0 GHz 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0 + LE, NFC, GPS (GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, BeiDou)
Data inputs USB-C
Other
Website Google Pixel 3a
References [4]

The Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL are a pair of Android smartphones designed, developed, and marketed by Google as part of the Google Pixel product line. They collectively serve as mid-range variants of the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL. They were officially announced on May 7, 2019 at Google I/O, [5] seven months after the announcement of the original Pixel 3 lineup, and were released on the same day. On August 3, 2020, it was succeeded by the Pixel 4a. [6]

Contents

Specifications

Design

The Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL come in three colors: 'Just Black' (all black), 'Clearly White' (white with an orange power button), and 'Purple-ish' (lavender, with a neon yellow power button). Both the Pixel 3a and the Pixel 3a XL resemble the smaller Pixel 3, following criticism of the Pixel 3 XL's notch. They look similar to their more expensive counterparts, but both have a polycarbonate unibody construction and Asahi Dragontrail glass, rather than Corning Gorilla Glass which is used on most other smartphones. [7]

Hardware

The Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL come with the Snapdragon 670 chip and 4  GB of RAM, with 64 GB of non-expandable eMMC internal storage. Both phones lack wireless charging, water resistance and the Pixel Visual Core (PVC), all of which are standard on the Pixel 3. They feature stereo speakers and a 3.5 mm headphone jack, the latter of which was omitted on the Pixel 2 and Pixel 3. Unlike the Pixel 2 and Pixel 3, only one of the speakers is front-firing, with the other speaker on the bottom. [8] A USB-C port is used on both for charging and connecting other accessories. Both phones also have Active Edge, where squeezing the sides of the phone activates Google Assistant, which debuted with the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL. [9]

Camera

The Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL have a 12.2 megapixel rear camera, which is the same unit found on the Pixel 3, and a single 8 megapixel front-facing camera, lacking the second wide-angle sensor. [10] They feature many of the same photography features as the Pixel 3. Some of these features of Google Camera include:

  • Night Sight - dramatically improves low light performance with no flash or tripod. [10]
    • Astrophotography - Google updated the Pixel 3a with an improved Night Sight featuring an astrophotography mode. [11]
  • Super Res Zoom - employs super-resolution techniques to increase the resolution beyond what the sensor and lens combination would traditionally achieve using subtle shifts from handheld shake and optical image stabilization. [7]
  • Top Shot - takes a burst of HDR+ photos and automatically picks the best shots. [7] An update added Top Shot for short videos. [11]
  • Google Lens - recognizes objects and text seen on the Pixel 3a's and Pixel 3a XL's camera. [12]

The Pixel 3a's Google Photos capabilities are more restrictive than the Pixel 3, being limited to free "high quality" backups; full resolution images and videos count towards the Google Drive quota. [13]

Software

Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL ship with Android 9.0 Pie at launch and is upgradable to Android 12L with its last official software update released in September 2022, [14] though third-party operating systems such as Ubuntu Touch can be installed. [15] [16]

The Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL were updated bringing several features from the Pixel 4 including: Live captions, Google Recorder, New Google Assistant, Astrophotography mode and Top Shot for short videos. [11]

The back side on the Pixel 3a Back-google-pixel-3a.jpg
The back side on the Pixel 3a

Pricing

The Pixel 3a sold at an MSRP of US$ 399 and the Pixel 3a XL at an MSRP of US$ 479. [17] [18] That makes them the cheapest Pixel phones to date at the point of their release, with only the older Google Nexus series having cheaper models. [19]

Models

ModelTypeRegion [20] SKUs
Just BlackClearly WhitePurple-ish
G020APixel 3a XLVerizon [21] GA00661-USGA00663-US
G020BUK, Europe, and APAC
G020CNorth America [22] GA00664-USGA00665-USGA00666-US
G020DJapan
G020EPixel 3aVerizon [21] GA00652-USGA00654-US
G020FUK, Europe, and APAC
G020GNorth America [22] GA00655-USGA00656-USGA00657-US
G020HJapan

Cellular networks

Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL
Region Version		Bands [20]
GSM (2G) CDMA (3G) UMTS (3G) LTE (4G)
North America850, 900, 1800, 1900BC0, BC1, BC101-2, 4-5, 81-5, 7-8, 12-14, 17, 20, 25-26, 28-30, 38, 40-41, 66, 71
Verizon1-5, 7-8, 12-13, 17, 20, 25-26, 28, 32, 38, 40-41, 66
UK, Europe, and APAC
Japan—1-2, 4-6, 8, 191-5, 8, 12-13, 17-19, 21, 26, 28, 38, 41
The Pixel Launcher on the Pixel 3a Start-screen-google-pixel-3a.jpg
The Pixel Launcher on the Pixel 3a

Reception

The Pixel 3a's camera quality was highly praised, more so considering the device's price point, with Tom's Guide calling it "the new midrange benchmark" for cameras. Tom's Guide gave the Pixel 3a an Editor's Choice award and a rating of 4.5/5, concluding that it "has far and away the best camera, software and display you could ever hope to get in a $400 phone". [23] The Verge was similarly positive, giving both the 3a and the 3a XL an 8/10, stating that "[it] takes photos that are nearly indistinguishable from what you get out of a Pixel 3". [13] The battery life and build quality were praised as well, while reviewers were critical of the slower processor and lack of wireless charging and water resistance.

The 3a received an overall score of 101 from DxOMark (matching the iPhone XR and 1 point short of the Pixel 3), with a photo score of 103 and a video score of 98. [24]

The 3a and 3a XL resulted in Google's smartphone sales doubling in the second quarter of 2019. [25]

Issues

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pixel Camera</span> Camera application developed by Google for Pixel devices

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Comparison of Google Pixel smartphones</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pixel 3</span> 2018 Android smartphone designed by Google

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pixel 4a</span> 2020 Android smartphone designed by Google

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References

  1. 1 2 "Factory Images for Nexus and Pixel Devices". Google Developers. Google Inc. Retrieved May 10, 2019.
  2. ↑ Chokkattu, Julian (May 7, 2019). "At half the price, how does the Pixel 3a camera stack up to the Google Pixel 3?". Digital Trends . Retrieved 11 May 2019.
  3. ↑ Page, Carly (May 10, 2019). "Pixel 3a XL price, deals and specs: iFixit crowns handset as 'most repairable' Google phone yet". The Inquirer . Google. Archived from the original on May 10, 2019. Retrieved May 11, 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  4. ↑ "Compare Pixel 3a Specs - Camera, Screen, Battery & Processor". Google Store. Retrieved May 11, 2019.
  5. ↑ "Google unveils the lower-cost Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL". Engadget . May 7, 2019. Retrieved 2019-05-07.
  6. ↑ "Google confirms the Pixel 3a has been discontinued". AndroidPolice. 2020-07-01.
  7. ↑ Amadeo, Ron (8 May 2019). "Google Pixel 3A hands-on: The only Pixel phone to buy". Ars Technica . Retrieved 11 May 2019.
  8. ↑ Gartenberg, Chaim (7 May 2019). "Pixel 3A vs. Pixel 3: how the specs compare for Google's latest phones". Circuit Breaker . Retrieved 11 May 2019.
  9. 1 2 Maring, Joe (7 May 2019). "Google Pixel 3a: Everything you need to know!". Android Central. Retrieved 11 May 2019.
  10. 1 2 3 Wilde, Damien (2019-10-16). "Here are all the Pixel 4 features coming to Pixel 3, 3a [Video]". 9to5Google . Retrieved 2019-10-19.
  11. ↑ Google Pixel 3a: Google Lens. YouTube . 7 May 2019. Retrieved 11 May 2019.
  12. 1 2 Bohn, Dieter (7 May 2019). "The Pixel 3a Puts Google's Phenomenal Camera in a $400 Phone". The Verge . Retrieved 11 May 2019.
  13. ↑ Sorrentino, Mike; Eadicicco, Lisa (December 1, 2022). "Should You Upgrade to the Pixel 7? See How It Compares to Older Pixels". CNET . Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  14. ↑ Proven, Liam (June 23, 2022). "Ubuntu Touch OTA-23 is coming: Do you have one of the older model phones that can test it?". The Register . Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  15. ↑ Guerrini, Federico (April 3, 2022). "Worried That Your Phone Is Spying On You? Try A Different OS". Forbes . Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  16. ↑ "Meet the Google Pixel 3A: A midrange phone with a flagship camera for $399". May 7, 2019.
  17. ↑ "Google announces the Pixel 3A and 3A XL, starting at $399". May 7, 2019.
  18. ↑ "Google Pixel 3a and 3a XL unveiled: Same cameras, slower chipsets and $399 starting price".
  19. 1 2 "Pixel phone hardware tech specs". Google Support. Retrieved 2019-09-01.
  20. 1 2 "Pixel 3a listing". Best Buy. Retrieved 2019-09-01.
  21. 1 2 "PSA: Clearing up confusion over Pixel 3a, 3a XL model numbers and SKUs". Republic Wireless. Archived from the original on September 2, 2019. Retrieved 2019-09-01.
  22. ↑ Ismail, Adam; Spoonauer, Mark (10 May 2019). "Google Pixel 3a Review: The Phone You Want for $400". Tom's Guide . Retrieved 11 May 2019.
  23. ↑ Carroll, Paul (19 July 2019). "Google Pixel 3a camera review". DxOMark . Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  24. ↑ "Pixel 3a put some life back in Google's smartphone business, doubling total Pixel sales year-over-year". TalkAndroid.com. 2019-07-26. Retrieved 2019-07-27.
  25. ↑ Jha, Priya (June 19, 2020). "Digital Well-being: A New Initiative Of Google From A Digital To The Real World". Appsierra. Archived from the original on October 27, 2020. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
  26. ↑ Li, Abner (May 28, 2019). "Google: Digital Wellbeing does not slow down the Pixel 3, but other fixes coming". 9to5 Google. Retrieved June 6, 2019.
  27. ↑ Vonau, Manuel (May 20, 2019). "Pixel 3a and 3a XL randomly shut down for some users". Android Police. Retrieved May 22, 2019.
  28. ↑ Smith, Chris (May 20, 2019). "Google's Pixel 3a has a serious problem for some users, and there's no fix in sight". BGR . Retrieved May 22, 2019.
  29. ↑ Yanachkov, Milen (May 20, 2019). "Google Pixel 3a and 3a XL plagued by power issues". Phone Arena. Retrieved May 22, 2019.
  30. ↑ Smith, Chris (May 21, 2019). "People are already finding manufacturing defects on the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL". BGR . Retrieved May 21, 2019.
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