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Google Pixel 3A Review

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Updated August 2, 2020
Reader Rating5 Votes
3.2
9.1
Expert Rating

Standing out to potentially be the best android phone overall, the Google Pixel 3A makes for an amazing alternative to the more expensive Google Pixel 3. Compare the Pixel with the HTC One M8 review for another Android phone. Compare the specs of the Pixel with the Motorola DROID Turbo review to see if it really is the best smartphone. Coming with a octa core snapdragon processor, and pretty good battery life and one of the best cameras you can get in a phone, the Pixelbook 3A stands on par, if not surpasses many of the more premium phones out there, in terms of performance and design while coming at a much cheaper price. For an even cheaper option, take a look at our HTC 8XT Windows phone 8 review instead. If you love this phone, you might also want to read our review of the transparent touch screen phone (born in Taiwan, powered by the U.S).

Why We Like It – Google Pixel 3A

Bridging the gap between a budget price and a good smartphone, the Google Pixel 3A offers one of the best performances and a great camera all at a very budget friendly price. Compare this with another budget option in our Huawei Nexus 6P review. It even packs in a pretty solid polycarbonate build which along with the OLED display gives the Pixelbook 3A a premium look and feel. If you want to compare this phone with a different option, take a look at our T-Mobile myTouch review too.

Pros
  • Great camera
  • Budget friendly price
  • Good performance
Cons
  • Not water resistant

Performance

Standing out with its 12.2 MP rear camera which shoots great photos in both the day and night, the Google Pixel 3A takes images with quality almost on par with that of phones like the Iphone XR. When taking photos in low light, you can use the phones Night Sight mode and with the added time lapse capability you can now use the camera in your phone much more extensively. While the time lapse may not be that rare a feature to have on your phone, to have one in a phone so cheap with such a great camera is something you don’t see very often. Moreover, it also lets you take pretty good pictures in portrait mode while also allowing you to adjust the blurs and depth of field focus after you take the shot.

The front camera is a 8MP camera which also features HDR and with a 1080p video capability is great video calls. However, for better selfies, the Samsung Galaxy A70 with its 32MP front camera, which also supports 4K at 30fps, is the better option. Overall, the front camera of the Pixel 3A is good but it doesn’t support wide angle selfies.

When it comes to performing power, the Google Pixel 3A comes with a Qualcomm SDM670 Snapdragon 670 processor and 4GB of RAM and performs much better and faster than phones like the Moto E5 and Huawei Y7. And although the processor isn’t as fast as that of the Google Pixel 3, it still is pretty good and does not cause much of a noticeable lag even when playing intensive games.

Moving onto the display, the Google Pixel 3A offers a 5.6 Inch OLED panel with a resolution of 1080 x 2220 pixels giving you vibrant colours and a pretty good amount of brightness. Speaking of the display, while you don’t get an on screen fingerprint reader, there’s one at the back but you don’t get a facial recognition system. On the other hand, the Pixel 3A has a pretty good battery life, letting you last almost an entire day thanks to the 3000 mAh battery. However, if you play games or do any other more intensive task, you may need to plug in sooner. When it comes to charging, the Pixel 3A misses out on wireless charging which really is a shock as many other polycarbonate build phones do support wireless charging.

Additionally, the Google Pixel 3A also comes with a headphone jack unlike the Pixel 3 and it also offers an unlimited storage for ‘high quality’ photos on google photos. While saving the images in their original quality will take up space, the high quality really isn’t that different for snapshots here and then. However, if you do want unlimited storage with original quality photos and you also want wireless charging support you can get the more expensive Pixel 3, which however does not have a headphone jack. Finally, the Google Pixel 3A may not have front facing speakers, but the speakers at the bottom are pretty decent for such an affordable price and while the 64 GB storage on the device is a little low, it can be expanded with a SD card.

Design

Measuring to be 5.96 x 2.76 x 0.32 Inches and weighing just around 147g the Google Pixel 3A is a lightweight phone that fits into your pocket easily and feels premium to hold. While it may live up to par with the more expensive metal and glass bodies, the polycarbonate finish on the Pixel 3A feels great in your hand. When it comes to the 5.6 Inch screen, you might find the top and bottom bezels to be slightly big, but it really isn’t that much of a compromise for the price you’re getting it at.

Furthermore, the build quality may not be the best, but it’s still better than most phones. The only thing you end up lacking unlike the more expensive Pixel phones is that the device isn’t water resistant.

Value

Available at a price as low as $300, the Google Pixel 3A is one of the best phones out there, providing you with a good performing interface, google assistant support, an amazing camera and an overall solid and simple design. If you aren’t really bothered by the lack of wireless charging or water resistance, the Google Pixel 3A is a great phone for the money.

Google Pixel 3A Wrap Up

While you may not get the best performing android phone with the all powerful configurations, the Google Pixel 3A surpasses both the Moto E5 and the Huawei Y7 with a great camera and a lag less, splendid performance. It offers a pretty good battery life and can even handle games like PUBG, all while providing you the premium feel like that of the more expensive phones.

Bottom Line
Performance
9
Design
8.9
Value
9.3
Reader Rating5 Votes
3.2
What We Liked
What We Didn’t
9.1
Expert Rating