Pixel 3a

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]

  • Pixel 3a
  • Pixel 3a XL
The Pixel 3a XL with Always on Display enabled
Codename
  • Sargo (Pixel 3a)[1]
  • Bonito (Pixel 3a XL)[1]
BrandGoogle
ManufacturerFoxconn
SeriesPixel
Compatible networksGSM/EDGE, UMTS/HSPA+, CDMA EVDO Rev A, WCDMA, LTE, LTE Advanced
First releasedMay 7, 2019 (2019-05-07)
DiscontinuedJuly 1, 2020 (2020-07-01)
SuccessorPixel 4a
RelatedPixel 3
Type
Form factorSlate
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)
Mass
  • Pixel 3a: 147 g (5.2 oz)
  • Pixel 3a XL: 167 g (5.9 oz)
Operating systemAndroid 9 "Pie"
current: Android 12.1
System-on-chipQualcomm Snapdragon 670
CPU2.0 GHz + 1.7 GHz, 64-Bit Octa-Core
GPUAdreno 615
Memory4 GB LPDDR4X
Storage64 GB eMMC 5.1
Removable storageNone
Battery
  • Pixel 3a: 3000 mAh
  • Pixel 3a XL: 3700 mAh
DisplayPixel 3a: 5.6 in (140 mm) FHD+ OLED at 441 ppi, 2220 × 1080 resolution (37∶18)
Pixel 3a XL: 6.0 in (150 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 camera8 MP with f/2.0 lens and 84° lens,[2] fixed focus, 1080p at 30 fps, 720p at 30 fps, 480p at 30 fps
ConnectivityWi-Fi 2.4 GHz + 5.0 GHz 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0 + LE, NFC, GPS (GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, BeiDou)
Data inputsUSB-C
Other
  • 18 W fast charging
  • Titan M security module[3]
WebsiteGoogle Pixel 3a
References[4]

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.

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]

Models
Model Type Region[14] SKUs
Just Black Clearly White Purple-ish
G020A Pixel 3a XL Verizon[15] GA00661-USGA00663-US
G020B UK, Europe, and APAC
G020C North America[16] GA00664-USGA00665-USGA00666-US
G020D Japan
G020E Pixel 3a Verizon[15] GA00652-USGA00654-US
G020F UK, Europe, and APAC
G020G North America[16] GA00655-USGA00656-USGA00657-US
G020H Japan

Cellular networks
Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL
Region Version		 Bands[14]
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

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".[17] 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.[18]

The 3a and 3a XL resulted in Google's smartphone sales doubling in the second quarter of 2019.[19]

Issues
  • Some users have reported that turning off Digital Wellbeing[20] improves performance. The issue affects other Pixel devices as well, although Google claims Digital Wellbeing does not negatively affect performance.[21]
  • Pixel 3a and 3a XL have experienced power issues where some users have their phone randomly shut down.[22][23][24]
  • Manufacturing defects have also been found on some units, with crooked cutouts at the bottom for the speakers and USB-C port, the latter of which could potentially interfere with charging.[25]

References
  1. "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 May 11, 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. Retrieved May 7, 2019.
  6. "Google confirms the Pixel 3a has been discontinued". AndroidPolice. July 1, 2020.
  7. Amadeo, Ron (May 8, 2019). "Google Pixel 3A hands-on: The only Pixel phone to buy". Ars Technica. Retrieved May 11, 2019.
  8. Gartenberg, Chaim (May 7, 2019). "Pixel 3A vs. Pixel 3: how the specs compare for Google's latest phones". Circuit Breaker. Retrieved May 11, 2019.
  9. Maring, Joe (May 7, 2019). "Google Pixel 3a: Everything you need to know!". Android Central. Retrieved May 11, 2019.
  10. Wilde, Damien (October 16, 2019). "Here are all the Pixel 4 features coming to Pixel 3, 3a [Video]". 9to5Google. Retrieved October 19, 2019.
  11. Google Pixel 3a: Google Lens. YouTube. May 7, 2019. Retrieved May 11, 2019.
  12. Bohn, Dieter (May 7, 2019). "The Pixel 3a Puts Google's Phenomenal Camera in a $400 Phone". The Verge. Retrieved May 11, 2019.
  13. "Pixel phone hardware tech specs". Google Support. Retrieved September 1, 2019.
  14. "Pixel 3a listing". Best Buy. Retrieved September 1, 2019.
  15. "PSA: Clearing up confusion over Pixel 3a, 3a XL model numbers and SKUs". Republic Wireless. Retrieved September 1, 2019.
  16. Ismail, Adam; Spoonauer, Mark (May 10, 2019). "Google Pixel 3a Review: The Phone You Want for $400". Tom's Guide. Retrieved May 11, 2019.
  17. Carroll, Paul (July 19, 2019). "Google Pixel 3a camera review". DxOMark. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
  18. "Pixel 3a put some life back in Google's smartphone business, doubling total Pixel sales year-over-year". TalkAndroid.com. July 26, 2019. Retrieved July 27, 2019.
  19. Jha, Priya (June 19, 2020). "Digital Well-being: A New Initiative Of Google From A Digital To The Real World". Appsierra. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
  20. 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.
  21. Vonau, Manuel (May 20, 2019). "Pixel 3a and 3a XL randomly shut down for some users". Android Police. Retrieved May 22, 2019.
  22. 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.
  23. Yanachkov, Milen (May 20, 2019). "Google Pixel 3a and 3a XL plagued by power issues". Phone Arena. Retrieved May 22, 2019.
  24. 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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