With the Pixel 3a, Google is hoping to rewrite the rules on what an midrange smartphone can deliver. Other phone makers — looking at you, Apple and Samsung — have come out with offshoots of their flagship phones that strip away some features in the name of a lower price tag. But those devices tend to cost $150 to $250 less than their flashier siblings. The Pixel 3a costs as much as $400 less than its flagship counterpart, while offering the same great camera and even better battery life. Pixel 3a XL (left) and iPhone XR (right) Will Google's approach pay off? U.S. phone shoppers have tended to shy away from midrange models, but maybe the Pixel 3a offers a winning formula. To find out, we compared Google's entry-level Pixel to the cheapest new iPhone you can buy — the $749 iPhone XR — in a battle of budget-minded handsets. Here's how the Pixel 3a measures up to the iPhone XR across key categories. Pixel 3a vs. iPhone XR: Specs Pixel 3a Pixel 3a XL iPhone XR Starting Price $399 $479 $749 Display (Resolution) 5.6-inch OLED (2210 x 1080) 6-inch OLED (2160 x 1080) 6.1-inch LCD (1792 x 828) CPU Snapdragon 670 Snapdragon 670 A12 Bionic RAM 4GB 4GB 3GB Storage 64GB 64GB 64GB, 128GB, 256GB Rear Camera 12MP (f/1.8) 12MP (f/1.8) 12MP (f/1.7) Front Camera 8MP (f/2.0) 8MP (f/2.0) 7MP (f/2.2) Battery 3,000 mAh 3,700 mAh 2,942 mAh Battery Life (Hrs:Mins) 11:59 11:44 11:26 Water-Resistance Rating None None IP-67 Headphone Jack? Yes Yes No Size 6 x 2.8 x 0.3 inches 6.3 x 3 x 0.3 inches 5.9 x 3.0 x 0.3 inches Weight 5.9 ounces 6.2 ounces 6.8 ounces Colors Clearly White, Just Black, Purple-ish Clearly White, Just Black, Purple-ish Black, White, Yellow, Coral, Blue, Red Design Google's midrange phones come in two sizes. The 6 x 2.8 x 0.3-inch Pixel 3a features a 5.6-inch display, while the 6.3 x 3 x 0.3-inch Pixel 3a XL ups the screen size to 6 inches. Despite having a larger screen — 6.1-inches — the iPhone XR isn't as tall as either of Google's phones, measuring 5.9 x 3.0 x 0.3 inches. At 6.8 ounces, though, the iPhone XR is heavier than both the Pixel 3a (5.9 ounces) and 3a XL (6.2 ounces). Pixel 3a XL (left) and iPhone XR (right) That extra weight could be attributed to the materials Apple uses for the XR. The phone has a glass back, compared to the polycarbonate casing Google uses on the Pixel 3a lineup. The Pixel 3a looks premium enough — stack it up next to the Pixel 3 flagships, and you'd be hard-pressed to tell which is which, at least until you picked up the 3a and got a feel for that plastic exterior. Still, the Pixel 3a just looks nice; the iPhone XR looks gorgeous. iPhone XR The XR also comes in a wider rainbow of colors. You can choose from six — everything from black and white to coral and yellow. The Pixel 3a has just three color options, with Purple-ish joining the usual Clearly White and Just Black. iPhone XR The iPhone XR gives you a notch on its display — you expect anything else from Apple? — while the Pixel 3a and 3a XL don't attempt to squeeze front cameras into the screen. The trade-off Google makes for that design decision involves bezels — chunky ones — on the top and chin of the phone's front panel. We may be in an era of edge-to-edge screens, but not if you want to pay less than $500 for a phone, Google has decided. Pixel 3a Other design differences come down to what you value. The iPhone XR has IP67 water resistance, so it can submerge in up to a meter of water for 30 minutes without difficulty. There's no water resistance for the Pixel 3a, so don't get it wet. But the Pixel 3a and 3a XL both offer 3.5mm headphone jacks, a feature that's gone missing on the iPhone since 2016's iPhone 7. Winner: iPhone XR Display One of the biggest contrasts between these phones comes down to the display, and I'm not just talking about that notch on the iPhone XR. Apple opted for an LCD panel on its phone, whereas both the Pixel 3a and 3a XL feature OLED screens — a pretty impressive feature for a lower-cost phone. Pixel 3a XL (left) and iPhone XR (right) It should be no surprise, then, that the Pixel 3a boasts better resolution than the iPhone XR at 2210 x 1080, compared to 1792 x 828. (The Pixel 3a XL has a slightly different 2160 x 1080 resolution that's still sharper than what you get with Apple's phone.) The Pixel 3a captures more of the sRGB color spectrum — 182.3% to the iPhone XR's 123.4% — and its colors are slightly more accurate, too. The Pixel 3a has a Delta-E rating of 0.18, which is just ahead of the iPhone's 0.28 score. (The closer to zero, the better the result.) MORE: Apple's iPhone XS Max Has the Best Smartphone Display Ever But you can't appreciate what you can't see, and the Pixel 3a has a very dim display. It measured 401 nits on a light meter, while the iPhone XR recorded a much brighter 589 nit result. That's noticeable in the real world. I had a hard time making out details on the Pixel 3a XL's screen watching Champions League highlights outdoors. Moving inside improved matters, though the Pixel 3a XL's screen remained pretty dark. I'd much rather look at the iPhone XR's brighter screen, LCD panel or no. Winner: iPhone XR Camera Both the Pixel 3a and the iPhone XR are studies in just what a single rear lens can do if it's backed by the right kind of software. But there’s a reason why only the Pixel 3a makes our best camera phone list. Pixel 3a Unlike the dual-lens iPhone XS and XS Max, the iPhone XR sports one 12-megapixel rear camera with an f/1.7 aperture.<doc-sep>This article is more than 2 years old. Credit: Google The imminent Pixel 3a XL is basically Google's version of the iPhone XR. In short, it's expected to be a 6-inch phone with a LCD display instead of a pricier OLED (update 5/7/19: the Pixel 3a in fact has an OLED*) but with some of the pricier Pixel phones' best features. Like the iPhone XR, it will cut corners of course, as this latest "leak" from YouTuber "This is Tech Today" points out (no wide-angle selfie cameras, for instance: see video at bottom). How do the Pixel 3a (5.6-inch) and Pixel 3a XL (6-inch) stack up? Good camera: probably the same (great) rear camera as on the pricier Pixel 3/Pixel 3 XL (released last October). The iPhone XR, on the other hand, gives you a single rear camera instead of the dual cameras on the iPhone X. Materials: The newer Pixel 3a/Pixel 3a XL will be made of plastic, according to an earlier report from This is Tech Today. The Pixel 3/Pixel 3 XL have glass backs. The iPhone XR uses aluminum instead of the X's stainless steel sides. AI: one of the things that the makes the Pixel a great phone is the software. Google would be foolish not to include its killer AI on the cheaper 3a. (The AI software is the reason I own a Pixel 3 XL.) Headphone jack: Pixel 3a/Pixel 3a XL is expected to have a headphone jack, the Pixel 3/XL uses USB-C. Charging: this is still a bit sketchy but possibly no wireless charging, according to This is Tech Today (see video). Display: 1080p, similar resolution to the Pixel 3/XL. But LCD on the 3a instead of OLED . See update above. (Note that the iPhone XR's LCD has a much lower resolution display compared to the X's OLED.) Carriers: pubs are saying the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3a will come to Sprint and T-Mobile, in addition to the usual Verizon venue. Price (rumored): $399 for the Pixel 3a / $479 for the larger Pixel 3a XL. Both prices are for 64GB models. Versions with 128GB of storage will be offered too. But note that the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL are currently on sale at the Google Store for $599 and $699, respectively. That's $200 off the regular price. Release/Announcement date: Consensus is for a May 7 announcement. ---- *I mistakenly assumed that Google would have to go with LCD to achieve the lower price points.<doc-sep>Google’s Pixel 3a is not a breakthrough when it comes to gee-whiz features or design, but it is a breakthrough in terms of sheer value. Starting at $399, this phone delivers the same high-quality camera features as the Pixel 3 in a device that’s half the price of the top flagship phones. The Pixel 3a XL starts at a cheap $479, and the Pixel 3a is an even lower $399. Sure, Apple has the iPhone XR, but that starts at $750. And the Galaxy S10e costs anywhere from $650 to $750. The 5.6-inch Pixel 3a is hundreds of dollars less. The 6-inch Pixel 3a XL costs $479, which is also a lot less than the most “affordable” new phones from Apple and Samsung. More important, the Pixel 3a is not a Verizon exclusive like the Pixel 3. You can buy it from Sprint and T-Mobile, too, though AT&T is not part of the mix for some reason. (As with earlier Pixels, you can buy the 3a unlocked and use it on AT&T's network.) “Google's Pixel phones have stood out for clean and updated software and incredible camera capabilities, but they have always been expensive, minimally marketed, and not sold widely,” said Avi Greengart, founder and lead analyst for Techsponential. “The Pixel 3a keeps its key differentiators while solving some of the problems, and it should sell a lot better than previous versions.” MORE: Pixel 3a vs. Pixel 3a XL: What's Different? Google itself has admitted that it has struggled to sell the more premium Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL, and part of that challenge is competing in a premium segment that has been dominated by the Apple-Samsung duopoly. By delivering a mid-range phone with solid features and performance, Google could woo many consumers who simply don’t want to pay top dollar for a Samsung phone. “The biggest threat would be to take valuable users who would have gone for a Galaxy S model or a Huawei P model.” - Carolina Milanesi, Creative Strategies. To be fair, the Pixel 3a trims some premium features like water resistance and wireless charging. But it's very possible that someone walking into a carrier store or Best Buy will find that the Pixel 3a is simply “good enough” for what they want to do with their phone. “The biggest threat would be to take valuable users who would have gone for a Galaxy S model or a Huawei P model,” said Carolina Milanesi, an analyst with Creative Strategies. The Purple-ish Pixel 3a stands out versus other Android phones. Samsung will respond to the Pixel 3a threat when it reportedly brings its own mid-range Galaxy A series of phones to the U.S. later this year. While nothing formal's been announced, prices will allegedly range from $200 to $500. MORE: Google Pixel 3a Hands-on Review: A $399 Steal On the surface, Apple would seem to be immune from any competition from the Pixel 3a. iPhone users tend to stick with Apple’s ecosystem. And you can get a cheap iPhone like the older iPhone SE for $249 or the iPhone 7 for $449. However, those dated phones have smaller screens and lackluster cameras compared to the Pixel 3a, not to mention half the storage of Google’s phone. The Pixel 3a can pull off the same Portrait mode that the Pixel 3 can. “While the Apple threat is there, it requires a change in OS that some users are not prepared to make so a less direct threat than for Android makers,” said Milanesi. “What I do think is interesting though is that as users use more and more Google services on iPhone the change in OS might seem less daunting that it might have seem years ago. Google Assistant in the home might also drive some people to switch to have it on the phone.” Milanesi added that camera features like Portrait Mode and Night Sight make the threat to the iPhone XR a bit stronger. Based on our face-offs, Apple’s cameras have indeed fallen behind the competition. The biggest challenge for Google could simply be getting the word out about the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL — and in educating shoppers that they won’t be skimping on quality if they go the mid-range route. “U.S. consumers have not been interested in mid-tier phones,” said Greengart. “Consumers either buy budget phones because they don't have a lot of money/good credit, or they buy super-premium phones using free financing plans from carriers. Google will need to spend heavily on marketing and merchandising if it wants to change that.” Based on our initial hands-on time with the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL, Google could have two winners on its hands. And both Samsung and Apple have two big reasons to be looking over their shoulders. Photos: Tom's Guide<doc-sep>NEW A vastly improved search engine helps you find the latest on companies, business leaders, and news more easily.<doc-sep>
Google I/O 2019 saw Google introduce a pair of mid-range Android-based smartphones, the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL. We wanted to compare it to Apple's more affordable iPhone XR, and see how well Google's newest mid-range device can compete with Apple's iPhone XR. What's inside? Google recently released its mid-range Pixel 3a and it starts at just $399. It packs a Qualcomm Snapdragon 670 processor, with the Adreno 615 graphics, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of internal storage. The Pixel 3a XL packs a 6-inch OLED display and a resolution of 2160-by-1080 which translates to 402 pixels per inch. Unlike its bigger flagship brother though, the Pixel 3 XL, the Pixel 3a XL doesn't have a notch and it only packs a single selfie camera instead of two. The Pixel 3a doesn't offer true stereo speakers like the Pixel 3, it doesn't have wireless charging, and also lacks IP-rated water resistance — but it does have a 3.5mm headphone jack. It comes in three different colors, Just Black, Clearly White, and Purple-ish. Apple's budget-friendly smartphone, the iPhone XR starts at $749, and inside it packs Apple's latest A12 Bionic chip, 3GB of RAM, and offers multiple storage options from 64GB all the way up to 256GB. The iPhone XR also has a 6.1-inch Liquid Retina Display and a resolution of 1792-by-828 at 326 ppi. The iPhone XR does have a notch which houses all the FaceID sensors. It also offers wireless charging, is IP67 certified, and offers much louder stereo speakers. It comes in a variety of colors such as Red, Yellow, White, Coral, Black, and Blue. Performance is everything In terms of overall raw performance, the iPhone XR blows the Pixel 3a out of the water with its A12 Bionic processor. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 670 on the Pixel 3a is more comparable — but still slower overall — to something like the iPhone 7 with its A10 processor which is a three-year-old phone. In Geekbench we got a single core score of 1603, and a multi-core score of 5173 for the Pixel 3a XL, and the iPhone XR received a single core score of 4816, and a multi-core score of 11463. That's a pretty big difference between the two phones, and you can feel it in day-to-day operation. We haven't had enough time with the Pixel 3a to say confidently how it'll perform over a long period of time, but other than optimizations in Android Q as it progresses, it isn't going to get faster. The Pixel 3 has been suffering from progressive slowdowns since release with Google's efforts to fix the problem not working that well, so we'll be watching to see if this manifests on the Pixel 3a in months to come. The iPhone XR has been out for several months and we haven't had any performance issues. Lights, camera, action! Both of these devices have a single 12-megapixel camera in the back, and both do incredibly well in daylight scenarios. The iPhone XR produces a more subtle, and neutral looking photos, while the Pixel 3a offers a much more contrasty, sharper image. For this high-level overview similar to what Google is pushing in its own advertising materials for the Pixel 3a, we prefer the image quality on the Pixel 3a. The Pixel 3a also features Night Sight which allows you to capture incredible low light photos. Pixel 3a XL photos We'll be doing more of an in-depth comparison between the Pixel 3a and the iPhone XR's camera in the next few days, comparing low light photography, color reproduction, and how it processes the images. iPhone XR photos Pixel 3a XL photos For video, the iPhone XR can shoot up to 4K at 60p, while the Pixel 3a is capped at 30p. This is a big gap, and phones going back to the iPhone SE can capture 4K30 video. Given the OLED, Blacks are inky black on the Pixel 3a, the colors are richer, and the viewing angles are a hair better. That's not to say that the iPhone XR's display is bad — it's just that OLED has superior performance characteristics than the LCD display in the iPhone XR. However, we prefer the iPhone's more immersive display with its notch over the Pixel 3a. Since there's no secondary front firing speaker on the Pixel 3a, we wish that Google had slimmed down the bezels a bit to give the Pixel a more modern look.