Google launched a new Pixel yesterday, and it looks like a good deal. The Android maker's latest smartphones, the Pixel 3A and 3A XL, start at $399 but appear to pack many of the things that make Pixel phones what they are in the first place. That includes an optimized version of Android, three years of updates direct from Google, and, most notably, a rear camera that's virtually identical to the top-notch shooter found on the back of the original Pixel 3, a phone that's about twice as expensive. Google even added a headphone jack. There are trade-offs, of course, to hit that lower price point. The Pixel 3A trades the glass-heavy finish of the flagship Pixel 3 for a mostly plastic design, which in turn means there's no wireless charging. There's little in the way of water-resistance, too, and the glass used on the (still OLED) display isn't as high-quality as the usual Gorilla Glass. Performance also takes a hit, as the phones use a decidedly midrange Snapdragon 670 chip that will make them slower to launch apps and play games. (Though it should still be fast enough for most purposes.) And while the Pixel 3A does come with unlimited Google Photos storage like past Pixel phones, it limits your backups to "high quality" files instead of their original resolution. Those are real sacrifices, and it's worth keeping in mind that some Pixel 3 users have experienced notable performance degradation over time. But a lower price tends to make some of these issues more forgivable. A not-insignificant number of Android users may even prefer the feel of the Pixel 3A's plastic to the slippery, more fragile glass of the Pixel 3. Because the initial buzz around these phones has been almost universally positive—and because these are the first Pixels to be sold through carriers besides Verizon—we've put together a quick roundup of the various deals retailers and carriers are offering alongside the Pixel 3A on launch week. It still makes sense to wait to see if any unforeseen issues pop up with the device—we'll be publishing our own review in the coming weeks. But if you're already sold on what Google is pitching, there are a few solid deals out there that could make some stores a better purchasing option than others. Note: Ars Technica may earn compensation for sales from links on this post through affiliate programs. Advertisement Both B&H Photo Video and Best Buy are offering $100 digital gift cards to their respective stores with the purchase of any Pixel 3A device, including unlocked models. The former's is likely a better deal in a vacuum, as it also includes three months of prepaid service to Mint Mobile, an MVNO that operates using T-Mobile's LTE network. You'll get 8GB of LTE data per month with the included SIM kit. That said, B&H is only accepting pre-orders for the phone at the moment, even though it's available to purchase elsewhere. and are offering $100 digital gift cards to their respective stores with the purchase of any Pixel 3A device, including unlocked models. The former's is likely a better deal in a vacuum, as it also includes three months of prepaid service to Mint Mobile, an MVNO that operates using T-Mobile's LTE network. You'll get 8GB of LTE data per month with the included SIM kit. That said, B&H is only accepting pre-orders for the phone at the moment, even though it's available to purchase elsewhere. Best Buy, meanwhile, has the phone in stock today. Its gift card offer is also delivered to your email address upon purchase; just be on the lookout for an email confirmation request from the retailer before it sends over the card. Per usual, it is also selling the phone with activations on Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint. For Sprint users, the retailer is offering an additional $100 off—either through instant savings if you pay the full price upfront or through monthly bill credits if you'd rather pay in installments—alongside the $100 digital gift card. Those who buy the Verizon version of the phone through the retailer can also get the $100 card, though there's no additional discount beyond that. Google itself has a couple of stackable offers on its own online store. Similar to the deals above, the company says it will include $100 worth of credit with the purchase of a new Pixel 3A phone—but that credit will only be usable on the Google Store. So unless you want, say, a Google Home or Chromecast to go along with your new phone, it's more limited in scope than the gift card offers above. Either way, this offer will last until May 18. itself has a couple of stackable offers on its own online store. Similar to the deals above, the company says it will include $100 worth of credit with the purchase of a new Pixel 3A phone—but that credit will only be usable on the Google Store. So unless you want, say, a Google Home or Chromecast to go along with your new phone, it's more limited in scope than the gift card offers above. Either way, this offer will last until May 18. If you have an older phone, Google says you can also trade in that device and put its value toward a Pixel 3A. The company says this can make the new device available for "as low as $149," which suggests you can get up to $250 in refund credit back for the entry-level Pixel 3A. The actual amount will depend on the model and condition of the phone you trade in. You can check out which devices Google accepts for trade-in on its site, but the list includes iPhones dating back to the iPhone 6, Samsung phones dating back to the Galaxy Note 5, and Google phones dating back to the Nexus 5X, among others. Finally, the company says it will include three months of its YouTube Music Premium service for US customers who activate the new device before September 30, though you'll have to be an entirely new customer to any Google music service to redeem the offer. Moving on to the carriers, things get predictably misleading. T-Mobile , for instance, has a splashy landing page saying customers can get a Pixel 3A "on us." In reality, you can get up to $400 off the phone, but it'll come in the form of monthly bill credits spread out over 24 months, you have to be on a monthly installment plan, and you have to trade in an eligible device. For the full $400, you'll need to trade back one of the following phones in good condition: Apple iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8, or iPhone 8 Plus; Samsung Galaxy S8, Galaxy S9, or Note 8; LG V40, V30, V30+, or G7; Google Pixel 2, Pixel 2 XL, Pixel, or Pixel XL; or a OnePlus 6T. Various other phones will net you either $200 or $100 back in bill credits, depending on how old the device is. This could be a good deal for some, but as with most carrier offers, you'll have to commit to T-Mobile for at least two years to see the full benefit. , for instance, has a splashy landing page saying customers can get a Pixel 3A "on us." In reality, you can get up to $400 off the phone, but it'll come in the form of monthly bill credits spread out over 24 months, you have to be on a monthly installment plan, and you have to trade in an eligible device. For the full $400, you'll need to trade back one of the following phones in good condition: Apple iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8, or iPhone 8 Plus; Samsung Galaxy S8, Galaxy S9, or Note 8; LG V40, V30, V30+, or G7; Google Pixel 2, Pixel 2 XL, Pixel, or Pixel XL; or a OnePlus 6T. Various other phones will net you either $200 or $100 back in bill credits, depending on how old the device is. This could be a good deal for some, but as with most carrier offers, you'll have to commit to T-Mobile for at least two years to see the full benefit. Verizon's offer isn't as expansive as T-Mobile's, but it's also less complicated. With both the Pixel 3A and Pixel 3A XL, the carrier is offering $100 off for new line activations and $50 off for upgrading customers, with no trade-in required. Both of those discounts are offered as monthly bill credits spread out over 24 months, not one instant savings. offer isn't as expansive as T-Mobile's, but it's also less complicated. With both the Pixel 3A and Pixel 3A XL, the carrier is offering $100 off for new line activations and $50 off for upgrading customers, with no trade-in required. Both of those discounts are offered as monthly bill credits spread out over 24 months, not one instant savings. Sprint says it will take $100 off a new Pixel 3A, too, but only for those who open a new line of service and use the phone on the carrier's 18-month "Sprint Flex" lease plan. Similarly, the $100 off comes as monthly bill credits applied over the course of those 18 months—so instead of paying $16.63 a month, you'll effectively pay $11.07 a month. There's no trade-in required, though. Just note that Sprint's 18-month plan requires you to upgrade to a new phone at the end of that time period or buy it outright by paying another six months' worth of payments. says it will take $100 off a new Pixel 3A, too, but only for those who open a new line of service and use the phone on the carrier's 18-month "Sprint Flex" lease plan. Similarly, the $100 off comes as monthly bill credits applied over the course of those 18 months—so instead of paying $16.63 a month, you'll effectively pay $11.07 a month. There's no trade-in required, though. Just note that Sprint's 18-month plan requires you to upgrade to a new phone at the end of that time period or buy it outright by paying another six months' worth of payments. Google's Fi service is also selling the new phones, naturally. It says it will include a $100 credit for those who activate one of the new phones on its network. This credit will only apply to monthly service costs, though—i.e., the price of data, texts, calls and the like—not actual phone purchases. It will also be available until May 18. service is also selling the new phones, naturally. It says it will include a $100 credit for those who activate one of the new phones on its network. This credit will only apply to monthly service costs, though—i.e., the price of data, texts, calls and the like—not actual phone purchases. It will also be available until May 18. Finally, if you're sufficiently covered by US Cellular, that carrier is taking half off any Pixel 3 phone—Pixel 3A included—through monthly bill credits, but you'll have to commit to a sizable 30-month installment plan and its Unlimited data service to get the discount. And that's about all we've seen for now. Amazon does not have the phones available on its site as of this writing. Walmart does but isn't privy to any special offers, and AT&T isn't one of Google's official carrier partners. It's usually smart to wait and see if there are any nasty post-launch surprises with new phones like this, but the Pixel 3A seems like a good value in and of itself. If you're picking one up anyway, some of the offers above may make your early adoption a little more worth it.<doc-sep>Dear readers, I hear you: Plenty of you are making it loud and clear that you are frustrated with today’s smartphone prices, which are approaching the cost of a decent used car. I’ve read your testy emails about skyrocketing prices for devices like Apple’s $1,100 iPhone XS Max and Samsung’s $2,000 Galaxy Fold. I’ve seen your anguish in the comments on our smartphone reviews. Sales of smartphones are slowing down worldwide, researchers say, partly because people are turned off by the escalating costs. So this will probably come as good news. As of Tuesday, Google is selling the Pixel 3A, a new version of its popular Pixel smartphone, for about $400 — or roughly half the price of its high-end phones. It is the first time that Google is introducing its Pixel phones for the midrange and low-end market. “We’re seeing the fatigue with some of the flagship pricing of smartphones going up and up and up, and people thinking, ‘You know, five years ago I could buy the best possible phone for half this price,’” said Brian Rakowski, a vice president of product management for Google.<doc-sep>
Developer conferences are often mocked for their highly dramatic video segments and techno-utopian rhetoric. At the 2019 I/O Developers Conference on Tuesday, Google took a comparatively light approach, focusing on incremental yet meaningful updates. Assistant is getting better at multitasking, Google Lens can now look at a restaurant bill and calculate the tip, Maps shows users where to turn in 3D, and Live Caption automatically captions videos. The theme across the board is that Google is doubling down on machine learning, and that it’s outgunning its competition in this space. “To support the latest technology, everyone’s high-end phones are getting more and more expensive,” Google senior VP of devices Rick Osterloh said during the keynote. “So we challenged ourselves to see if we could optimize our software and AI to work great on more affordable hardware, so we could deliver these high-end experiences at a more accessible price point.” The best example of this strategy comes in the form of a new piece of Google hardware. The Pixel 3a, which is slightly bigger than the Pixel 3, is breaking what’s become the mold for smartphone launches with its $399 price tag (the larger model, the 3a XL, costs $479). In recent years, it’s seemed as if device makers made a pact to turn smartphones into luxury items, with ever-increasing costs to match. Google played the game last year with its Pixel 3 ($799) and 3 XL ($899) release. Developers often blame rising prices on manufacturing and hardware costs: If consumers want better, more capable phones, it’s going to cost these companies more money to get the necessary parts. But today Google said that largely thanks to AI, it can deliver its new phone at a lower price point. For comparison’s sake, the iPhone XS costs $999 and the iPhone XR costs $749; the Galaxy S10 is $699.99 and the S10 5G is $1,299.99. One of the most important features of a new smartphone is its camera. By early accounts and Google’s own demos, the new Pixel’s photos are comparable to those of the much more expensive Pixel 3, which is widely regarded as having the best camera on the market. The new phone, like the Pixel 3, uses Google’s HDR+ image-processing technology to take a burst of photos and then intelligently combine them to reveal the most vibrant, best-lit version of the photo. The new phone also has outstanding battery life, with a 3000mAh battery (the Pixel 3 has a 2915mAh battery and performed well in tests). The battery will also get a helping hand from the introduction of a juice-saving Dark Theme (an announcement that can’t sit well with Apple, considering a new report found it’s been exaggerating the life of its iPhones by anywhere between 18 and 51 percent). Outside of its price, the Pixel 3a isn’t a huge revelation, especially when compared with the Pixel 3, which took a more considerable jump from its predecessor in terms of capability. To meet its lower price tag, the Pixel 3a’s processing power is going to suffer; also, it isn’t waterproof and it comes with only a 64GB storage option. Those limitations are to be expected, especially when it’s running features that use all of the progressive AI improvements Google unveiled on Tuesday. When those seemingly small features are combined, however, the result is an impressively capable device at a fraction of the price of its competitors. Oh, and there is one additional hardware feature worth mentioning: The Pixel 3a comes with a headphone jack.