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>NEW A vastly improved search engine helps you find the latest on companies, business leaders, and news more easily.<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>Google's Pixel 3a XL can't compete from a performance standpoint with anything Apple has released from the last two years. It is more similar in silicon, and price, to the three year old iPhone 7 Plus, so which one should you pick up? Last week AppleInsider published a comparison between the iPhone XR vs Google Pixel 3a XL. Comparing a $399 smartphone to a $750 smartphone was a bit unfair, so today we're comparing Google's offering to Apple's iPhone 7 Plus. The iPhone 7 Plus as of making this video costs around $579 brand new from Apple, but you can find carrier offers below $250, or used or refurbished models anywhere around $350 to $450. iPhone 7 Plus vs Google Pixel 3a XL The iPhone 7 is from 2016 but its internals match the Pixel 3a in some ways when it comes to performance. Inside the iPhone 7 Plus is Apple's A10 Fusion chip, with 3GB of RAM, and 32GB or 128GB of storage. It supports the latest iOS12 version, and it will most likely support Apple's upcoming iOS version this fall. The iPhone 7 Plus packs a 5.5-inch LCD display and a resolution of 1920-by-1080 at 401 PPI. The screen also supports P3 color gamut so color and brightness is good. It has Touch ID and we'll be comparing how it performs against the Pixel's fingerprint reader. It's also IP67 splash, water and dust resistant. Around back, it packs a dual 12MP camera which allows for hardware portrait mode. And just like the Pixel 3a, it doesn't have wireless charging, It comes in a few finishes: Black, Jet Black, Silver, Gold, and Rose Gold. The Google Pixel 3a XL has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 670 processor coupled with the Adreno 615 GPU. It has 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. The XL packs a 6-inch OLED display and a resolution of 2160-by-1080 which translates to 402 ppi. 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 have wireless charging, and IP water resistance. But it does have a 3.5mm headphone jack which the iPhone 7 Plus doesn't offer. It comes in three different colors, Just Black, Clearly White, and Purple-ish. Raw performance is comparable In terms of overall raw performance, the iPhone 7 Plus with its A10 Fusion chip is comparable to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 670 on the Pixel 3a XL. In GeekBench we got a single core score of 1603, and a multi core score of 5173 for the Pixel 3a, and for the iPhone 7 Plus we received a single core score of 3520, and a multi core score of 5912. The iPhone's single core and multi-core score is still higher than the Pixel 3a despite it being a three year old device — and again, given most software only utilizing a single core, like the Pixel 3a, you can feel it in day-to-day operation. Pixel 3a vs iPhone 7 Plus Geekbench Scores This may vary somewhat, though, depending on what you're doing. For general use like playing games and surfing the web, both are bit more enjoyable on the iPhone versus the Pixel. Frame rates on the iPhone 7 Plus rarely dropped and the speakers a lot better than on the Pixel which ultimately made the experience a lot better. Fingerprint recognition is a mixed bag. The time to unlock for the iPhone 7 Plus is slower, but that appears to be mostly unlock animations. For other authentications, like app purchases TouchID is faster. Dual lens array is superior? Both of these devices have 12-megapixel sensors for its camera in the back, and both do incredibly well in daylight. The iPhone 7 Plus features the dual camera array which allows for 2x zoom and the camera produces a more subtle, and neutral looking photos, while the Pixel 3a offers a much more contrasty, sharper image. Google Pixel 3a XL When making the choice, it really depends on what kind of camera you're looking for. In certain scenarios the iPhone photos look better, but in some photos the Pixel 3a's photo look a lot better. iPhone 7 Plus The Pixel 3a also features Night Sight which allows you to capture incredible low light photos whereas the 7 Plus struggles in low light photography — a fact not lost on Google, as that one scenario is being focused upon in advertising for the device. iPhone 7 Plus vs Pixel 3a XL Cameras For video, both phones can record video up to 4K at 30p but the Pixel's advance hardware coupled with software stabilization looks better than the optical stabilization on the 7 Plus. OLED will always be better than LCD When it comes to its display we think that the Pixel 3a's OLED is far superior to the iPhone 7 Plus's Retina HD LCD display. Blacks are inky black on the Pixel 3a, the colors are way better, and the viewing angles are much better in our opinion. That's not to say that the iPhone's display is bad, thought — OLED is well-optimized for most mobile implementations. Google Pixel 3a XL's OLED Display The speakers on the iPhone 7 Plus get loud, and don't distort or lose bass characteristics at higher volumes. The Pixel 3a gets loud, but it lacks bass in some areas and it's not as full as the iPhone XR. Google's phone sounds tinny at higher volumes which we're not fans of. Three year old iPhone versus 2019 mid-range Android Q In terms of build quality and design, the overall footprint of the iPhone 7 Plus is comparable to the Pixel 3a XL. The iPhone 7 Plus is enclosed in an all aluminum casing which feels premium. It's a lot nicer than polycarbonate housing on the Pixel 3a. The Pixel 3a doesn't feel cheap, though it's still a relatively good feeling phone, but we prefer the 7 Plus's more premium build over the polycarbonate on the Pixel 3a XL. Pixel 3a XL and iPhone 7 Plus<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.