41 ms·
Pixel 3a
- ChuckMcM 7y agoOk the cynic in me hears: "Buy this $400 phone that becomes about as useful as a Nokia candy bar phone of old if you turn off Google Web and Location services." Does anyone know if the camera features work if you turn off the tracking bits? I realize I'm a bad data cow for kicking at the milking machine when I'm in the barn but it has become more painful for me of late.
- martythemaniak 7y agoWhy would the camera not work? You won't get unlimited storage, but you can buy a non-google photo backup service. The camera probably compares favourably with Nokia candybar-era DSLRs
- ChuckMcM 7y ago> Why would the camera not work? You won't get unlimited storage, but you can buy a non-google photo backup service. You could ask why do any number of services that Google advertises as "phone features" not work when you disable Google's ability to track you? Google sells the data it collects, it is part of their revenue model, and the only way to enforce that you give it to them is to deny you access to things if you opt not to. It is of course their right to do so, and so they do. It just gets more and more egregious. My favorite example is that Google won't let you save "places" in the Google Maps application if you don't turn on location services. Apple Maps can save your locations just fine, even my Garmin in-car Navigator with no Internet connectivity at all can do that. But Google won't let you, unless you accede to letting them milk your data for their own use.
- bubblethink 7y agoGoogle camera needs Google play services. If you use aosp, you lose Google camera. You are free to use other camera apps, whose output will generally not be as good as Google camera's.
- izacus 7y agoThe camera still works if you disable privacy bits on your Google account.
- jahabrewer 7y agoI'm really excited to see Google return to this price point. I was distraught when they discontinued the Nexus line.
- akhilcacharya 7y agoWhich is funny, because the Nexus 5 had a more pixel dense screen and supported wireless charging at a lower price point.
- nkozyra 7y agoMotorola continues to carry this torch with it's G-series, near-stock, sub-$300 phones.
- techntoke 7y agoTrue, but my G5 Plus lags a lot at this point. It has always been noticeably slower than other higher-end phones. I am really tempted to get the new Pixel 3a.
- sct202 7y agoI'm replacing my G4 with a 3a. The new G7 is $300 so the extra $100 for a better camera and slightly faster seems pretty worth it.
- novaRom 7y agoI would wait a little bit for more reviews, because it seems 3a has poor front speaker. Most of the phones have different problems with front speakers however (poor stereo balance). But I desperately need one with good stereo.
- creatornator 7y agoI've had the same issue with my G5 plus... Apps, multitasking, camera, keyboard etc. are all significantly laggier than they used to be
- 7y ago
- vuln 7y agoI am wondering how durable these plastic bodies are going to be... Seems like it would be cheaper and easier to replace a plastic body, versus metal and glass... I can't wait touch one. The price is near perfect.
- Someone1234 7y agoAll the plastic phones I had were more durable than metal or glass. They scuff a little easier but plastic absorbs the hits rather than bending (metal) or cracking (glass). Plastic is only unpopular for social reasons -- it is seen as less "premium." But aside from that it is basically the ideal material for phones, light, durable, allows wireless charging, allows signal penetration, etc.
- deleted 7y ago[deleted]
- SketchySeaBeast 7y agoI miss when they had a plastic removable back and battery - it would hit the ground and three pieces would go flying, but that's 3 different vectors for kinetic energy, instead of just one composed entirely of glass.
- jpetso 7y agoNot to mention that it often comes with a grippy coating that prevents the phone from sliding out of your hand. Oh, and not to mention the fact that everyone needs to put a plastic or rubber case on their metal or glass phone, so not only do people not get to see their "premium" materials on a day-to-day basis but also it's now significantly blown up in size.
- _raoulcousins 7y agoDifference for me has been how hard it is to find a repair shop that has parts in stock and can turn around a repair quickly on a non-Galaxy/non-iPhone.
- Supermighty 7y ago
- kentt 7y agoGlad to see some cheaper phones from Google. The Nexus 4 and 5 were the best phones I've had. However, I still want a headphone jack and a smaller phone. I'll be riding out the original Pixel for as long as possible.
- sharcerer 7y agoit has a jack.
- mattnewton 7y agoI think you are in luck: https://techcrunch.com/2019/05/07/the-headphone-jack-is-back-for-the-google-pixel-3a/ https://techcrunch.com/2019/05/07/the-headphone-jack-is-back...
- gordon_freeman 7y agoI am on Nexus 6P and is still going strong for me.
- neogodless 7y agoI really liked my 6P, but I bought it used and started to find the battery life untenable before I hit the 2 year mark! Then the Pixel sale hit and I got a 64GB for $400. My only headphone jack use case is my 1970s receiver, where I use an RCA adapter. Plan to test the USB-C adapter but haven't tried it yet. Don't love the idea of two adapters... But otherwise I love the Pixel 3.
- gordon_freeman 7y agoI just got the battery replaced on my 6P for around $115 after almost 3 years of extensively using it and it performs like a brand new device now. I also like the Oreo more than Pie OS which my wife uses on her Pixel. So I just want to get through a couple of more years on 6P before I buy a new device. 6P has been the best $500 purchase for me so far.
- Wheaties466 7y ago
- kawsper 7y agoI was waiting on this for so long, but ended up with a OnePlus instead, excited to finally see them released, it will be great for the Android ecosystem.
- lousken 7y agoplastic back => replaceable battery?!
- andybak 7y agoOh - my dream phone. Headphone jack, SD card slot and a big and replaceable battery...
- DragoCubed 7y agoIf only
- scotchio 7y agoAs an iPhone user who hasn't touched Android in years: You could literally replace that special marketing video at the top of the page [1] with any other Android / Google phone and I wouldn't even be able to tell the difference. Just feels like a bunch of shiny blah without telling me anything useful. Might as well replace with a toaster. Maybe that's the point... On a less critical note though, glad Google is pressing cheaper phones. The standard for a reasonable phone is all over town these days [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vc7LlUtQgNw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vc7LlUtQgNw
- EnFinlay 7y agoThat's my perception of all phones, iPhones included.
- OldFatCactus 7y agoPretty standard marketing for all phones and "smart" devices these days
- SketchySeaBeast 7y agoWhat specifically stands out to you about that being an ad for an Android phone instead of an iPhone? I can't see a huge differentiation.
- vanilla_nut 7y agoApparently this phone doesn't use Gorilla Glass, but instead uses something called Dragontail glass [1] according to the Verge's review [2]. Tempted by the prospect of a great camera, a headphone jack, and an affordable phone, but there really doesn't seem to be much information about the glass out there. I suppose if it was in the Xperia phones it can't be that bad -- I never noticed any issues with the glass on them. [1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragontrail https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragontrail) [2](https://www.theverge.com/2019/5/7/18530449/google-pixel-3a-xl-review-photos-video-specs-price-release-date-features-io-2019 https://www.theverge.com/2019/5/7/18530449/google-pixel-3a-x...)
- judge2020 7y agoFrom the articles I've read, the glass is less impact resistant.
- manfredo 7y agoThe tech specs between the 3a and 3 don't show too much of a downgrade: * Screen is smaller, but on the Pixel 3a XL version the screen dimensions excluding the notch appear to be the same. * Same 4GB LPDDR4 RAM, but no 128GB persistent storage option on the 3a. 64GB is usually plenty anyway, though. * Processor is somewhat slower: Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 670 2.0GHz + 1.7GHz, 64Bit Octa-Core on the 3a. vs a Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 845 2.5GHz + 1.6GHz, 64Bit Octa-Core on the pixel 3. * 3a removes wireless charging. Never used it on my Pixel 3 XL. * Under the sensors section, the normal Pixel 3 has "Advanced x-axis haptics for sharper/defined response" whereas the 3a does not. * 3a only has one front facing camera instead of dual front cameras. * 3a has a headphone jack. Personally, I adjusted pretty well to Bluetooth headsets but some people really appreciate the jack. Overall seems like a modest downgrade for a big drop in price. Most of the stuff cut out seems like premium features where the dollar-to-user-value ratio isn't very good. The only significant downgrades seem to be processor speed and dropping the second front facing camera. It's probably also safe to assume more economical build materials and fabrication. Specs taken from Google Play store: https://store.google.com/product/pixel_3a_specs https://store.google.com/product/pixel_3a_specs https://store.google.com/us/product/pixel_3_specs?hl=en-US https://store.google.com/us/product/pixel_3_specs?hl=en-US
- bluedino 7y agoThanks to Pixel 3 discounts, the 3a is only $200 less (or 33%)
- deleted 7y ago[deleted]
- asdfasgasdgasdg 7y agoDifference is less even than that if you got it a couple of weeks ago. My Pixel 3 cost $450, and it's the 128GB. If I could have gotten the 64GB, it would have been only $400, which is the same price as the Pixel 3a?
- kjsbfkjbf 7y ago
- throwaway55554 7y agoI plan to keep my iPhone 8 for a few years, but I sure hope Google sells a ton of these things so that others will start to target this price point aggressively. I don't see Apple doing it, but, hey, that's their cheese.
- Youden 7y agoI'm not sure what you're talking about, this price point already has tons of competition. OnePlus, Pocophone, Huawei, Xiaomi and of course Samsung all have decent-spec phones in this price region. I think the only complaint I have is that nobody else is putting nice cameras into these phones or giving them decent software support.
- izacus 7y agoYep, also no security features like the Titan M chip (it's effectively a Yubikey on device).
- paulddraper 7y ago> nobody else is putting nice cameras into these phones That's the differentiator. > giving them decent software support And that: stock Android and fast updates.
- km3k 7y ago> Pocophone, Huawei, Xiaomi You can't find these in stores in the US, so there's little competition there. Even OnePlus only sells the OnePlus 6T in stores.
- throwayEngineer 7y agoApple thrives on exclusively. Not specs and features. For them, charging more money is the next step, like it or not. The only way for them to compete, is to not. You buy Apple products for Fashion, to prove you can afford it. Or at least, that's what has worked for a decade. Features is not what Apple brings, they bring Fashion.
- 7y ago
- yhersk0vitz 7y agoAnyone else thinking that google is using the cheap device to collect even more in depth user data which is how it really makes money off the phones?
- sparrish 7y agoDoes it support wireless charging? I can't seem to find any info on that and I'm addicted to that feature. Can't imaging going back to dealing with desk spaghetti.
- manfredo 7y agoNo wireless charging. Personally I find that having a desk-mounted power outlet gets rid of desk spaghetti. Also buying shorter USB cables so that they don't get spooled up cuts down on desk spaghetti.
- SketchySeaBeast 7y agoHave you used wireless charging long? I'm worried about the effect the extra heat has on the longevity of the phone's battery.
- singingboyo 7y agoI see this concern a lot, but I can't say I've ever noticed heating issues and I always use the Pixel Stand at night. I'm somewhat unlikely to notice battery life issues, though - my usage is very variable, and I charge a lot (combination of using android auto and habits from my previous phone)
- SketchySeaBeast 7y agoFair enough. You're the perfect user for a wireless charger then.
- mrbill 7y agoNo wireless charging on the new phones. I used the heck out of it in the Nexus 5 days, but got so used to plugging in my Pixel 1 in the interim that I hardly used it at all once I got the P3.
- haunter 7y agoI'm not from the US, what are the sales taxes (VAT) there? I mean for personal purchase. I wonder casue $1 = 1£ once again. So the $399 US price (net) becomes 399£ (gross) which is $522 atm.
- eugeniub 7y agoSales tax is not included in the price, so if you buy the $399 phone, the sales tax is added on top of $399. The amount depends on state and city laws. Usually about 7.75%, so the $399 phone would cost about 430 total.
- pwinnski 7y agoWe don't have a VAT. Each state/city has its own "sales tax" rate, which is the closest equivalent, and those vary from 0% to more than 10%.
- Twirrim 7y agoThere's three tiers that I'm aware of, state, county, and city. So much fun. I don't envy anyone that has to figure this mess out.
- ianmcgowan 7y agoThat would be nice. I work with leasing software and you’re right not to envy :-). There’s also county and city transit taxes. And if you are purchasing equipment from out of state and don’t pay sales tax, some localities charge a use tax which is a parallel system with its own rates and rules. Fun stuff!
- neaden 7y agoSales tax in the US is a local thing, some states have 0, some about 10%. Then cities or other local bodies can have a sales tax on top of that.
- froindt 7y agoNo universal sales tax, it varies by locale. Sometimes specific blocks or neighborhoods have different sales taxes than surrounding areas. For rough reference, is not uncommon to see 7% sales tax. Sometimes higher in bigger cities.
- bluedino 7y agoThe Verge says it feels noticeably slower https://www.theverge.com/2019/5/7/18530449/google-pixel-3a-xl-review-photos-video-specs-price-release-date-features-io-2019 https://www.theverge.com/2019/5/7/18530449/google-pixel-3a-x... Also, even to my bad eyes, the camera quality isn't quite as good as the Pixel 3, due to the additional processing that this phone doesn't do
- IronWolve 7y agoSamsung 670 would be slower than a flagship, and you can always get flagships on sale after a couple months for upto 1/2 off. Not sure the pixel is worth the money.
- Andrex 7y agoPixel 3a also lacks the Pixel Visual Core that shipped in Pixel 2 and 3, which also may explain some of the discrepancy.
- amanzi 7y agoThese look like fine phones for the price, but Google still don't know how to sell phones worldwide. Currently only available in: Australia, Canada, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan, United Kingdom, United States. (https://support.google.com/store/answer/2462844 https://support.google.com/store/answer/2462844)
- sidcool 7y agoIn India, it will be available starting 15-May. The price point in India at ₹ 39,000 is quite expensive. Most people in India go for sub ₹ 20,000 phones. I have a Moto G5s+ I bought 2.5 years ago for ₹ 12,000. It's still working fabulously well.
- flavor8 7y agoThe glass on the screen on my Pixel 3 is the worst I've had in recent phones (Nexus 5, Moto X4). The rest of the phone is...fine. It picks up scratches really easily, and cracked in a moderate fall onto a wood floor. Both prior phones took a lot more abuse. My wife has the same phone and the exact same experience.
- singingboyo 7y agoJust to remind everyone that anecdote != anecdata, I've got a 3xl with one of the fabric cases. No scratches yet, and it's even been dropped a few times with nothing to show for it. In short, I think the screen is great. It's certainly a far cry from my previous phone (Galaxy S6), which was dented and scratched within a month (maybe two? it's been a few years). I had to give in and buy a protective case for the S6, but I don't see that happening for the 3xl. Chances are it's very dependent on what you do with your phone, as always. Mine sits on a desk/table or plugged into my car most of the time, and only ends up in my pocket (without keys!) when I'm walking somewhere.
- flavor8 7y agoFor sure. They have a different and more easily scratchable surface though - that's fairly noticeable. I had no change in behavior between it and prior phones. Barely got any scratches from pocketing them over the years, got multiple deep scratches on this one in the first week and more since. Bad batch? Maybe? Still sucks for an $800 phone. (Which I got effectively for free via Fi, so shrug.)
- classichasclass 7y agoI had the same thing happen as well. I upgraded from a OG XL to a 3, and while I love everything else about the phone, it picked up several noticeable scratches within just six weeks. I have a screen protector on it now but it was still very frustrating since I didn't do anything I can recall to merit picking up any damage. Meanwhile, the OG XL still looks new.
- what_ever 7y agoI don't use screen protector and glass looks good so far after 4 months.
- PHGamer 7y agomy only problem with this is i feel burned by the pixel 2. I bought the blue one from verizon and the android messanger app would lose text messages from people and sometimes when I called people they couldnt hear me.
- IWillScoop 7y agoI've been rocking an Galaxy S6 Edge+ for the last few years, would this be a worthwhile upgrade?
- kavinskyy 7y agoComing from someone using an S7 Edge since its release, I don't think it would be an upgrade for me. I'm losing more than I'm gaining, I don't think I can go back to a non-waterproof/water-resistant phone which doesn't have wireless charging. From an S6Edge+ perspective, if you're missing out the latest software updates and need an upgrade in the camera department, then go for it. Otherwise, there may be a better choices in the market or just go with a "premium" smartphone to future-proof for another 3-5 years. Edit: spelling
- jtl999 7y agoI wish the OLED display used higher frequency PWM or DC dimming instead of PWM. Otherwise it seems to be a decent device.
- rsp1984 7y agoRecently my old Google Nexus 5 phone quit after five years of dutiful service, so I went looking for a new phone. I was completely blown away by how competitive the Android world has become and much prices have come down. In the end I have decided for an Honor 9 Lite that cost me a measly 159 Euros. The result? It is the best phone I've ever had and I am not missing anything. So, I cannot see why anyone would want to spend more on an Android phone these days. What additional value does a Pixel 3a give me that would justify an almost 3x premium?
- sounds 7y agoThey (Huawei) don't have a good track record keeping their software up to date: 164 days to update, Jan. 2019 - https://www.androidauthority.com/android-pie-fastest-manufacturers-update-963368/ https://www.androidauthority.com/android-pie-fastest-manufac... 163 days to update, June 2018 - https://www.androidauthority.com/android-oreo-fastest-manufacturers-update-874788/ https://www.androidauthority.com/android-oreo-fastest-manufa...
- Ajedi32 7y agoConsidering GP was still using the Nexus 5 two years after Google dropped support for it, I doubt that matters too much to him.
- abrugsch 7y agoAlmost the exact same experience here... Though was a N5X not a N5 and the 9 lite was £120 but it's been a great phone for the money and gets updates with Pie coming in june/July. Bootloader is locked though so once updates stop it's recycle fodder and by then there might be a goog phone I like again.
- jasonvorhe 7y agoCamera, the USP of the Pixels? Software updates? The USP of Pixels and !Nexus? A sleek version of Android? No carrier/OEM bloat?
- Wowfunhappy 7y agoHow does the blog post not even mention the headphone jack?!? The first thing I did was a cmd+F for "jack" and "headphone" and "audio"—if there's no headphone jack, I have no interest in reading further. Since my searches came up with nothing, I assumed the headphone jack wasn't present. Would still be assuming that if not for the comments here.
- djsumdog 7y agoCan I install a mainline Linux distro and KDE Plasma Mobile or Ubuntu Touch on it? Or is it all a big pile of kernel hacks and binary blobs? I'm getting sick of these absolutely useless, Google-tracking devices. After several of my own repairs, my ~2 year old Sony/Android is flaking out (another problem with modern phones: their shitty lifespan which just contributes to e-waste) so I ordered a Nexus 5X and plan on switching to KDE Plasma. I hope it will force me to help write any apps that are missing for it to be my daily driver and help contribute to a truly open source eco-system. I hope the Purism 5 and Pine Phone make it through their funding/pre-orders as well. We need more real alternatives to this garbage the two big players keep feeding us. Microsoft should just offer to unlock all their devices. UEFI+ARM would be a great start for trying to get mainline Linux running on those devices.
- mrbill 7y agoI'm currently using a Pixel 3, but just ordered the 3a as my new "backup" phone (replacing my OG Pixel 1 and a P1XL I bought refurbished). I'll probably use the 3a as my primary phone for a month so I get the $100 Fi credit on my account, then move back and put the Fi data-only SIM in the 3a. Now I just need to sell the P1 and P1XL...
- tibiapejagala 7y agostore.google.com: "We aren’t in your country yet" This is bizzare. We have Apple/Samsung/Huawei/xiaomi stores on every corner somehow. At least they offer google search here.
- eBombzor 7y agoIs 3 years support the best it'll get in Android world? I've been itching to get an Android for some time now but I can't justify spending a couple hundreds for a phone that'll only last for so long and is already slow. This is in comparison to my 5S which still gets the latest iOS support since I bought it in 2013 (6 years!) while being decently fast (thanks iOS12).
- bubblethink 7y agoAt the moment it's 3. It will likely increase at some point. This is not a bad value though. Wait for some deals and you'll get to roughly $100/year cost of ownership.
- AcerbicZero 7y agoMy experience with Android has been one of declining "helpfulness" and usability in general. I stuck with Android for a long time, (Nexus One - Pixel 3) but with every release Google made pure Android a little worse, and simultaniously made it just a little bit harder to work around the "new" Ad delivery technologies ("Features"). Google Now, the Google search bar, Hangouts with full SMS integration (those were the days), all lost to the Big-G's quest for Ad revenue. iOS isn't dramatically better, but it is dramatically more consistent as far as an everyday phone goes. I still keep the Pixel 3 on Fi around, hooked up to my car because Android Auto hasn't been entirely ruined yet and CarPlay leaves a lot to be desired.
- fredley 7y agoI found 90% of my issues with Android were resolved by switching out the launcher. No more unhideable 'home' screen of toxic news and ads, no forced google search bar, and I can make it behave any way I want w.r.t. gestures (or not).
- ubercow13 7y agoYes aren't those just features of the launcher? I am using Nova launcher and I don't think I can activate any Google feature with any gesture or button press.
- amelius 7y agoIs it ownable (rootable)?
- jtl999 7y agoWith exception of the Verizon model the bootloader on all Pixel devices can be unlocked (iirc) but it wipes data for security reasons.
- herpderperator 7y agoI had just read this and then my colleague came over and showed me his Pixel 3a. I thought they just released it?! Turns out it was delivered in an hour and it was just ordered after the announcement. Nice.
- yyhhsj0521 7y agoWow where do you live?
- herpderperator 7y agoSF Bay Area :-) This was the service (from Google Store's checkout page): https://puu.sh/DpgdZ/e0c4d3a068.png https://puu.sh/DpgdZ/e0c4d3a068.png - it came way earlier than the quoted 4pm.
- tjbiddle 7y agoWow! That's a great marketing tactic - Make sure it gets into as many hands as possible while the hype is still alive.
- thiht 7y ago2 years ago my Nexus 5x died and I struggled a lot to find a replacement. I finally bought the exact same Nexus 5x, that I'm still using. I'm glad they finally released the rightful heir of the 5x :)
- abrugsch 7y agoI hated that there was no real replacement. I'm on a honor 9 lite as a transition phone and it's been a worthy if flawed stand-in while I wait for the true N5X successor. (I'm not convinced the P3a is it though)
- onirom 7y agoI don't know if that was a good idea considering there is a soldering problem on the Nexus 5X which shorten its lifetime to around 2 years, CPUs just fail after some times. I preferred to take a Android One device since then, cheaper while being similar in speed. (Phones such as Nokia 6.1 and so on) but the Pixel 3a is nonetheless cool, hope it will don't have conception issues!
- duxup 7y agoThis seems like the spiritual successor to the Nexus 5x. Mid-range phone and specs with a great camera. Also if you're a google fi customer you can get a $100 credit, that drops the price substantially.
- yodsanklai 7y agoIt doesn't seem competitive compared to Chinese phones (xiaomi, huawei, oneplus), is it? For instance a Xiaomi MI9 SE seems better value (dual sim, metal body, smaller with a bigger/better screen...).
- ehsankia 7y agoWhen it comes to price and pure hardware, nothing beats chinese phones, but the premium you're paying goes into better software and support.
- eertami 7y agoEven Samsung... in the UK you can buy a S10e for cheaper than the 3A XL.
- ksec 7y agoInteresting, that is news to me, has it always been like that for Samsung? I was always under the impression most Smartphone or Electronics devices has a 1:! US:UK/EU pricing due to VAT. So the S10e is only £669.00 in the UK inc. VAT? Are there any further discount from main-street retailers?
- km3k 7y agoIs that some special discount on the S10e? S10e - £669: https://www.samsung.com/uk/smartphones/galaxy-s10/buy/ https://www.samsung.com/uk/smartphones/galaxy-s10/buy/ Pixel 3a XL - £469: https://store.google.com/gb/config/pixel_3a https://store.google.com/gb/config/pixel_3a
- uberstuber 7y agoI don't care about bezels or absurd amounts of RAM. All I care about in a phone is the camera and headphone jack, so I ordered one. Good move Google. I wasn't expecting to buy a phone for another 6 months or so.
- deleted 7y ago[deleted]
- xchip 7y agoAnd how many years will the battery will last?
- abc-xyz 7y agoI suspect 2-3 and then the phone will power off after 5 minutes of usage despite having 100% battery, or power off when opening the camera app. Then you'll be stuck with a really powerful phone whose specs could easily be usable for 5-10 more years, but you're out of luck because the battery is impossible to replace.. It feels shortsighted that people are willing to buy phones that doesn't have replaceable batteries.
- alexnewman 7y agoI just got a pixel 3a. Finally leaving apple. The fact that they have a headphone jack was the main reason.
- novaRom 7y agoAre you happy with the speakers? I just watched few random YouTube reviews and they all say sound on 3a is bad.
- alexnewman 7y agoNothing glaring about the sound , I didn't expect much but I haven't upgraded since the iPhone se and it's better
- skilled 7y agoOh wow! A Google phone with Google Assistant and Google Maps? Who would've thought!
- voltagex_ 7y ago$649 for the non-XL in Australia. Christ.
- aesthethiccs 7y ago400 usd to aud is about 570Aud, so is this a report to ACCC? they should atleast be within the 570 range. 650 is a bit of piss take. also google support in Aus is terrible at best, had a dead nexus 5x , sent back for replacement had to pay for new phone, still fighting for a refund...
- tonny747 7y agoDon't forget 400 USD won't include tax. So 570AUD + GST is $627.
- afniljl 7y agoexactly, most ppl keep forgetting the additional tax. esp US pricing tends to be pre-tax. yes tax-free states not withstanding.
- ksec 7y agoIs baffles me, 11 years after the introduction of iPhone people are still asking the same question. Why do these people complain and ask if they didn't want to know the answer?
- davidf18 7y agoNot mentioned here is that Apple iOS is a far, far more secure system. Google has built its business model on basically violating your security -- it even keeps track of where you've been. Apple has a business model based on having you pay for your equipment initially but although not perfect, makes efforts to protect your security. I can see a future where professionals who have to value their client's security may be sued for not choosing Apple. Since most people keep their phones for 2 years or more, divide the cost by 24 to determine a monthly cost which typically is less than the cell phone service costs.
- bsharitt 7y agoThis is the price point I've been missing and I've go one ordered already. Sure Nokia has been pretty good in this range, even with updates I think, but Verizon is the better carrier option in my area, so they're a no go. I like the Motorola stuff in theory, but they've got that same 3rd party manufacturer updates problem. I've got a Moto G5 Plus, which is a fine phone, but it's likely stuck at Android 8.1 for the rest of its life, and even that update from 7 took a very long time(after 9 launched).
- irl_zebra 7y agoI have a Pixel XL, original one, and it's always been good. This makes me want to switch, partially for the smaller size. I see my Pixel has a snapdragon 821 chip, and the 3a has a 670. Can anyone comment on whether the 3a would generally be faster/better than my significantly older original Pixel XL? I don't know much about phone chips, but it generally seems that the 670 is better than the 821 from a cursory Google search.
- 77ko 7y agoFrom personal experience, a pixel 2 is significantly faster and smoother than a pixel 1, and the internet suggests the 670 chip in the 3a is slightly faster for general use than the 835 in the pixel 2, though for gaming its somewhere b/w pixel 1 and 2 as the 670 GPU is b/w the 821 and 835. So for normal use, its definitely a upgrade to a pixel 1, and a slight upgrade over the pixel 2.
- irl_zebra 7y agoThanks!
- izacus 7y agoIt will probably be about the same - for the performance you percieve on Android the CPU isn't as important (unless you run games). Storage performance is the one that makes all the difference - and Pixel 3a's eMMC storage is showing pretty much the same numbers as the original Pixel.
- deleted 7y ago[deleted]
- inyorgroove 7y agoAm I the only person who insists on buying phones with micro sd card slots? Still Google's phones are useless to me. I have a legitimate reason. It only happened on one phone, but it validated my decision. If the phone fails to boot for whatever reason I can get most of my important data out. Photos and videos were all just fine on my trusty micro sd card, no spying cloud services required.
- driverdan 7y agoCompared to the two year old Pixel 2 this is disappointing. The screen is better but it appears to have the same cameras and a significantly slower CPU. Its radio is only cat 12 too. You're better off buying a used Pixel 2.
- gristig 7y ago> If you need a little extra help, 24/7 support from Google is just a tap away in the tips and support link in the settings menu. lol
- xhruso00 7y agoAnyone noticed that Google is cheating with Google Photos backup? Only hi-resolution gets backed up. To back up original resolution one has to buy Pixel 3. I am kind of pissed of this marketing.
- snypox 7y agoKinda cheap move if you ask me.
- helloindia 7y agoEven for Pixel 3, the free unlimited storage with original resolution is till Jan 31, 2022. I wonder what happens to photos stored after that. Downgraded and resized? https://support.google.com/photos/answer/6220791?co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop&hl=en https://support.google.com/photos/answer/6220791?co=GENIE.Pl...
- izacus 7y agoNone of that - the photos uploaded at "original" quality after that date will start counting towards your Drive quota. Same as what happens when you switch to another non-Pixel phone.
- Double_a_92 7y agoWhat if you are above the free drive quota?
- novaRom 7y agoI don't really care if my phone is Android or iPhone or whatever. All I need is fast Firefox with ad blocking enabled, some messaging apps, quick camera, stereo front speakers, headphone jack, gps, quick charge, large battery, small weight, and NO bugs. Today I find no phone can fully satisfy these criteria. Is 3a different? Let's wait a little bit for more extensive reviews.
- dagw 7y agoWhy is Google completely unable/unwilling to do global roll-outs of their phones like everybody else does? Is it a production capacity problem or some sort of weird marketing strategy
- jokowueu 7y agoShould be 300$ and 400$
- apricot13 7y agoI was recently given a pixel 3 XL, I tried so hard to get on with it but the fingerprint sensor on the back ruined it for me (and google pay on london buses is embarrassingly slow). having the sensor on the back means you cant quickly access your phone when its sat on your desk without picking it up. its such a small thing but it made a big difference. Plus unlocking it out and about was all sorts of precarious finger gymnastics.
- winningcontinue 7y agototally opposite problem for the iPhone in the front for me. looking at a phone beyond just finding out the time while sitting at the desk was a hassle for me. Bad angle for both phone and neck. Having the phone picked up and the censor in the front was too unnatural and required too much dexterity I didn't possess.
- jamewatson 7y agoSomehow this kind of future has been seen since last month, but as expected of us, such as the world, Pixel's new model, mid-range smartphone "Pixel 3a" "Pixel 3a ...
- alkonaut 7y agoPushing the premium camera in the mid-range phone is genius. It probably hurts their margins because fewer people will buy the higher spec model, but this is surely a response to the Apple lineup which is basically "to get an upgraded camera at all in your next iPhone, you need to pay twice as much as you did for your last one". I'd be perfectly happy with an iphone 7 having the iphone XR camera. I have zero use for a bigger screen, smaller bezels, faster processors etc. None. I call, read some websites and take pictures. I also want to be able to repair my screen very cheapl (No iPhone I owned has had less than 2 screen replacement due to drops). I hope Apple will go this route too, but I'm not holding my breath - I think apples strategy to charge me $1k+ for my next iPhone camera is genius, because I'll probably do it.
- josteink 7y agoThis phone caught my attention because they added the headphone jack back in. Unfortunately the screen is still huge, even in the non "XL" version. I'd rather not move to something bigger than my iPhone SE.
- dustinmoris 7y agoWhen the Pixel 1 came out I bought it pretty much instantly in November 2016 and was amazed by how great the camera and the quality of the entire phone was. As someone who was very much invested in the Google eco system this was the perfect phone for me and when Google announced the Pixel 2 I was over the moon. Unfortunately the Pixel 2 was a huge disappointment. I still find my Pixel 1 to take overall better photos than the Pixel 2. The quality of the Pixel 2 also felt much cheaper. When the Pixel 3 arrived I thought initially that this was the long awaited upgrade, but again I was left extremely disappointed. In my opinion the original Pixel phone was the first device which I thought could finally contest the Apple iPhone, but since then I think this was a one off lucky shot by Google and everything which has followed was extremely below my expectations. Today I still use my Pixel 1, but it's starting to drain battery a lot faster than what it used to a couple months ago and I'm probably going to buy a new iPhone this year again. I've also started to rely less on Google since they started to become so unreliable in recent years. I don't use Chrome anymore (FireFox rocks again!), I use DuckDuckGo for search, I use Office365 instead of the G-Suite and I'm eyeing up a different Music provider as I think that Google Play will sooner or later get shut down too. The only things which I find difficult to replace is Google Drive and Google Cloud which I use for work related things. Funny how things quickly change and how much other products have caught up again so that the change hasn't been difficult at all so far...
- ddeck 7y agoDespite claiming for years that they are working hard to bring their devices to more countries, the availability is pretty embarrassing: Pixel 3a (1 more country than the Pixel 3 - +India) Australia, Canada, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan, United Kingdom, United States iPhone XR Albania, Andorra, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Greenland, Guernsey, Herzegovina, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Isle of Man, Italy, Japan, Jersey, Kosovo, Kuwait, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Malaysia, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, the UAE, UK, US and US Virgin Islands. Israel, Armenia, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Macau, Maldives, Myanmar, Ukraine and Vietnam.
- ksec 7y ago>Australia, Canada, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan, United Kingdom, United States Doesn't that covers 80% of the major market volume ex-China? After all Google isn't exactly a hardware company, and it doesn't seem they want to be one either.