Pixel 3a review: Hitting critical mass By Android Authority

So back in October, we reviewed at the pixel three, and we called it the Android iPhone, and that's because Google no longer wants Android to be a nerd brand anymore. They want it to be something that can be really well-used by everyone, and that is a premium experience and with the pixel one through three, they nailed the premium experience. All three of those phones were exceptional devices that had an amazing ecosystem. You know where they messed up: it's not the physical quality of a phone that gets people locked into ecosystems, it's the experience, and how are people actually going to try the pixel experience unless they can get it in their hands? Well, this is the Pixel 3a, and it's Google's Play for actually getting the pixel experience in everybody seems how exactly do you get the pixel experience into more people's hands? Well, you cut out the things that only us nerds really care about, and that includes the latest Snapdragon processor and official IP rating wireless charging in a glass body, but none of those things are what makes a pixel. What defines the pixel is the amazing UI? The best-in-class camera and things like an OLED display, so you can have things like an always-on display now playing easy access to Google assistant, so the pixel 3-8 doesn't have the best. Specs in the world has specs that are gonna work for most people.

It's got a snapdragon six. Seventy-four gigabytes of RAM and 64 gigabytes of storage and for most people, that's gonna, be just fine. Now I do have to say that four gigabytes of RAM wasn't really enough for the pixel three, and it's not really going to be enough for the pixel 3/8 either, but I couldn't exactly see Google, adding more RAM to a cheaper phone. This phone will close apps in the background sometimes, but they did seem to solve the issue of where music apps like Spotify would just stop playing. If you opened up too many apps, and it kicked it out of memory now.

The good thing is that pixel UI is really lightweight. It's Google's vision for a stock Android, and that means it's got a really, really good integration with all of googles, core apps, it's not going to have any third-party apps unless you consider Google a third-party company and it's really nice to get a phone where you really get to dictate everything that goes on your device and just like the pixel three, the cameras are best-in-class seriously. I, don't know how they were able to get the pixel three cameras in this phone when it's $400, but they did now. The image quality is only slightly worse than the pixel three, but I don't think the average person is actually going to be able to tell a difference. The camera is still miles better than pretty much every other Android phone on the market right now and most people consider it to be better than the iPhone -.

The front-facing cameras were you're, probably going to see the most noticeable difference. Now you don't have two front facing cameras in here anymore, so you don't have that ultra wide-angle lens beauty of a lens, that's pretty wide, and it's probably wide enough to get you and a couple. Friends in a shot like I said before they still have an OLED screen, and it still looks amazing. Yes, it's not going to be as perfect as the display on the Samsung Galaxy s 10 or the one plus seven pro, but it's still really, really good for a $400 phone, and it also enables things like now, playing or and always-on display to show your notifications and, of course, another thing that is core to the pixel experience is the Google Assistant and Google's maintained, pretty much all the ways that you can access the assistant here. You've still got the keyword to pull up the assistant.

We've also still got active edge, which means you can squeeze the phone to pull up the assistant which can be really convenient. If you don't want to set off that key phrase. Now you're not getting those front-facing speakers that everyone really loved in the pixel 3, but another key part of the pixel experience is good. Speakers and you've still got stereo speakers on the bottom of this phone, and they actually sound perfect. They sound a lot better than a lot of higher-end Android phones that cost a lot more than this thing, and here is the kicker.

What is the one other thing that people are not willing to leave their iPhone 6s for that's the headphone, jack and yeah Google included it in the Pixel 3a. Now one thing that I think that Google does need to put a little more effort into is battery life because that actually does affect the average consumer. That actually, is something that every single person wants in a phone battery life is average, it's not incredible, but the combination of the lower specs processor and also the bigger battery, especially in the Pixel 3a XL. Do you get you through a full day most of the time, and these also work with 18 watt, which are, and probably the last main difference between the main pixel 3 and the pixel 3 an is the build now the pixel 3 is made of glass, the pixel 3 an is made of polycarbonate? The thing is I, actually really like plastic phones way back when the Nexus 5 was released. Everyone really praised that phone.

It felt perfect in your hand, and that's the case here- ? I really like polycarbonate, because you can drop it and is much less prone to cracking. So what are you really getting out of the pixel 3? A is a whole package. What you're getting build quality that most people would be fine with you're getting battery life, that most people will be fine with you're, getting an experience that most people have not even tried yet but are really going to enjoy, and you're getting the best camera on the market. Right now and look. This is why this phone is important.

Google doesn't need to make premium phones, they need to be get people to actually try their ecosystem. People are going to just switch ecosystems willy-nilly because, when you're moving from an iPhone you're, not just moving OEMs you're moving entire ecosystems, so how much is Google asking for the pixel experience, they're, pretty much taxiing $400 and at the time of making this video there are deals almost everywhere they get you $100 off this phone effectively, making it $300 not only that, but it's available on almost every carrier. No longer is the pixel exclusively available at Verizon. You can get this almost anywhere except for AT&T, and that is a wonderful thing surrounding this out. I think Google finally realized that the pixel is not about premium, build quality, it's about hitting critical mass in their ecosystem and what's going to do that price in the pixel experience.

That's minute, guys, I understand that this review is not too technical, but we do have a full written review that has a ton of specifications. We got a ton of sample photos and a ton of pictures of this phone if you want to go check it out head over to Android or 30. com and make sure you stay tuned to our YouTube channel, we're going to have a lot more information from the premium sector to the low-end sector, to everything in between and I will catch you in the next video you.

Source : Android Authority