 "Pixel 3a vs Pixel 3a XL vs OnePlus 6T vs Honor View 20: 'Mid range' phones face budget flagships"){kind=tracking}
So Google has finally realised that its premium segment Pixel 3 and 3 XL (Review) are not working as well as it had hoped. At
**Google I/O** the company has announced the launch of its mid-range lineup called as the
**Pixel 3a and 3a XL** . The devices are set to start selling exclusively on Flipkart from 8 May onwards. [caption id=“attachment_6589221” align=“alignnone” width=“1280”] The Google Pixel 3a XL. Image: Omkar G[/caption] The Pixel 3a XL has been announced at a price tag of Rs 44,999 while its smaller sibling is priced at Rs 39,999 which is not cheap by any standards, but it is cheaper than the Pixel 3 XL which will set you back Rs 56,990 for the 4 GB RAM + 64 GB variant. In this price range, the Pixel 3a XL and 3a are competing with the OnePlus 6T (Review) , Honor View 20 (Review) and also the Pixel 2 XL (Review) , which is nearly 2 years old. Are the Pixel 3a and 3a XL really worth it? The specs of the device on sheet don’t look to be quite impressive as the competition. Does it make more sense to get the Pixel 2 XL than the Pixel 3a? Should you spend the extra 10 grand and get the Pixel 3 XL instead of Pixel 3a XL? There are questions that will be answered in our Pixel 3a XL review. For now, here’s a spec-comparison of the two phones against the competition.
| Smartphone | Pixel 3a | Pixel 3a XL | Honor View 20 | OnePlus 6T | Google Pixel 2 XL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display Size (inch) | 5.6 | 6 | 6.4 | 6.4 | 6 |
| Resolution (pixels) | 2,220 x 1,080 | 2,150 x 1,080 | 1080 x 2310 | 1080 x 2240 | 1440 x 2880 |
| Pixel Density (PPI) | 441 | 401 | 398 | 402 | 538 |
| Display Type | gOLED | gOLED | IPS LCD | AMOLED | pOLED |
| Dual SIM | No | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| SIM Type | Nano-SIM or eSIM | Nano-SIM or eSIM | Nano-SIM | Nano-SIM | Nano-SIM |
| Connectivity Types | GSM / WCDMA / LTE | GSM / WCDMA / LTE | GSM / WCDMA / LTE | GSM / WCDMA / LTE | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / LTE / VoLTE |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 670 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 670 | Kirin 980 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 |
| CPU Cores | Octa-core | Octa-core | Octa-core | Octa-core | Octa-core |
| CPU Clock Speed (GHz) | 8x2.0 GHz Kryo 360 | 8x2.0 GHz Kryo 360 | 2x2.6 GHz Cortex-A76 & 2x1.92 GHz Cortex-A76 & 4x1.8 GHz Cortex-A55 | 4x2.8 GHz Kryo 385 Gold & 4x1.8 GHz Kryo 385 Silver | 4x Kryo 280 @ 2.35 & 4x Kryo 280 @ 1.9 |
| GPU | Adreno 615 | Adreno 615 | Mali-G76 MP10 | Adreno 630 | Adreno 540 |
| RAM | 4 GB | 4 GB | 6, 8 GB | 6, 8 GB | 4 GB |
| Ruggedness | TBC | TBC | No | Splashproof | IP67 |
| On-Board Memory | 64 GB | 64 GB | 128, 256 GB | 64, 128, 256 GB | 64 GB or 128 GB |
| Expandable Memory | No | No | No | No | No |
| Sensors | Fingerprint, Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Proximity, Compass, Barometer Android Sensor Hub | Fingerprint, Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Proximity, Compass, Barometer Android Sensor Hub | Fingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass | Face unlock, In-display fingerprint, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass | Fingerprint, Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Proximity, Compass, Barometer, Active Edge, Magnetometer, Hall effect |
| Primary Camera | 12.2 MP, f/1.8 | 12.2 MP, f/1.8 | 48 MP, f/1.8 | 16 MP f/1.7; 20 MP (16 MP effective) f/1.7 | 12.2 MP, f/1.8 |
| Optical Image Stabilization | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Camera Array | Single camera | Single camera | Dual Camera | Dual Camera | Single Camera |
| Autofocus System | Phase detection autofocus | Phase detection autofocus | Phase detection autofocus | Phase detection autofocus | Laser + Dual-Pixel Phase detection |
| Secondary Camera | 8 MP, f/2.0 | 8 MP, f/2.0 | 25 MP, f/2.0 | 16 MP f/2.0 | 8MP, f/2.4 |
| Video Capture | 720p @ 240 fps, 1080p @ 120 fps, 2160p @ 30 fps | 720p @ 240 fps, 1080p @ 120 fps, 2160p @ 30 fps | 2160p@30fps, 1080p@30fps, 720p@960fps, | 2160p@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@480fps | 720p @ 240 fps, 1080p @ 120 fps, 2160p @ 30 fps |
| Flash | Dual-LED | Dual-LED | Dual-LED | Dual-LED | Dual-LED |
| OS Version | Android 9.0 Pie | Android 9.0 Pie | Android 9.0 Pie | Android 9.0 Pie | Android 8 Oreo |
| AI (Smart Assistant) | Yes, Google Assistant | Yes, Google Assistant | Google Assistant | Google Assistant | Yes, Google Assistant |
| GPS | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual, band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual, band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, WiFi Direct, hotspot | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, WiFi Direct, hotspot | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual, band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA |
| Bluetooth | v5, A2DP, LE, aptX HD | v5, A2DP, LE, aptX HD | v5.0, A2DP, LE | v5.0, A2DP, LE | v5, A2DP, LE, aptX HD |
| NFC | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Infrared | No | No | No | No | No |
| Fingerprint Scanner | Yes, Rear button | Yes, Rear button | Yes, Rear button | Yes, In-display | |
| 3.5mm jack | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| Radio | No | No | No | No | No |
| USB Type | Type-C Reversible connector | Type-C Reversible connector | Type-C Reversible connector | Type-C Reversible connector | Type-C Reversible connector |
| USB Standard | USB 2.0 | USB 2.0 | USB 2.0 | USB 2.0 | USB 2.0 |
| Battery (mAh) | 3,000 | 3,700 | 4,000 | 3,700 | 3,520 |
| Fast charging | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Colours | Just Black, Clearly White, Purple-ish | Just Black, Clearly White, Purple-ish | Saphire Blue, Phantom Blue, Phantom Red, Midnight Black | Midnight Black, Mirror Black, Thunder Purple | Black & White, Just Black |
| Prices in India | Rs 39,999 | Rs 44,999 | Starting Rs 37,999 | Rs 37,999 | Starting Rs 39,999 |
Verdict The Pixel 3a and 3a XL borrow the same camera and software experience from the Pixel 3-series which should make them quite formidable. However, the Snapdragon 670 SoC is quite clearly behind the Snapdragon 845 and Kirin 980 on the OnePlus 6T and Honor View 20 respectively. With the OnePlus 7 also launching around a similar price point, the Pixel 3a-series would have its work cut out in terms of sales. Do read our full review of the device when it comes out.
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