Google has priced its Pixel 3 XL at about $800. Frankly, it is quite a lot. So even if you like it you might not go for it because of that price tag. Lucky for you, Google has just announced and released a new Pixel phone.

And that is very much affordable compared to its predecessors. We are talking about the Pixel 3a XL. In this post, we will share all the information you need to know about this latest mid-range phone killer from Google. So, without further ado, let’s jump right on…

Specs and overview of Google Pixel 3a XL:

The phone comes with a 6 inch OLED screen which has a resolution of 1080 x 2160 pixels. The ratio of the screen is 18:9 which is accommodated with 402 PPI density. That means you won’t have much problem using the phone in daylight. Also, the screen comes with the ‘Always-on display’ feature. As a protection, Google used Asahi Dragontrail Glass. That’s a quite good addition.

The phone packs 4 GB of RAM, Adreno 615 GPU, 64 GB internal memory, Qualcomm Snapdragon 670 chipset, and Octa-Core processor etc. However, there is no external SD card slot available. So, you are limited to using the 64 GB internal storage. Nevertheless, we are happy with the configuration of this phone depending on its reasonable price.

Camera:

If Google’s Pixel series is famous for only one thing then it would be its camera. Similar to Pixel 3a XL’s predecessors, it hasn’t disappointed us this time. There are only two cameras on the phone. One is on the front and another is on the back. We know, it doesn’t feel like that only two cameras are enough. As almost all the phones are coming with multiple cameras on the front and the back nowadays. However, we have to admit that Google has nailed it with just two cameras.

The front one is an 8 MP camera and it has some flaws. For instance, there is no autofocus. And as there is only one camera, you are not getting any wide-angle or telephoto lens. For selfie lovers, this might be a deal breaker. But to be honest, the quality of the current camera is very good. The picture quality is almost similar to Pixel 3.

Next, we have the back camera which is 12.2 MP camera with dual LED flash. This camera can capture 4K videos at 30 fps and 1080p videos at 30/60/120 fps. For taking videos, this is a great camera. Also, when it comes to capturing photos, this camera doesn’t hold you back.

It performs almost similar to Pixel 3. It seems that Google has used similar camera hardware on both the Pixel 3 and 3a XL. Honestly, there is a slight difference between the picture of Pixel 3 and 3a XL. But that is not because of the camera but it is due to the processing difference.

The main camera comes with both electronic & optical stabilization and phase detection dual autofocus. Besides that, you are also getting cool features like Top Shot, Night Sight, Motion Autofocus, Super Res Zoom, and Time-lapse etc. Overall, the main camera does best what it does. However, due to the low RAM and CPU power, the processing time and the camera launch time might be a little slower compared to the Pixel 3.

The Software Side:

The Pixel 3a XL comes with Android Pie out of the box. At this moment, this is officially the latest version of Android. And, it is expected that the next Android version i.e. Android Q will come out in August 2019. Typically, you will be able to update your Pixel 3a XL to that as well. But that is not all. It is rumored that Pixel 3a XL will be able to be updated to at least Android S which is expected to come in 2021. On the other hand, if Google is willing then you might have software support till 2022 at least. 

Miscellaneous:

There are some important things about the pixel 3a XL we need to tell you. First off, it comes with a headphone jack which is surprising. But we will take it. Although it might be because of it that the thickness of the phone is 8.2 mm.

The body of the phone is made of plastic (polycarbonate). So, it doesn't feel cheap but it is not that heavy. On the inside, it has a 3700 mAh Li-Po battery which is non-removable, of course. Also, there's no wireless charging or something like that. But it supports fast charging (18W).

There is a rear mounted fingerprint sensor. And, all the other important sensors like the proximity, gyro, barometer, accelerometer etc. are also there. The NFC feature is also available. 

Summing it up:

Google has priced the Pixel 3a XL slightly below $500. So we can say that it's a mid-range phone. There are a lot of phones with similar specifications available at this price range. But, if you particularly want a Google Pixel phone without breaking your bank then this is the one. 

Yes, it could have more RAM or there could be a couple of more cameras. But, it is definitely a good sign for us that Google is offering a decent phone within an affordable price range. So, if you like Pixel 3 but want a similar phone for a lot less then go for it.