Google Pixel 3A Review: Does Rs 40,000 Pricetag Justify This New Smartphone? (In-Depth Analysis)

Google just a few weeks back unveiled its much-awaited mid-range killer, the hyped budget Pixel device. The company did make a budget device, and yes it’s certainly cheaper than the original Pixel 3, but is not in anyway a budget smartphone in India.

It’s the same way how you call iPhone XR, the most affordable new generation iPhone.

Google Pixel 3A is available at under 40,000 in the country, making it a close contender to OnePlus 7, Honor View20 and upcoming Redmi K20 Pro.

So, should you opt for Google Pixel 3A ditching these devices?

We find out.

We did an in-depth breakdown to check out each and every feature to find out the important details, which should you consider to buy Pixel 3A and not. These are our six main points regarding Pixel 3A (the good and the bad).

The Polycarbonate Glossy Design & The Display With Big Bottom & Top

Starting out with the shape and form factor, the Google Pixel 3A is comparatively smaller than most of the entry-premium smartphones available in the market. We need to call it an entry-premium smartphone, as it’s in no way a budget device.

It’s a polycarbonate body with that half glass and half matte look. The smartphone is light to hold and easy to use with a single hand.

Most importantly, there’s no IP rating for water or dust and only sports a P2i coating on the out to offer splash resistance. For Pixel 3A, the company decided to include a headphone jack unlike the original Pixel 3 devices.

On top, it features a 5.18-inch full HD+ gOLED screen. Pixel 3A comes with bigger bezels on the top and bottom in an old-fashioned 18:9 widescreen aspect ratio. The viewing angles are okay and sunlight legibility is average.

Snapdragon 670 & Performance

The Google mid-ranger Pixel 3A powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 670 processor. The chip pairs with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage. There’s no room  for additional storage or any microSD slot. Though, the internet giant is offering unlimited storage at full resolution on Google Photos.

The feature supports unlimited photos and videos at full resolution.

The smartphone scored something around 158,000 on Antutu, which is even lower than Redmi Note 7 Pro, the smartphone which costs one-third of the Pixel 3A.

We tried to multitask with memory heavy apps, and it did well. While playing top-end graphic intensive games like PUBG could be a bit of challenge. Though, it can run games like Asphalt 9 ran without any problems in high settings. There were hardly any frame drop or crashes.

Extended gaming could be an issue, as the smartphone starts to heat up when to play graphically intensive games for long, maybe around half an hour.

The Sweet Software & OS

Pixel 3A hits the sweet spot with the software. The Pixel phones are known for its software, and Pixel 3A is no different. The budget Pixel 3A runs everything smoothly and the clean stock Android is an icing on the top. Pixel 3A runs on Android 9 Pie, and you can also upgrade to the Android Q beta version.

The smartphone comes with all the software features as its high-end variants.

The side squeeze is also available. The Active Edge can be used to activate the Google Assistant. When the final version of the Android Q rolls out, Pixel 3A phones will get it first. So that’s an advantage for Pixel 3A buyers.

The Camera’s Awesome, Really Awesome

Google has worked well with the cameras for Pixel 3A. The image quality is great with good amount details and colours. The Pixel 3A comes with the same Sony IMX 363 12.2MP rear sensor, making sure you are on top when it comes to photography.

Pixel 3A produces good details with higher sharpening in terms of image processing.

When it comes to detailing and colour accuracy, Pixel 3A scores high with flying colours.

Pixel 3A captures more high quality pictures with sharper and better-defined details including great sharpness and definition. The exposure is better and the blacks are very good as well. In comparison, the selfie camera is average and captures decent shots.

Professional Photography Features

The smartphone comes with a Visual Core custom AI chipset to enhance photography with features as Top Shot, Photobooth and HDR+ quality. These are the features you will also find on the original high-end Pixel phones.

Top Shot recommends the best picture option from a series of photos taken while the Photobooth automatically take pictures when you smile.

There’s new TimeLapse mode as well to create fun and quirky videos.

The Portrait shots are well defined and the edges are prominent. SuperZoom works with the software for a close up without loss of details and sharper images and brighter details.

Night Sight works fine on Pixel 3A as the other Pixel 3 devices boosting up exposure.

Battery & Fast Charging

The Pixel 3A XL comes with a 3,000 mAh battery, with the same 18W fast charger from Pixel 3 phones. It does not support wireless charging support here. With moderate use, the phone can last for around a day.

It supports fast charging, so won’t be much of an issue. But, still, a bigger battery would have been better.

Google Pixel 3A Opinion: Should You Buy?

If cameras are your primary concern, you should go for it definitely. Except for the cameras, there’s nothing much to look out for. It’s closest competitor OnePlus 7 costs Rs 7,000 less, and has features quite better than it.

Even the software is quite optimised on OnePlus 7, so the stock Android on Pixel 3A won’t work as a big advantage against the OnePlus smartphone.

Pixel 3A is too good for India. The price doesn’t justify the ‘budget’ price tag in any way.

To sum up, only the positive remains the camera. It’s truly excellent, but that doesn’t make it a compelling purchase for 40,000 bucks. The software’s good, design is average, performance is okay, the display is not worth it, and finally the price doesn’t justify the price it asks for.