
Pixel 3a - vanilla_nut
https://blog.google/products/pixel/io-pixel-3a/
======
manfredo
The 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)

~~~
biotech
> * 3a has a headphone jack. Personally, I adjusted pretty well to Bluetooth
> headsets but some people really appreciate the jack.

For me, phones lacking a headphone jack is an absolute deal-breaker; the
result is that I feel that there is a limited selection for new phones. This
feature alone makes the 3a a huge upgrade regardless of the other features.

~~~
manfredo
A nice pair of bluetooth headphones makes a pretty big different. I got a HD
4.40BT, and it's very good. Battery life is impressive and charges quickly. I
can skip tracks, pause, adjust volume without taking out my phone. I don't
have to dig into my pocket when I want to listen to something. Audio quality
is not noticeably different from my wired headphones at a similar price. It
does mean that I have 4 pairs of headphones relegated to desktop and piano
use, but the convenience factor was well worth it to me.

[https://en-us.sennheiser.com/wireless-headphones-bluetooth-h...](https://en-
us.sennheiser.com/wireless-headphones-bluetooth-
hd-4-40-btUS847&oq=hd440&aqs=chrome..69i57j0l5.727j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8)

~~~
callalex
Adding a battery to something that didn’t have one previously literally
decimated the expected time until it ends up in a landfill/the ocean.

~~~
wlesieutre
For an actual set of headphones with a decent size battery, they can still be
useful for many years even if the capacity drops to 50%. Tiny things like
AirPods are crazy though. When they're brand new the battery life is barely
enough, when they're a year or two old it sounds like a giant nuisance.

Apple just launched the more fitness-targeted Powerbeats Pro with a bigger
battery, but the charging case to accommodate the "around ear" design is
enormous compared to AirPods.

And now reviewers are excusing that saying "Yeah it's a huge case, but the
battery life is probably good enough that maybe you could leave the case at
home!" As if the battery life three years from now will be anywhere near 9
hours.

EDIT: Two articles posted on 9to5mac by _literally the same person_ a couple
of months apart:

[https://9to5mac.com/2019/01/28/airpods-battery-
life/](https://9to5mac.com/2019/01/28/airpods-battery-life/)

 _> But batteries are consumable, we all know so well now, and that’s proven
true for the tiny batteries inside AirPods after two years of daily use.
Battery life that once exceeded five hours now struggles to power AirPods
through three hours of continuous usage at the same volume. Battery life
results can be cut in half if you need to play audio at a louder volume._

 _> In practice, I used to never hear the low battery alert during usage. I
rarely listened to audio with AirPods for five straight hours before charging
in the carrying case without thought. More recently, I’ve heard the bloop
sound much more regularly, frequently followed by AirPods dying before I’m
ready to recharge._

[https://9to5mac.com/2019/05/06/beats-powerbeats-pro-hands-
on...](https://9to5mac.com/2019/05/06/beats-powerbeats-pro-hands-on/)

 _> AirPods give you up to 5 hours of power in between charges; Powerbeats Pro
almost double that with up to 9 hours of power in between charges. The
additional four hours might mean you only need to take the earphones out of
the house for the day with the charging case left at home._

Talk about a lack of foresight.

On 9to5mac in 2021: "The batteries in my Powerbeats Pro only last four hours
and I have to carry this gigantic charging case everywhere. HOW COULD I HAVE
KNOWN???"

~~~
wlesieutre
And for a comparison point versus real headphones, Sony’s USB-C charged
WH-1000XM3 is rated for 30 hours with noise cancellation on, 38 hours without.
But those aren’t something I’d carry around all the time, so I’m happy to keep
using wired earbuds where battery life isn’t even a question.

------
vanilla_nut
Apparently 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-x...](https://www.theverge.com/2019/5/7/18530449/google-pixel-3a-xl-
review-photos-video-specs-price-release-date-features-io-2019))

~~~
judge2020
From the articles I've read, the glass is less impact resistant.

------
jahabrewer
I'm really excited to see Google return to this price point. I was distraught
when they discontinued the Nexus line.

~~~
nkozyra
Motorola continues to carry this torch with it's G-series, near-stock,
sub-$300 phones.

~~~
robocat
I would also consider Nokia (HMD global).

> near-stock

I have now got a Nokia 7+ which has "Android One" (very close to AOSP) and it
has been a great piece of hardware which gets updates. I think HMD Global
dealt brilliantly with the security issue that affected some phones.

I agree about Moto though, in the past I have bought four Moto phones (G1, G3,
G3, G4 - two were presents) and I had zero hardware faults (although they all
stopped getting updates far earlier than I like). A G3 and G4 are still in
daily use. One G3 broke a screen (teenager), and I can't remember who I gave
the G1 to when I upgraded.

Multiple previous experiences with Nexus line have left me disappointed, and
so far the Pixel's have been too expensive for me to want to learn the same
mistakes again.

Hopefully the 3a will be better!

~~~
WhatIsDukkha
Nokias are bootlocked(nonstarter for me) and I'm not clear how reliable they
are going to be on updates either.

~~~
robocat
Now older Motorola phones (e.g. G3) can no longer be unlocked:
[https://support.motorola.com/us/en/solution/MS87215](https://support.motorola.com/us/en/solution/MS87215)

I also used to use your rule: if it was bootlocked then I wouldn't buy it.

However that rule has never helped me use CyanogenMod/LineageOS etc because:

Galaxy Nexus: Screen burn in (OLED blue) and obsoleted OMAP processor so
didn't update, then gave to friend's kid.

Nexus 10: Kept at factory 5.1.1 for testing at work. Then tried updating this
year but flash partition was too small to install gApps.

Nexus 7: Gave to family member who updated it, but it then died from slow
flash hardware issue.

Nexus 5: broken frame (leading to common hardware faults) - no point updating.

Nexus 5X: Never used much - can't use as daily driver due to perceived risk of
boot looping - so it is sitting in drawer at work.

Moto G1: Gave away a long time ago

Moto G3: Broken by teenager

Moto G3: Gave to friend (still in use - but can't unlock G3 any more)

Moto G4: Was a present to a friend (still in use by them, they not likely to
update or want update)

Edit: Some of the devices were bought cheaply (second hand) and more than one
device was paid for by work as we always need recent Android devices to test
App releases on.

------
herpderperator
I 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
Wow where do you live?

~~~
herpderperator
SF 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.

------
throwaway55554
I 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.

~~~
throwayEngineer
Apple 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.

~~~
theturtletalks
I can see why it seems that way, but most people stick to Apple due to lock-
in.

For me, it's Apple music. I've been using iTunes since the first iPod Nano and
have an extensive library. I was planning to switch to Spotify (since the
android Apple Music app is abysmal). But Spotify doesn't allow you to upload
your own music (lots of mixtape songs in my library).

So eventually, I gave in and went back. I even tried Google Music since they
let you upload your own songs, but the sync app kept crashing and never
uploaded songs right away, but your milage might vary.

So that is Apple's play, locking in customers. I know friends who came back to
Apple due to iMessage and even the Apple Watch, which is a blatant lock-in
product.

~~~
matwood
Where you see lock in, I see a well functioning ecosystem. The Apple Watch is
probably the best product in its category. Same with iMessage. By all accounts
I've read, AirPods are also how all BT headphones _should_ work.

I don't think most people stick with Apple because they are stuck, but most
Apple users simply prefer Apple devices. I used Android for over a year back
in the Nexus 5 days, but switched back to the iPhone because I preferred it.
Other people prefer Android which is fine.

------
rsp1984
Recently 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
They (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-manufac...](https://www.androidauthority.com/android-pie-fastest-
manufacturers-update-963368/)

163 days to update, June 2018 - [https://www.androidauthority.com/android-
oreo-fastest-manufa...](https://www.androidauthority.com/android-oreo-fastest-
manufacturers-update-874788/)

~~~
Ajedi32
Considering GP was still using the Nexus 5 two years after Google dropped
support for it, I doubt that matters too much to him.

------
bluedino
The Verge says it feels noticeably slower

[https://www.theverge.com/2019/5/7/18530449/google-
pixel-3a-x...](https://www.theverge.com/2019/5/7/18530449/google-pixel-3a-xl-
review-photos-video-specs-price-release-date-features-io-2019)

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

~~~
Andrex
Pixel 3a also lacks the Pixel Visual Core that shipped in Pixel 2 and 3, which
also may explain some of the discrepancy.

~~~
sparky_z
I though that only affects processing time, not the end result.

~~~
Andrex
Some features are Visual Core exclusive I think, so it depends on what you're
trying to shoot.

------
kentt
Glad 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.

~~~
Wheaties466
It looks like it does indeed have a headphone jack.

[https://techcrunch.com/2019/05/07/the-headphone-jack-is-
back...](https://techcrunch.com/2019/05/07/the-headphone-jack-is-back-for-the-
google-pixel-3a/)

~~~
mjevans
They honestly don't realize how much of a feature that is. This is literally a
kill if missing feature for me. I'm not due for a phone replacement yet, but
when my device does end up reaching end of life I'll probably replace it with
the successor of the 3a.

~~~
throwayEngineer
Thinking the same thing. I won't be buying another OG pixel if the 3a has the
aux.

------
Wowfunhappy
How 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.

------
uberstuber
I 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.

------
djsumdog
Can 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.

------
alkonaut
Pushing 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.

------
amanzi
These 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
In 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.

------
AcerbicZero
My 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
I 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).

------
ChuckMcM
Ok 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
Why 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
> 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
Google 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.

------
yodsanklai
It 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...).

~~~
eertami
Even Samsung... in the UK you can buy a S10e for cheaper than the 3A XL.

~~~
km3k
Is 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)

------
thiht
2 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
I 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)

------
dagw
Why 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

------
mrbill
I'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...

~~~
CabSauce
Maybe don't buy a backup phone?

~~~
robbyt
Yeah, if you can get a phone delivered to you next day, why would you keep an
extra phone around? (Unless you need it for development/testing)

~~~
mrbill
I'm not always somewhere that I can get overnight delivery.

------
alexnewman
I just got a pixel 3a. Finally leaving apple. The fact that they have a
headphone jack was the main reason.

~~~
novaRom
Are you happy with the speakers? I just watched few random YouTube reviews and
they all say sound on 3a is bad.

~~~
alexnewman
Nothing glaring about the sound , I didn't expect much but I haven't upgraded
since the iPhone se and it's better

------
bsharitt
This 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).

------
dustinmoris
When 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...

------
irl_zebra
I 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
From 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
Thanks!

------
apricot13
I 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
totally 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.

------
kawsper
I 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.

------
ddeck
Despite 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
>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.

------
jtl999
I wish the OLED display used higher frequency PWM or DC dimming instead of
PWM. Otherwise it seems to be a decent device.

------
driverdan
Compared 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.

------
vuln
I 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
All 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.

~~~
jpetso
Not 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.

------
xhruso00
Anyone 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
Kinda cheap move if you ask me.

~~~
izacus
Not giving you free GB of storage on their servers forever is a "cheap move"
for 400$ phone?

------
sparrish
Does 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.

~~~
SketchySeaBeast
Have you used wireless charging long? I'm worried about the effect the extra
heat has on the longevity of the phone's battery.

~~~
singingboyo
I 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
Fair enough. You're the perfect user for a wireless charger then.

------
haunter
I'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.

~~~
pwinnski
We 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
There'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
That 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!

------
duxup
This 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.

------
inyorgroove
Am 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.

------
novaRom
I 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.

~~~
aembleton
Which of those criteria does the Nokia 8 fail to satisfy?

~~~
novaRom
I never heard about that phone, sorry. I thought Nokia is out of smartphone
business already many years ago. But I will check YouTube reviews, thanks.
Glad they are back.

------
flavor8
The 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
Just 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
For 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.)

------
josteink
This 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.

------
tibiapejagala
store.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.

------
xchip
And how many years will the battery will last?

~~~
abc-xyz
I 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.

------
eBombzor
Is 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
At 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.

------
IWillScoop
I've been rocking an Galaxy S6 Edge+ for the last few years, would this be a
worthwhile upgrade?

~~~
kavinskyy
Coming 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

------
PHGamer
my 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.

------
voltagex_
$649 for the non-XL in Australia. Christ.

~~~
aesthethiccs
400 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
Don't forget 400 USD won't include tax. So 570AUD + GST is $627.

~~~
ksec
Is 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?

------
lousken
plastic back => replaceable battery?!

~~~
andybak
Oh - my dream phone. Headphone jack, SD card slot and a big and replaceable
battery...

~~~
manfredo
My Samsung Galaxy S5 from back in the day had all of those. Easy to root too.

~~~
lousken
I am looking for an S4 replacement, this seems to be the one, although i'm
waiting for in-depth reviews and jerryrig video to be sure

------
amelius
Is it ownable (rootable)?

~~~
jtl999
With exception of the Verizon model the bootloader on all Pixel devices can be
unlocked (iirc) but it wipes data for security reasons.

------
jokowueu
Should be 300$ and 400$

------
skilled
Oh wow! A Google phone with Google Assistant and Google Maps? Who would've
thought!

------
yhersk0vitz
Anyone 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?

------
scotchio
As 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)

~~~
SketchySeaBeast
What 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.

