Web User - UK (2019-05-29)

22 29 May - 11 June 2019

I

f you’veevercoveted one

of Google’s Pixel phones

butfelt the premium price

was beyondyourrange, then

this new model might change

your mind. Pixels havelong

been the pinnacle of the

Androidexperience and now,

inanattempttointroduce its

phonestoa wider market,

Google has launched the

Pixel 3a (and the larger Pixel

3a XL).

Bringing thecompany’s

top-end cameratech and

refined user interfacetoa

phone thatcosts £399(or

£469 for the XL) is a bold

move, especially when the

similarly equipped Pixel 3 is

currently doing theroundsfor

about £589.

Build and design

The 3akeeps the same

two-tone back panel as

previous Pixel models.This

incorporates a smoother

sectionatthetop of the

phone, which surrounds the

rear-facing camera module,

softeningtoa more grippy

and silky matte finishtowards

the bottom.There’s no glass

and aluminiumcombo this

time around – the newphone

is insteadconstructed entirely

from polycarbonateplastic.

However, it doesn’tfeel cheap,

and fitscomfortably in the

palm ofyour hand – a delight

tohold. Meanwhile, Google’s

circular fingerprintreader sits

in the same location on the

Google Pixel 3a

back and there’s a USB

Type-C charging port on the

bottom, flankedbya pair of

speaker grilles.

The 3acomes with Google’s

ActiveEdge included, soyou

can activate Google Assistant

bysqueezing the bottom

portion of the phone.The

phone uses machine-learning

technologytodifferentiate

between a proper squeeze

and an accidental one, but it’s

a bitredundant ifyou’re

Since there’s no glassrear,

Google has also abandoned

wireless charging.Still, the

Pixel 3a does include a 3.5mm

headphone jack on thetop

edge of the phone, which is

something that’s sorely

missed on theregular model.

Screen

Aside from measuring an

extra0.1in across the

diagonal, the Pixel 3a’s display

remains unchanged.This isa

lovely looking 2,220 x 1,080

pixels OLED panel, witha

pin-sharp pixel density of

441ppi (pixels per inch).There

are three display modesto

choose from, with the phone’s

“natural” screen profile being

the mostcolour-accurate.

Until now, Google’s Pixel phones have been stunning but

expensive. Can this new mid-priced phone offer a similar

best-in-class Android experience on a cheaper device?

preparedtosay “Hey Google”.

On the downside, there are

some significant drawbacks

tothe phone. In ordertocut

costs, Google hasstripped it

of any officiallyrated dust- or

waterproofing, and there’s no

protective layer of Gorilla

Glass fixedtothe front of the

phone’s screen. Instead, the

Pixel 3a uses the less

ubiquitous Dragontrailto

protect the display from

scratches.

Product Test

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It has a lovely 2,220 x 1,080 pixels OLED

screen, with a pin-sharp pixel density of

441ppi, and three display modes