JULY 2019 PCWorld 85Galaxy A50
Processor: Quad 2.3GHz + Quad 1.7GHz
RAM: 4GB
Storage: 64GB
Pixel 3a/3a XL
Processor: Snapdragon 670
RAM: 4GB
Storage: 64GB
Samsung is using the 10nm Exynos 9610
in the A50, which matches up very well with
the 14nm Snapdragon 670, which has a quad
2.2GHz and 1.84GHz cores. In benchmarks
(go.pcworld.com/bnmk), the two chips
perform extremely similarly, and each phone
should be able to handle most tasks well,
especially with OS and app optimizations.
Both phones also include a headphone jack.
The 64GB of storage should be enough
for all but the most demanding of
users. The A50 also includes an
SD card slot (up to 512GB). Like
the Pixel 3, the Pixel 3a doesn’t
include a storage slot.
As far as biometrics go, the
Pixel 3a has a standard
fingerprint sensor on the rear
case, while the A50 includes an
optical fingerprint scanner inside
the front display. Both phones
run their respective versions of
Android 9 Pie, and the A50 ships
with Samsung’s new One UI.BATTERY AND CHARGING
On paper, the A50 has a big advantage over
the Pixel 3a and 3a XL when it comes to
battery life:
Galaxy A50: 4,000mAh
Pixel 3a: 13,000mAh
Pixel 3a XL: 3,700mAh
However, capacity doesn’t tell the whole
story. Google optimizes the heck out of its
battery with Android, so real-world use
should be roughly the same. Both phones
also support fast charging, so when they run
out of juice you’ll be able to fill them up in less
than an hour.CAMERAS
Both of these phones lean heavily into their
cameras, though they couldn’t be more
different:The Pixel 3a is made of plastic, but it doesn’t feel cheap.