Android Advisor - UK (2019-06)

86 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 63

COMPARISON

While the smaller phones’ displays are pretty close,

the 3 XL uses a much higher-quality display than the

3a XL does. The displays are also protected differently

against drops. The Pixel 3 and 3 XL use Gorilla Glass 5,

while the Pixel 3a and 3a XL use Dragontrail glass.

Performance

One of the biggest differences is inside. Because the

Pixel 3a is a budget phone, it has a slower processor:

Pixel 3a/3a XL: Snapdragon 670

Pixel 3/3 XL: Snapdragon 845

The Snapdragon 670 is decidedly a mid-range

processor, while the Snapdragon 845 was last

year’s top-of-the-line chip. In benchmark testing,

the 670 matches up closest with the original Pixel’s

Snapdragon 821 processor, so you’re definitely giving

up a fair amount of performance with the cheaper

model. As far as memory goes, all four phones use the

same 4GB LPDDR4x RAM. That should be plenty to

keep apps and animations snappy.

Battery and charging

Google hasn’t skimped on the battery with the Pixel 3a

in the slightest. In fact, it’s a little bigger than the ones

in the Pixel 3:

Pixel 3a: 3,000mAh

Pixel 3: 2,915mAh

Pixel 3a XL: 3,700mAh

Pixel 3 XL: 3,430mAh