Speed Philippines – July 2019

TESTED

DEFYING NORMS

Google Pixel 3a

PRODUCT

TEST NO.

2160

The Pixel 3a is Google’s first midrange Pixel smartphone. A dead ringer for last year’s impressive Pixel 3,

the Pixel 3a brings the strongest features of the premium lineup to a more affordable price point.

DIMENSIONS

151.3 x 70.1 x

8.2mm, 147g

The Pixel 3a defies the norm of what a midrange device is supposed to offer.

It simply soars in the areas where it is strongest—camera quality, battery

life, build quality, and the availability of a headphone jack. This could be the

breakthrough device that puts Google on the map as a smartphone superpower.

SPEED SAYS GEEK METER

THE

NUMBERS

WORDS GADJO CARDENAS SEVILLA

54 JULY 2019

OS
Android 9 Pie
DISPLAY
5.6-inch 2220 x
1080 FHD+ OLED,
18.5:9, 441pi
CPU
2.0GHz octa-
core Qualcomm
Snapdragon 670
GPU
Adreno 615
MEMORY
4GB RAM
STORAGE
64GB ROM
CAMERA
12MP rear, 8MP
front
CONNECTIVITY
4G/LTE, Wi-Fi
802.11 a/b/g/n/
ac, Bluetooth 5.0,
GPS, A-GPS, NFC,
USB 2.0 Type-C,
3.5mm jack
PRICE
$399

The Pixel 3a improves on certain aspects of the pricier Pixel 3. The Pixel 3a, and the

larger Pixel 3a XL, are made of sturdy polycarbonate, which is tougher than glass.

The midrange Pixels also exhibit better battery life (3000mAh), which was one of the

issues owners of the smaller Pixel 3 had to contend with. This smartphone also has

a headphone jack, which means you can now listen to music and charge the device

simultaneously—a small but profound addition.

Of course, Google

had cut down some

features and functions

to hit the midrange

price point. So, the

Pixel 3a doesn’t have

the latest or most

powerful processor.

It also doesn’t use

Gorilla Glass, but opts

instead for a similarly

solid Dragontrail

glass. Google also

ditched the dedicated

Pixel Visual Core

sensor on the Pixel 3a.

But while capturing

images and video

seems slightly slower,

quality and detail are

almost identical to the

naked eye.

In many ways, the Pixel 3a is an improvement over its more

expensive predecessor. Using it proved that it was as capable

and quick without any slowdowns. The only real knock on the

Pixel 3a is the lack of option to expand the storage.

Camera photo and video tests showed that the Pixel 3a is

every bit as capable as the Pixel 3. Photos are insanely good,

especially portrait mode and the revolutionary Night Sight

feature, which takes good photos in very low light.

Google is going all

out on a campaign

to prove that much

desired smartphone

features—like an

excellent camera,

the ability to use

a smart assistant,

and the best mix

of hardware and

software—don’t have

to be exorbitant.

More extraordinary

is that the Pixel

3a seems to be

designed around

critical mass. Not

only is it more

widely available

and compatible

with more carriers,

it is being pitched

as an international

smartphone,

available globally.