(bright music)
- Hold it. (record scratches)
Folks, this review demands something different.
I'm gonna bag the sweeping dolly shots.
Cancel the macro closeups, even deal with a messy studio
in the background for once
because people who love tech porn,
people who start their phone shopping at the spec sheet,
this video isn't for them.
And neither is this phone.
This is the Google Pixel 3a, and if you live in the U.S.,
it's the best phone $400 can buy.
(upbeat music)
I picked up my Pixel 3a review device
at Google's Annual Developer Conference three weeks ago,
and I haven't put it down since.
When you're used to carrying $800 or $900 phones,
that's significant.
You'd think I'd be longing to get back
to the hefty glass ingots of the high end,
but the 3a is plastic done right.
It's matte, smooth, and I don't worry about scratching it
when I toss it on a tabletop.
(phone thumps) (upbeat music)
There's nothing flashy about the design,
something I've been ragging the Pixels for for years,
but what seems like apathy in the high end
feels like intentional minimalism down in the mid-range.
Or I don't know, maybe it's just easier to justify
when you're only shelling out $399.
I need to say here that you can get beautiful phones
for less, even here in the States.
The glitzy metal chamfers of the Nokia 7.1,
the hypnotizing layered glass of the older Moto X4,
the list goes on, but these art pieces
share the same major flaw I've been complaining about
on mid-range smartphones for years.
Those cameras just can't hang.
This camera shootout's gonna be quick
because if a camera is your number one priority,
you are not gonna be wowed by anything in this price range.
Speaking of cameras, all these are serviceable,
but none is gonna win you the Snapchatter of the Year award.
But is it something I'd buy myself?
Honestly, probably not.
If you're as tired of hearing that as I am of saying it,
good news everyone.
The Pixel 3a finally changes things.
You've probably seen the ads,
the roller skater photographed side-by-side
with an iPhone and a Pixel 3a.
Google's Night Sight just demolishing the iPhone.
You don't even need to do
a comparative analysis to appreciate it.
You just need to live with the 3a in your pocket for awhile.
Take it to a remote Vermont village
to capture rural life in all its bucolic beauty.
From the pie shed with the cash register
that works on the honor system
to the backyard window with the watchful kitty.
Zoom in on the distant dock and the camera module
will give the optics a little wiggle
so the processor has a parallax to improve the zoom.
Toggle Night Sight on a covered bridge
back lit by aggressive Spring-time sunlight,
and you can still make out all the details in the wood
and the leaves in the valley beyond.
Take it to New York City with its endless opportunities
for portraits, cheeky or charming from both the camera
on the back and the one on the front.
And don't forget we started in California
for a visit with some familiar faces
gathered around an electric car
that I hope won't be unfamiliar for long.
Hey, Polestar, I wanna review this thing.
In short, it's one of the best phone cameras period,
and it costs hundreds of dollars less
than the closest competition.
(upbeat music)
So how'd Google do it?
Well, it cut corners right up to the point it thought users
would start to notice, like in the processing.
The more expensive Pixel 3 can merge up to six frames
into one to maximize dynamic range in a photo.
The Pixel 3a can only use up to five frames.
The 3a also punches in a little further
when you're shooting a portrait so it doesn't have
to do as much work blurring the background into bokeh.
There's no dedicated flicker censor on the 3a.
The selfie shooter has a narrower 84 degree lens
instead of 97, and yes, processing photos
takes longer on the 3a than it does on the Pixel 3.
Now, how much of that do you notice?
Almost none of it.
Just like most folks won't notice the thing
probably setting the comments on fire as I speak.
The specs. (upbeat music)
All right, let's address that, yes,
there's a mid-tier processor here
instead of the top shelf Snapdragon.
That means waiting an extra beat when you're opening an app
here and there, it means the phone will stumble
slightly more often than the Pixel 3.
Does that matter?
In a vacuum, yeah, it's why I'm mentioning it.
But it doesn't $200 difference matter.
And it certainly doesn't $300 or $400 difference matter
once you start comparing this with iPhones and Samsung's.
Understand that I'm not saying that Pixel 3a is flawless.
The lack of wireless charging
is what the We Hate Movies guys might call a real boner jam,
and it also stinks that it comes with no water resistance,
only 64 gigs of storage
and no unlimited original quality backups in Google Photos.
The battery is pretty good, but nothing special.
I was able to use up 50 percent in four hours
with continuous Twitter usage one morning.
Hey, it was the Huawei implosion news day.
You've gotta give me a pass on that one.
And this being a Pixel 3 series device,
you've got the drawbacks inherent to the line.
The display is a little too dim in the daylight,
and there's the odd weird bug like the camera refusing
to shoot video until I reboot it at one point.
My friend Andrew makes a good point over at Android Central.
Given the choice between the Pixel 3 and 3a,
of course, I'll take the 3 for the better features,
the fit finish, but you know what people haven't been doing?
Buying the Pixel 3.
Because apparently it hasn't made a good case for itself
at its price point.
The 3a makes an outstanding pitch for itself.
Spend about $400, and you'll get a clean software build,
the guarantee of three years of updates
straight from Google, the headphone jack
if you care about that, that stunner of a camera,
and those tiny value adds that make it a Pixel,
like the always on music recognition,
and the augmented reality Google Maps.
Folks, if you live overseas and you have more options,
that's great, good on ya.
If you live in the United States though,
the Pixel 3a is my new go-to recommendation
for anyone who wants the best value in a smartphone.
I love it, and I think you will too.
(upbeat music)
If you do buy one and you wanna fancy up that plastic
without breaking the bank, you're in luck.
This video is sponsored by dbrand,
maker of the absolute best vinyl smartphone skins
in the business.
Gussy it up in carbon fiber, Kevlar,
or my personal favorite, concrete and do it
using the link in the description below.
(upbeat music)
Folks, share your opinions on this one, respectfully please,
down in the comments below.
Props to my buddy Joshua Vergara for coining the term,
palate cleanser to refer to this device, by the way.
Check out his excellent unboxing
and first look on his channel.
Disclosure, some of my video was shot at Google I/O,
for which Google provided travel and lodging
for some members of the media, including Mr. Mobile.
The Pixel 3a review devices in this video
are loaner review units provided by Google.
As always, I don't take money for reviews,
and I don't offer copy approval either,
that means Google is seeing this video
at the same time you are.
Please subscribe if that's the kind of review
you like to see.
Until next time, thanks for watching,
and stay mobile, my friends. (upbeat music)