I have been using Apple's iPhone XS Max
in my day-to-day life, which costs
more than a $1,000,
but I recently switched to
Google's cheap new Pixel phone,
which costs less than $500,
and I was surprised at how little I missed.
All in all, the Pixel 3a was proof
that you don't need to pay $1,000
to get a really good smartphone
that doesn't compromise.
The Pixel 3a delivers where it counts:
on battery life, camera performance,
day-to-day performance, and screen quality.
It doesn't have all the bells and whistles
that you'll get from a high-end smartphone
like the iPhone XS Max.
But, like I said, it performs where it counts.
So the thing that really stood out to me
after having used both of these phones
is really how little I missed when
switching to a smartphone this cheap.
So what's interesting about the Pixel 3a XL
is that it really maintains a lot
of the really important features
of a flagship smartphone.
So most of the time in the past
when I've used budget smartphones,
you know, they usually get the job done,
but they lack in a few areas.
Especially, you know,
camera performance is usually one of them.
One of the best things about the Pixel 3a
is that it has an excellent camera,
just like the more expensive Pixel 3.
The Pixel 3a has a 12.2-megapixel camera
that comes with the same features
as Google's more expensive phone.
This includes Google's Night Sight feature,
which takes really good photos in low-light conditions.
When I was out with a group of friends,
I took a picture with both phones in a dim bar,
and the difference was astronomical
between the iPhone and Google's Pixel phone.
The photo I took in the bar was just so much brighter,
and the colors were a lot richer,
and it just captured more detail
than I could have with Apple's iPhone.
The iPhone XS Max has a 12-megapixel camera
that's also very good.
When I used the two phones side by side,
I noticed that they were both able
to take bright, crisp, colorful photos.
Although I did notice that the iPhone's pictures
were sometimes a bit brighter in daylight.
But the Pixel's photos took very, very sharp
details, which was very impressive
for a phone that's this cheap.
Both phones also support portrait mode,
although you'll notice that Apple's iPhone
has two cameras on the back,
whereas Google's only has one.
That's because the iPhone uses two camera lenses
to create that portrait-mode effect,
whereas Google's camera does it through software.
Both phones are capable of taking really great pictures
in portrait mode.
The photo I took with Apple's iPhone
looks slightly more natural than Google's,
although the portrait effect is much more noticeable
in Google's photo.
Which one is better will depend
on your preference.
One of the biggest differences
between these two phones is the build quality.
You'll notice Apple's iPhone is made
of glass and metal and has a very premium feel to it.
The Pixel 3a XL is made of a more lightweight
polycarbonate material.
This makes the Pixel 3a feel much more lightweight,
but it also has a little bit of a cheaper feel to it.
The iPhone, on the other hand, does feel more premium,
but it's also a bit heavier.
Another important difference between
these two phones is the screen.
You'll notice that the iPhone XS Max
has an edge-to-edge screen,
whereas Google's Pixel 3a still has bezels
on the top and bottom like some older phones
from previous years.
In everyday use, the screen quality was pretty similar
between the two phones, other than that design difference.
An important detail about Google's Pixel 3a
is that it still comes with an OLED screen,
whereas a lot of cheaper phones
come with LCD screens.
For a cheap phone,
the Pixel 3a XL performed pretty well
in everyday use.
I didn't notice much lagging
except for a couple of circumstances.
In one instance, for example,
I noticed that a game that I had been playing
was a bit laggy.
Although it was still playable,
it just didn't feel as buttery smooth
as it did on the iPhone.
That's because the Pixel 3a runs on
a lower-end processor,
while Apple's iPhone XS Max
comes with the company's top-of-the-line A12 Bionic chip.
The battery life on the Pixel 3a XL
was very impressive.
I was able to get through a full day of use
and then a half day after that
without having to plug the phone in.
That's usually the type of battery life
I would expect from a much more expensive phone.
While the Pixel 3a XL does not support wireless charging,
it does come with a fast charger in the box.
That's important because the iPhone currently
doesn't come with a fast charger.
It comes with the same 5-watt charger
that Apple has been selling with its iPhones
for years.
And of course,
the Pixel 3a comes with Google-specific features
that you can only get on the company's smartphones.
For example,
the Pixel 3a has a feature that lets you launch
the Google Assistant just by squeezing the bottom
of the phone.
Some people may find that useful,
but I honestly didn't really use it very much.
But it's just an example of how Google
is trying to differentiate its smartphone experience
from the rest.
One thing I tend to love about Android phones
in general, since a few phones have this feature,
is the always-on display.
That means that even when you turn the phone's screen off,
you can still see information
like the time and notifications.
I find this to be very useful,
and it's a feature that companies
like Google and Samsung have adopted
that Apple still has not brought to the iPhone.
Most of the Google-specific features,
as I mentioned earlier,
can be found in the device's camera.
But when it comes to Apple, if you're an Apple fan,
and you like to use Airpods often,
and you have an Apple watch,
your gonna miss that experience
by switching to Android.
That's one of the key features
that's kept me hooked into Apple's ecosystem.
You can use Airpods with Android phones,
but you won't get the same benefits that you get
from pairing them with an iPhone.
Other than that,
some of the key differences that you get
when you buy a more expensive phone
like the iPhone XS Max
are advanced features like wireless charging
and facial recognition.
Those two features are definitely appreciated,
and I love being able to just rest my iPhone
on my nightstand on its wireless charger
without having to fiddle with a cable.
But it's not necessarily worth paying
all of that extra money.
Also, with Apple's newest iPhones, you get Face ID,
which lets you unlock the phone just by looking at it.
The Pixel 3a does not have this feature,
although it does have a fingerprint sensor
on the back of the phone.
The fingerprint sensor worked
pretty reliably in my experience.
There were a couple of times
where it would ask me to
swipe my finger again,
but that also happens with Face ID occasionally.
I don't always unlock the phone
immediately when I look at it.
The Pixel 3a is a great phone for those
who maybe have a phone that's a year or two old,
and they're looking to upgrade,
but they don't want to pay $1,000.
Smartphones are getting more expensive than ever
with new models from Samsung, Apple, and even Google
with its more premium phones costing nearly $1,000.
This is a great option for Android fans
that want to upgrade and really care about
camera quality and display quality and battery life
but don't necessarily want to chalk up
the extra, you know, $500
for the top-of-the-line smartphone
that has high-end features like
facial recognition and wireless charging.