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The Pixel 3A XL.
Ron Amadeo
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The back is plastic, with shiny hard plastic on top and soft-touch plastic underneath.
Ron Amadeo
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A headphone jack!
Ron Amadeo
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A speaker and a USB-C port on the bottom.
Ron Amadeo
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The list of pre-installed apps is very small.
Ron Amadeo
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After the black and white colors is “Purple-ish”, which looks like this in real life. It is basically a different temperature from “white”.
Google no longer sells cheap phones. At least, that’s the temporary situation the company finds itself in now, thanks to the (probably planned) disruption of the Pixel 3a and the (definitely unplanned) delays of its successor, the Pixel 4a. 9to5Google first noticed that the phone was pulled from the Google Store yesterday, and Google confirmed to various outlets that the phone is no longer officially for sale.
Google was supposed to have a replacement for now. Google’s new cheap phone, the Pixel 4a, was expected to be announced on Google I / O 2020, the same show that launched the Pixel 3a. That would have happened in May, and while the coronavirus pandemic ended Google I / O and any other public gatherings, that still doesn’t explain why it’s July now and the Pixel 4a is still missing. Google may have COVID-related supply issues, but other manufacturers such as HTC, Motorola, and Huawei have had recent releases.
The Pixel 3a launched in May 2019 and was a real treat for the crowd. After killing the Nexus line and only selling expensive Pixel phones for years, Google returned to the budget market with the $ 400 device. The cheapest phone had the same cool camera as the more expensive Pixel 3, and the same great version of Google-Android with a three-year update plan. There were only small budget concessions, like a slightly slower SoC and a plastic body, but neither was a major disadvantage. Google’s cheap phone was perhaps too good (or maybe expensive phones weren’t good enough) – there wasn’t much reason to choose a Pixel 3 or 4 more expensive than a Pixel 3a.
From what we have seen of the Pixel 4a, it seems that the phone will be one of the best options for a cheap Android phone. In the broader market, the Pixel 4a will face tougher competition than ever in the form of Apple’s iPhone SE. The Pixel 4a will have no chance of performance: Apple’s $ 400 phone is faster than even the most expensive Android phones. The Pixel 4a will have to rely on a bigger screen and a more modern design. In the Android market, you’ll also have to battle OnePlus’s next mid-range device, the so-called “OnePlus Nord,” which will launch sometime this month.
While the phone is no longer for sale, the Pixel 3a will continue to receive software updates. The end of the life of the software support is scheduled for May 2022.
