Pixel 3a

[Guest]

*TL;DR LOCATED AT BOTTOM*

 

I purchased the Pixel 3a in its launch month (May), and it has been my daily driver ever since. I consider a little over three months to be past the 'honeymoon' phase; we all know new phones generally perform well, especially in the area of battery life and the true test of any phone is longevity. But within those first few months, you learn the phone's quirks and start to notice the little things that either you love or hate as you use it day after day. Those observations might be helpful for other people. With that said, here is my review of this device. I break down the device into different categories which I think are most important when deciding what kind of phone to get, and I hope someone finds this useful. I rate the phone out of 10 for quick reference in each category if one doesn't wish to read everything I have to say. 

 

My Usage

I'm generally considered a light user. I do not game or do anything related to social media (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc.) In fact, the first thing I do with any new phone is access the apps list and disable just about everything I can such as Facebook.. My main use for this device is for phone calls, texting, Skype, Netflix/Youtube, banking, GPS (Maps), and checking the weather. Bluetooth and WiFi are set to always on while NFC is disabled. I charge my phone every night and am using the original charger with a third party cable. I have an Otterbox case with a film protector from Armor Suit installed. As of this writing, I'm using Android 10 with the September 5th security patch level installed.

 

Build Quality 9/10

The elephant in the room is that yes, this phone is mainly plastic. Having owned glass-backed phones in the past, I can tell you that this is in no way a con. It still feels very well put together and solidly built. Plastic is more durable than glass and won't shatter as easily; scuffs can still occur however which is why I use a case. But overall it's extremely lightweight and just feels good in my hands. After watching tear down videos for this phone, I also like the fact that most of it is very modular to make repairing easier. I do wish there was some water/dust resistance, even if it was just IP67, but alas there is no official rating.

 

DIsplay 10/10

This panel is excellent. The colors are accurate, viewing angles are great and the size is just perfect. In today's world bezels seem to be the enemy but I like a little forehead and chin (the G6 in my opinion nailed this design perfectly). The Pixel's bezels are slight and doesn't detract from the overall design. Touch reception has been accurate and brightness levels are acceptable.

 

Camera 10/10'

I rarely use the camera so take my opinion in this area with a grain of salt. I've taken some photos at night with Google's Night Sight and they've come out excellent, and just about every other photo I've taken has been sharp and colorful. Mainly I take pictures of my cats or the occasional family photo. When searching for a phone this is the area I consider the least; hell if a phone didn't have a camera I'd be okay with it.

 

Battery Life 9/10

As I mentioned before, batteries in the beginning are usually quite good so it's hard to really gauge how well this battery will perform. But, based on what I've seen so far it looks good. I work third shift so I usually unplug my phone around 11am, and it doesn't get charged until about 6am the following day. I end the day typically around 30-50 percent charge left. And this is with fairly constant use, with texts and phone calls being made steadily throughout the day with streaming in between. I haven't needed to top off during the day, at least not yet. A heavier user might not be able to get through an entire day however, it is only 3000mAH after all. I long for the days of removable batteries which would have made this one perfect, but I don't think those are ever coming back. Still, it's solid enough for my use.

 

Connectivity 10/10

I live in the Midwest of the United States in a medium sized city. I utilize Google Fi as my phone carrier which can use towers from T-Mobile, Sprint and US Cellular. Call quality has been quite exceptional for both sides of the conversation. WiFi and Bluetooth has been consistent and stable. I use the phone and WiFi very heavily for work, so it's refreshing to see a phone that can actually be used as a phone when the situation calls for it. It also has tons of bands for a multitude of connections across many different spectrums.

 

User Interface 9/10

I don't mean to be dramatic or anything, but I don't think I'll ever use a third party interface for Android ever again. Don't get me wrong, sometimes other manufacturers do add some things to stock Android that are beneficial. But most of the time, it comes off as overly polished or gimmicky (LG, I'm looking at you). Google's approach to their own software is minimalist, straight forward, intuitive and 'clean'. It's like they give you the essentials and stripped away everything else. My apps haven't crashed, the UI hasn't frozen and everything just works.

 

Audio 10/10

Using speakerphone is loud and clear, streaming video fires from one of the downward facing speakers as well as the earpiece, simulating stereo speakers. They get pretty loud and don't sound tinny. The headphone jack is a nice touch as I do utilize it quite a lot; there have been reports of hissing or static when the jack is in use but I haven't noticed anything of the sort on my device.

 

Misc (Random Observations)

The side buttons are tactile and responsive. Fingerprint reader works one hundred percent of the time and is very fast. Charge time is quick; I can go from almost dead to one hundred percent in less than an hour. The adaptive brightness is acceptable and I haven't had to really adjust it. I have fairly small hands so the size of the regular 3a is perfect for one handed use. I think it's specific to Pixel phones, but Google has the ability to basically have caller ID and screen spam calls without an added cost.   

 

 

 

TL;DR

If you need a phone that'll do the job of a phone without all the extras, then consider the Pixel 3a. It has software support for several years, a pure stock Android experience, and the added security of being first in line for patches. It's not without it's faults, but in the grand scheme of things it's a helluva device that gets the job done without all the fluff. I would not, however, recommend this for heavy users - the battery just won't be able to keep up. The XL version might but definitely not the regular version. For the price, I feel like it's a good option for the majority of people who just want a phone that works.

[jiyeon]

It's a great testament to the Pixel 3A that you've rated it so highly, it's always been a great device on paper.

 

What would you rate the bang for buck value of the Pixel 3A? How much did you pay for it?

[Guest]

10 hours ago, sowon said:

It's a great testament to the Pixel 3A that you've rated it so highly, it's always been a great device on paper.

 

What would you rate the bang for buck value of the Pixel 3A? How much did you pay for it?

I paid $399 for it, full retail price. Considering what you get I think the value is pretty good, but that'll depend on what you place emphasis on. There are other phones out there for the same price or less that have features like wireless charging, IP68, bigger battery, etc. But my main need was support and speedy updates, along with a pure Android experience. So for me, the Pixel had the value for my money but that might not be true for all parties.