The Pixel 3a XL is a cheaper version of the 3 XL. But is it a better deal? Here’s how Google has lowered the price, and whether the compromises are worth it.
As you probably know, the XL version of the Pixel 3 is the same as the regular one, save for its screen size. It’s the same with the new Pixel 3a and 3a XL: they differ in only their size but have the same set of features.
Oddly, where the Pixel 3a has a larger screen than the 3, the Pixel 3a XL has a smaller display than the older phone.
This means there’s only a 0.4in (10mm) difference between the 3a and 3a XL. Another oddity is that the aspect ratio goes from 18.5:9 on the 3 XL’s screen to 18:9 on the 3a XL. It’s the opposite for the smaller versions of each phone.
More importantly, the resolution is just 2160×1080 on the 3a XL, whereas the 3 XL had a 1440p screen with a large notch at the top. That’s gone on the 3a XL, leaving rather thick bezels top and bottom.
(Read our full reviews of Pixel 3 XL and Pixel 3a XL)
You can buy the Pixel 3a XL from Google for £469 / $479. Google says it’s around half the price of a flagship phone, and if you buy a Pixel 3 XL from Google you’ll pay at least £869 / $899, and that’s for the 64GB model.
Of course, since its launch prices have tumbled elsewhere and you’ll find a 3 XL available from John Lewis, for example, for £619.
That’s still a good chunk more than the Pixel 3a XL, though.
There are a few key design changes in the 3a XL which make it both cheaper and also simply different to the 3 XL. We’ve talked about the screen already: there’s no notch and a lower resolution. It’s still OLED though, so you get the same always-on display showing the time and the name of any song playing nearby.
There’s still stereo sound on the new phone, but the bottom speaker isn’t in the front bezel any longer: it’s in the bottom edge.
