Google Pixel 3a XL deals

Release date and price

Google’s new Pixel 3a and 3a XL were released on 8 May. The range is intended to be a wallet-friendly version of the Pixel 3 and 3 XL, and the 3a XL checks in at around £469 – compared to the £869 price tag of its predecessor.

Design

Like the 3a, the Pixel 3a XL is very similar to the 3 and 3 XL – almost identical but for the top and bottom bezel on the front of the handset, and the sensor between the camera and flash on the rear. The phone also sees the return of the headphone jack, which was absent from the upmarket edition.

The Pixel 3a XL comes in three colours: Just Black, Clearly White, and Purple – a very subtle shade of purple. The white and purple versions have orange and green power buttons on the side, but the black edition gets a black button.

In terms of overall size the 3a XL is slightly taller and thicker than the 3 XL, though the screen is slightly smaller due to the 3 XL’s lack of bezels. The OLED panel measures at 6 inches, offering a full HD+ 2160x1080 resolution, 402ppi pixel density, and an 18:9 aspect ratio.

The handset weighs in at 167g, and some users may find that the polycarbonate shell doesn’t have the ‘premium’ feel that steel and glass usually offer.

Features

The phone has a fingerprint scanner on the rear, offering better security for unlocking your handset as well as using Google Pay.

The Pixel 3a and 3a XL’s headlining feature is its rear camera – it uses the same hardware found in the Pixel 3 and 3 XL. That means a 12.2MP f/1.8 dual pixel Sony sensor that offers autofocus, HDR+, and both optical and electronic image stabilisation.

The phone also comes with Night Sight mode, which helps out with photos in low light situations – however as there’s no Pixel Visual Core and a mid-range chip set, the 3a XL doesn’t have quite the same image processing power.

The 3a XL’s front camera only sports a single 8MP lens, rather than the dual set up in the 3 XL – though it has an interesting feature where it can detect a ‘pout’ and automatically takes a photo.

Tech specs

Google have claimed that the 3,700mAh battery in the Pixel 3a XL can last up to 30 hours with Adaptive Battery enabled – a feature that learns about your habits and adjusts its power allocation accordingly.

The mid-range chip set mentioned earlier is the Snapdragon 670, while the handset sports 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage – unfortunately there is no microSD slot to expand the storage.

Compare mobile phone tariffs

If you’re thinking about a new Pixel 3a XL or another new phone, comparing tariffs with MoneySuperMarket is the easiest way to find the best available tariffs. Simply choose which handset you want as well as the minutes, texts, and data requirements you have, and we’ll show you the best matching tariffs.

You’ll be able to compare them by the cost of line rental, up-front costs, and any freebies or incentives included in the deal. Once you’ve found the one you want, just click through to the provider to wrap the deal up.

Pixel 3a XL specs