Google Pixel 3a

Ever since Google dipped its toe into the smartphone industry since 2007, it has been making very good android phones that are both affordable and value for money. While initially partnering with HTC to create the initial Google-software smartphones, the brand evolved over time to be a purely Google phone developer. Initial Google phones such as the HTC/T-Mobile G1 (2008), HTC Magic/Google Ion (2009), Motorola Droid (2009) and many more caused serious competition for the then hot item, iPhone, and set a great prerequisite for current smartphones. More recently, the Google Play system may have accidentally revealed the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL specifications and release date by accident. That is what we seek to discuss within this post.

The first leak of the Pixel 3a phone was spotted by a Reddit user and confirmed by Google support. The Google Play Developer Console, which is an open-ended software that allows any developer to add to it, saw the entries ‘sargo’ and ‘bonito’ added onto the console. In the Play Developer Console, android programmers get to create applications and decide various aspects about them such as whether they would let their apps work on certain devices. On Google’s side, they provide device specifications so that the developers can select the devices without necessarily having to have the devices on hand for testing purposes. The entries were then assumed to be the phones code names, based on previous leaks and the display sizes noted. The Pixel 3a phone will have a 5.6-inch display with a 1,080 x 2,220 resolution, 4 GB of RAM, and Open GL ES 3.2 support and run on Android 9 Pie out of the box. A trusted tech leak site, 9to5Google, was able to get the Pixel 3a in March and confirmed these specifications as well as an OLED screen, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 670 OS, an eight-megapixel wide-angle front camera, a 12-megapixel rear camera, and a 3,000 mAh battery. These are clearly impressive specifications which promise a whole new experience especially with the new Snapdragon OS. Its predecessor, the Pixel 3 uses a faster Snapdragon 845 processor, which could mean the 3a might not be completely cut out for such intensive gaming but is still fast enough to get everything done efficiently. In terms of the release date, there is much speculation that the Pixel 3a will be released some time in the middle of the year possibly before October. This is because the leak had the tag line ‘Pixel_2019_Midyear_Experience,’ which could only mean it will be released sometime in the midyear portion. The Google Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL are set to be some of the biggest phone news of 2019. These phones are to compete with the budget-premium models such as the OnePlus 6T and Samsung Galaxy S10e. They are considered budget premium models since they offer fair specifications, while still maintaining the same top-drawer technology. The Pixel 3a for instance, is considered to pack some of the best cameras on the market and is still a mid-range phone.

There’s no word on price, but considering its mid-range status, it should cost somewhere between $550-$650. Google’s upcoming, I/O developer conference is coming up in May and it is during this time that many presume the phone will be debuted. The event brings together developers from all over the world for talks, hands-on learning with Google experts, and a firsthand look at Google’s latest developer products. Google’s marketing strategy for this event is usually top notch, with this year being a puzzle which was released on their twitter page. The event markets and showcases the brand’s latest developments and smartphones. For instance, last year’s event discussed and upgraded Google Assistant, Android, Google Maps and AR. This year’s event is pegged to officially release the new Pixel phones and all we can do is wait. Google has over time worked to improve and develop their offerings. With the Pixel 3a and 3a XL, the phones seek to be affordable improvements on their predecessors- Pixel 3 and XL. Their mid-range status means that the phones will be both value for money and affordable. The Pixel range still boasts some of the best cameras on the market right now, and with the Pixel 3a, the use of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 670 OS promises a fast, sleek smartphone with the camera of a more expensive phone. The I/O event this year, is posited to be the ideal marketing event for the Pixel 3a phone- an event many are looking forward to. We will continue to keep our eyes and ears peeled for this official release.