Google Pixel 3a XL

The Google Pixel 3a XL is an affordable alternative to the Pixel 3 XL. It is bigger in size than a Pixel 3a and promises the same Google Pixel experience at a relatively affordable price point of Rs. 44,999.

The Pixel 3a XL sports a 6-inch OLED display with full-HD+ resolution and an 18:9 aspect ratio. Thankfully, it does not have a huge notch which the Pixel 3 XL was criticised for. The display has three colour profiles which help change the output of the display. It has good viewing angles and punchy contrast. The Pixel 3a XL gets stereo speakers as well but these aren’t front firing like the Pixel 3 XL. The stereo speakers produce a good output but sound tinny at full volume.

Compared to the Pixel 3a, the Pixel 3a XL is bigger in size and might not be very comfortable for everyone to use. Im terms of connectivity, it has a single Nano-SIM slot but offers dual-SIM functionality via an E-SIM. You can take full advantage of the E-SIM if your carrier supports this functionality. It also gets a 3.5mm headphone jack which has been missing on Pixel devices since the Pixel 2.

Google has opted for a mid-range Qualcomm Snapdragon 670 SoC which is an octa-core chip. The Pixel 3a XL comes in one variant only, offering 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage which isn’t expandable. However, Google does offer unlimited photo storage at compressed resolution.

Being a Pixel smartphone, it runs stock Android Pie with some of Google’s customisation on top. Pixel devices are known to get timely software and security updates. With the Pixel 3a XL Google promises 3 years of guaranteed software support. The smartphone offers a good user experience and we did not notice any lag or stutter during our usage.

The primary camera is a 12.2-megapixel Sony IMX363 sensor just like the Pixel 3. At the front, it has a single 8-megapixel selfie shooter. It gets most of the camera features of the Pixel 3 like Night Sight, Super Res Zoom and Playground. The camera performance is very good and the Pixel 3a XL manages to deliver crisp shots in most lighting conditions.

Google has equipped the Pixel 3a XL with a 3700mAh battery that helps it offer good battery life. The search giant also includes an 18W Type-C charger in the box that helps charge the Pixel 3a XL quickly. We could go on for over a day and a half once the Pixel 3a XL was fully charged.

For the launch price of Rs. 44,999 the Pixel 3a XL feels expensive for what it offers. Some of the competitors offer more powerful hardware for lower prices. But if you want the best camera performance under Rs. 50,000, the Pixel 3a XL delivers on that front.