281–290 of 601 posts
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I didn't own one but the Pixel 3a is pretty disappointing on paper. It has lower specs than the Pixel 2.
You are not comparing apples to apples. Pixel 2 was a flagship $700 phone while Pixel 3a is a midrange phone half of that price.
Why can't Google sort out its global distribution? The Pixel phones have only ever been (officially) available in a handful of countries and this one is no different: "Australia, Canada, France, Germany, India (coming soon), Ireland, Italy, Japan, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan, United Kingdom, United States".
Even in countries were Pixel phones are distributed, they are "hard" to get. Google is doing something wrong. I don't know anybody who owns a Pixel phone, despite Android market share being something like 70% here in Germany. It's all Samsung, OnePlus, Huawei, Oppo
- The pricing for their flagship models made absolutely no sense given the specs, poor battery life and questionable QA.
- Samsung and the big Chinese manufacturers advertise everywhere, you can get their phones at the shop around the corner. At least now in Germany you can find the Pixels at Saturn and Mediamarkt (and often at a discount).
- Most people don't care about software updates. They might notice the custom Samsung UI and be annoyed by pre-installed bloatware, but they won't know which version of Android the phone is running, let alone its latest security patch. Even a 200€ phone will get Google Play services updates and be able to install almost anything for 5+ years.
So in the end, you see Pixels in the US where Google does advertise them a bit, and also because there are still a lot of people who get subsidized phones from their carriers (or Google Fi for that matter).
But yeah in Europe... I do remember people getting the Nexus 4, 5, the 5X once it got cheaper. But the Pixel 1/2/3/4, not so much. The 3a has probably done better lately as resellers tried to get rid of their stock, I think I've seen it sold as low as 239€.
I think it's good if Google goes back to mid-range models. I don't think they'll ever be able to make a good flagship. But I really wonder why they aren't trying harder (or at all, in most countries). For now Android One phones are lagging behind in the camera department, but I cannot believe it'll be the case forever. Once Nokia has caught up, what's going to be left to overpriced Pixels?
I think it's weird to include the SE on that list. iOS seems like a great choice for a "clean" OS and the SE's camera, while not the highest end or with several sensors, is pretty great. A better emphasis would be storage and RAM which is pretty incredible and the inclusion of a headphone jack.
Wireless charging is pretty much a necessity for me at this point. It's not an expensive or bulky technology (I can get an adapter that fits under a case for $15), it really bothers me that they keep this feature gated behind the flagship price.
Actually, is wireless charger worth it? You still have to keep the phone on the charging pad, which is similar to keeping the phone connected to a charger cable. Next, I can easily hold and continue using the device when it is connected to the USB cable. But you can't do that when placed on a wireless charging pad, right? I will never call it "truly wireless charging" until it is a technology that charges my phone "w…
Same for if you're working at a desk you can just set it down on the charger when you're not using it 95% of the time.
The Oneplus Nord is still a better phone for the same price. If you can wait for the 7T to drop in price when the new Oneplus is released this year you will get an incredible phone compared to the Pixel 4a at close to the same price. IMO Oneplus still makes the best Android phone at the best price/value point. Disregard the prices at gsmarena, they can be found for much less. https://www.gsmarena.com/compare.php3?idP…
Does the OnePlus Nord or 7T have a headphone jack? (No, they don't, and it's been a dealbreaker for me for several generations. That plus low price plus stock android is the attraction of the pixel 3a and 4a for me.) All that said, I'm happy using a Samsung phone - manufactured in Vietnam, has a headphone jack and sdcard slot, minimal bloatware, cheap.
But if you find the headphone jack the most important feature for a phone then the Oneplus is not for you,.
Interestingly enough, you might try to find a cheap Oneplus 5T from 2017 which is still a better phone than the 4a in 2020 and I think it was cheaper on release.
Google isn't really current when it comes to hardware.
This is an awesome phone at $350. I currently have the Pixel 4, but if this was available when I was making my purchase decision, I'd probably have gone with it. That said, the Pixel line of phones isn't known for having long lasting battery. A feature that I've found to be indispensable is wireless charging. I just rest my Pixel 4 on a vertical charging base throughout the day. Otherwise, I'd have to have to constan…
I'm not a huge Apple fanboy by any measure, but one thing I do appreciate is that they consider wireless charging to be a table stakes feature, and include it even in their "budget" phones. They clearly understand how dramatically it elevates the user experience. Compare that to every Android manufacturer who either don't offer wireless charging at all or gate it to flagships, it's a really sad state of affairs for s…
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They don’t come in the box anymore, but are fairly affordable at $9. Also, they’re quite effective devices: https://www.kenrockwell.com/apple/lightning-adapter-audio-qu...
They aren't durable in my experience though. Although most apple cords have issues with the connection "neck" (not sure of the actual nomenclature).
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I bought a Pixel 3A a few months ago and my battery lasts 2 days without charging it. I use it for regular browsing, Instagram, twitter, and it is constantly using networks because I have Whatsapp always on on my computer.
I've been wondering for years what the hell people were doing with their phones to make them run out of battery in a day. I can't remember the last time any phone I've had got below 50% on a day with normal usage. I guess people play a lot of mobile games?
My pixel 3a is by far the best phone I have ever owned (across both iOS and Android). Comparing the 4a to this it looks like a bunch of solid incremental improvements across the board. Huge fan of basically everything here. Price, screen size, phone size. Battery size could be a touch bigger, as my 3a has the best battery life I just wish for about 10% more for edge cases.
I didn't own one but the Pixel 3a is pretty disappointing on paper. It has lower specs than the Pixel 2.