Google is set to launch its budget devices -Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL -at Google I/O 2019, in Mountain View, US. The Pixel budget line came into existence after the search giant openly admitted that it is facing problems with selling its premium Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL phones owing to the competition at the top segment of the market. The premium Pixel phones were also not able to penetrate the price-sensitive markets like India. Now, with Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL, Google is trying to get round the price barrier and offer the premium Pixel experience to a wider audience but is it possible for Google to be a serious mid-range player? The answer is yes, because of the following reasons.
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Pixel Camera: Pixel phones offer the best camera experience, period. No other smartphone major has the answer to Google's computational and machine learning based photography. Google is bringing the flagship level of photography experience to its mid-range Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL. Google's Pixel Visual Core chip is also coming to Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL to enhance the output. It, therefore, means that the Pixel 3a and its sibling would arguably have the best camera in the budget segment.
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Clean, vanilla Android OS with timely updates: One thing that Pixel phones guarantee is that they will be the first smartphones to receive the Android OS updates and security patches. A clean Android OS without a skin on-top is something any smartphone lover will want, and Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL will offer just that.
Mid-range processor with superior performance: Pixel 3a is expected to be driven by Snapdragon 670 and Pixel 3a XL is tipped to run on Snapdragon 710 Soc. Both of the chips are in no way comparable to Snapdragon 800-series chips but with Google customisation, these chips would be more than enough for the regular users and casual gamers. Snapdragon 670 also comes with a superior GPU in the form of Adreno 615.
Price: The price of Pixel 3a will be roughly around Rs 27,000 and Pixel 3a XL will be available for approximately Rs 33,000. At this price point, any Google phone will be a great buy considering the features and the imaging capabilities.
Headphone jack: Having a headphone jack on the phone might not be such a big deal in 2019's wireless era, but for most budget smartphone buyers, especially in India, it is a must-have. Pixel 3a duo are rumoured to retain the 3.5mm headphone jack.
Edited By: Udit Verma
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