Rumor has it that Google is going to officially unveil the Google Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL on May 7th. And if you believe a random redditor who claims to work at a Verizon Store, they could be available for purchase at around the same time.

They’re expected to be cheaper than the flagship phones Google launched in October, with less impressive displays and less powerful processors… but the same excellent cameras.

A series of leaks in recent months have given us a pretty good idea of what to expect. But one thing that’s remained a mystery is a pricing.

Update: Oh look, here’s another leak, courtesy of Droid Life, that confirms some of the phones camera features, battery specs, and more

Now YouTube channel This is Tech Today claims to have the US pricing: $399 and up. We should know if that’s accurate next week… but it got me wondering — what do you think would be a fair price for a mid-range Pixel phone?

Keep in mind, Google hasn’t even officially acknowledged that the Pixel 3a exists, let alone the pricing. But $399 seems about right to me.

The Pixel 3a is not a flagship phone, but it’s not an entry-level device either. The Pixel 3a is expected to have a 5.6 inch, 2220 x 1080 pixel display, 4GB of RAM, at least 64GB of storage, and a mid-range processor (possibly the Qualcomm Snapdragon 670 chip). It’s also expected to support 18 watt fast charging, Google’s Active Edge features (which let you squeeze the phone to activated Google Assistant), and one of the best cameras available on a smartphone today.

Perhaps most importantly for some users, it should receive software and security updates delivered directly from Google for at least a few years.

But Google is reportedly cutting some corners. The phone is said to have a plastic body. It has bottom-facing speakers. And it has bigger bezels and a lower resolution display than a Pixel 3

We don’t know as much about the Pixel 3a XL, but it’s expected to have a 6 inch display.

According to This is Tech Today, here’s how much the entry-level models of each phone will cost in the United States:

  • Pixel 3a with 64GB – $399
  • Pixel 3a XL with 64GB – $479

Both models should also be available with 128GB if you’re looking for more storage. It’s unlikely that you’ll be able to add your own storage after buying the phone — Google stopped offering Nexus and Pixel phones with microSD card readers years ago.

One thing that the Pixel 3a is said to have though, is a headphone jack… something that’s been missing from the last few high-end Pixel phones.

via 9to5Google

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17 replies on “How much would you pay for a Google Pixel 3a?”

  1. I like the price point. Thats how much a decent phone would cost. And I agree about the camera bit – once I got used to the Pixel 2 XL camera – I just cant digest having a lower quality camera. I would rather not take a photo and just watch with my eyes.

  2. BRING BACK PLASTIC
    Not just because it’s cheaper: because it’s better. Better than fragile glass. And a hard glossy polycarbonate shell can be very sexy.

    1. The more flexible plastic on the Nokia 735 was even better than polycarbonate. It also meant you didn’t need a case.

      1. I prefer a Matte Aerospace-grade Polycarbonate, like the Nokia 930.
        Even better is Scratch-resistant 7000-series Aluminium, like OnePlus 5.

        And the best construction material is a Ballistic style Kevlar back, joined to a Titanium Alloy internal-sideframe, connected to a Silicone-cushion of a flat display made of proper Sapphire Crystal.

  4. 300$ seems like a reasonable way to enter market – if the camera is great and mics finally record in decent stereo.
    Plastic body and headphone jack are great, too bad they forgot to add SD card. If the camera is decent no SD card is just rubbish.
    If you consider good will Google is bleeding time and time again, they can’t expect a lot of people would care if they try to make it “premium”.

  5. I didn’t jump on the regular Pixel 3 deal a week or two ago for the same $399 price, so I don’t think I could justify the 3a at the same price. I suspect it will be that pricing, but perhaps get to $299 in a 2-3 months when on sale.

    The Moto G6 and X4 still seem hard to beat when they are $120-140 at Amazon if the very best camera isn’t necessary. That’s the sweet spot for me.

    1. I agree entirely. I recently bought a Moto X4 with Android One for $150 and I’m very happy with it. It does everything I need, as well as I need. I have better things to spend my money on than a few more pixels, apps that open a few milliseconds faster, or slightly better pictures when the ones I have are more than good enough and I use Google Photos to store them at a lower resolution anyways (I know there is more to a good picture than just the number of pixels but I’m very happy with every picture I have taken with this phone). I don’t expect I’ll ever spend more than $200-$300, probably not even that. As long as I can be this happy with a $150 phone, that is where I’ll be.

      1. You might want to look at Nokia too. Another Android One phone supplier that has budget phones that are well built.

        1. Yes, I did look at Nokia and I really like their phones. I just needed something right away and found a good deal on a phone that I really liked. Nokia is definitely one of the first Android phone manufacturers I looked at though and I’ll continue to watch them in the future as well.

    2. Absolutely, when it comes to budget phones Moto is the one to watch. They usually debut phones in the $199, $249, $299, price points. This is where Google should target. I think anything between $299 and $399 and they’ll be successful, especially since they blow it out of the water with the camera and updates.

  6. If the camera’s photos and videos are significantly better than budget phones, they could have a winning product here.

    1. My thoughts until I saw the SD card was missing. It is almost as if there is a conspiracy not to sell my ideal phone.
      Flagships have a lot of bad features such as curved screens and glass backs that I would love to avoid.

      1. Fully agree with you. With top-tier 128GB mciro SD cards selling for $20, no phone in 2020 should be sold without 128GB. Selling a $400 phone without 128GB flash would be a seriously bad move for Google.

        1. Even 128GB isn’t enough if you want all your photos, music collection etc. actually on the device.

    2. The camera is largely what sold me on my Pixel 2. After using the Nexus 5X camera, I couldn’t buy a phone that took inferior photos.

      The Pixel 3a seems like the spiritual successor to the Nexus 5X… if Google keeps offering mid-range models, by the time I’m ready to let go of my Pixel 2 maybe I’ll be able to buy a 4a or 5a.

      1. I hope Pixel 3a is not Nexus 5x boot loop all over again. Snapdragon 670 sounds like another low-volume SOC where it doesn’t go through the vigorous manufacturing review that the flagship SOCs do. I believe that was the issue with Snapdragon 808.

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