Welcome to Android Central! I just got a refurbished 3a XL because my beloved 3 XL died, and I wanted a cheap Pixel to tide me over until the Pixel 6 comes out. I haven't started using it as my daily driver just yet because I'm waiting for the case I ordered to arrive (currently using a Galaxy A32 5G), but I've been playing around with it a fair amount to set it up, and it's quite good. Performance is almost the same as my old 3 XL -- maybe a couple of minor stutters here and there, but not sluggish at all. I haven't tried games yet, but I would expect them to work just fine. Sound is surprisingly good, and it's stereo. And of course, it's essentially the same Pixel camera, which is the best thing about the phone.
If you're looking at a refurbished unit, then one word of caution -- check the display before you buy it, if possible. This is a minor issue for me, but I noticed that my refurb unit has some subtle vertical shaded stripes, noticeable only when the screen is bright white. I also noticed the same on the refurb 3a XL I got for my parents a few months ago (both from the same site, Daily Steals). It's not enough to bother me, especially with the price (I got mine for a measly $88), but it makes me think that perhaps there was as batch of 3a XL (and therefore possible 3a) phones that had a slightly defective screen, which people returned, and then got refurbished.
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