Anyone else feel kind of cheated by Google?

[uw]

Re: Pixel 3A/XL price rant

Comparing to two year old devices doesn't make sense, it's essentially a better device than those devices in many ways, too similar in most and only inferior in things like water resistance and display. None of those devices are in the same product category and none of them can come close to offering a Pixel type of experience.

Why wouldn't you compare it a 2 year old flagship devise? The price is similar and an older flagship still offers more features than the 3a. I would not call the 3a a better device simply based on a camera and OS updates. If a person wants the vanilla, pixel experience, then yes, 3a might make sense. For many, they seem to like the skins OEM offers. An older flagship with great camera, great screen, water resistance and better build would be more tempting than a one trick pony like the 3a.

 

[mogelijk]

Re: Pixel 3A/XL price rant

Why wouldn't you compare it a 2 year old flagship devise? The price is similar and an older flagship still offers more features than the 3a. I would not call the 3a a better device simply based on a camera and OS updates. If a person wants the vanilla, pixel experience, then yes, 3a might make sense. For many, they seem to like the skins OEM offers. An older flagship with great camera, great screen, water resistance and better build would be more tempting than a one trick pony like the 3a.

And if you prefer the 2 year old flagship, that is fine. Thought, to be honest, the older flagship has a lesser camera, a good screen (maybe slightly better than the 3A, due to higher resolution, but maybe not as bright), etc. You also are going to be stuck, at least without a mod, on Android Oreo and likely going to get few, if any, software and security updates to the OS. You also have older radios (likely missing some of the bands now being used on carriers), older Bluetooth standards, etc. Not to mention, likely fairly equal performance, but the processor on the older flagship using more battery.

The fact is, at least in the US (can't speak to other countries), that the Pixel 3A appears to be priced in the right range. Yes, you may prefer other phones and chose another but that does not mean that the Pixel is overpriced, just that you prefer the features of the other phone more than the features the Pixel 3A offers.

And, again, most of the "comparison" posts here try to compare the cheapest price they can find another phone for (ignoring what requirements there are to get that price) without comparing the cheapest price for the 3A. If we want to compare the "cheapest" price for the 3A, that would be "free" (with activation and trade on T-Mobile).

 

[Itsa_Me_Mario]

Re: Pixel 3A/XL price rant

Why wouldn't you compare it a 2 year old flagship devise? The price is similar and an older flagship still offers more features than the 3a. I would not call the 3a a better device simply based on a camera and OS updates. If a person wants the vanilla, pixel experience, then yes, 3a might make sense. For many, they seem to like the skins OEM offers. An older flagship with great camera, great screen, water resistance and better build would be more tempting than a one trick pony like the 3a.

Flagships are different than mid-rangers which are different than budget phones. It's a different product category.

As an example, my personal PC is roughly $5,000 - $6,000 all in, for the original purchase plus upgrades to it. It's about 2 years old, and obviously outperforms literally every PC out there that isn't also a top of the line rig. Even ones that are brand new. 5 years from now, it's probably still going to outperform almost all non-gaming laptops and desktops, despite what we know is coming with new CPU and GPU architecture, etc. because it's built for a different purpose than off-the-shelf options.

Bringing it back to smartphones, Samsung's displays from 2 years ago are barely distinguishable from the current generation - the differences cannot be detected by the naked human eye. The display costs approximately $80 on the S9+. I don't know how much the 3a display costs Google yet, but I do know that the cheapest displays on the market go for under $10, so it's probably between $10 and $80. An $80+ display is always going to look better than a $10 from similar generations, which is always going to look worse than a $40 display, etc. Ergo, the S8 display is always going to look better than the display on a much cheaper device. Expecting equivalency is unrealistic. The same follows for processors, excluding major jumps, and for many other components as well.

 

[Mike Dee]

Re: Pixel 3A/XL price rant

Why wouldn't you compare it a 2 year old flagship devise? The price is similar and an older flagship still offers more features than the 3a. I would not call the 3a a better device simply based on a camera and OS updates. If a person wants the vanilla, pixel experience, then yes, 3a might make sense. For many, they seem to like the skins OEM offers. An older flagship with great camera, great screen, water resistance and better build would be more tempting than a one trick pony like the 3a.

If you don't value updates and don't plan to keep a phone long than a 2 year old flagship might make sense to you. I have a feeling most people in the mid-range market like to keep their phones awhile so in that case it wouldn't make sense at all. There really is no right or wrong choice only the right choice for who you are.

 

[Martin_F]

Just bought a new camera last month. Now it is $300 off. That's just the way it is...

 

[Almeuit]

Merged some similar threads.

 

[Jeremy8000]

Re: Pixel 3A/XL price rant

Precisely my point. But this device is overpriced for a "non-flagship."

What is your definition of "non-flagship?"

If you're simply categorizing flagship vs non-flagship and then only looking at relative price, any device more expensive than the lowest-priced device is... overpriced.

Overpriced is generally considered an applicable term when a product delivers substandard value to what would normally be provided at its pricepoint. What makes up the net value of a device is a very personal and subjective thing. It's pretty self-evident that camera performance is one of the top considerations for phone users, and with the 3a / 3a XL having better cameras than anything else available even remotely close to its price, that makes it valuable. Add the guaranteed OS and security updates, lack of bloat-generated confusion to a general populace user, and very smooth and intuitive operation, and it's a compelling value for a very, very large demographic.

No, it's not as blazing fast as even some older flagships, but, if we take ourselves and other enthusiasts aside, the vast majority of people really won't care about nor notice - especially if they're not already coming from another flagship.

As to a number of the other exclusions present on the 3 and 3 XL, most of them are still generally luxuries reserved for flagships. The phone is designed to do the vast majority of what the vast majority of users will do and want to do on a regular basis smoothly and easily, and with very good execution.
The 3a and 3a XL weren't really designed as 'flagship killers,' though they, along with the competition other OEM's will as a result develop, may inadvertently become just that - or at least, the killer of a lot of flagship sales.

The 3a and 3a XL are, in effect, a revisitation on the industry of the Nexus 5. A value unsurpassed for most people (though not without competition) that, simply put, works, and while doing so does extend availability of one of the most sought after performance attributes - a leading camera - to a pricepoint at about 1/2 off where it had been available before (at least in USA).

Now if you don't value those items, you're not wrong, you just differ in opinion, and I can certainly respect that. But I would argue that for most people, if they are (in USA) willing to spend $400-$500 for a phone (and realistically far less given promotions, they would be remiss in not including the 3a and/or 3a XL in any consideration.

 

[Jeremy8000]

Adding on to what I wrote above, please consider one other important factor when assessing value. It's been stated many times in the past, end evidently, despite having again and again been proven true by many manufacturers, needs to be stated again.

The whole can be greater than the sum of its parts.

Looking solely at the spec list and believing that that will define what a phone can do and how well it can do it is often arriving at as deeply flawed a conclusion as assuming a movie's script determines the quality of a movie with no consideration to the value brought by the actors and director.

Nobody deepened the understanding of how important the software behind a phone's camera can be to its actual performance than Google. Google has repeated again and again that they are a software company building hardware - the same component set used by another OEM would almost certainly yield a far inferior product. What they bring in the integration of their AI and software prowess is what adds that intangible value that is so often overlooked.

I have not personally had any exposure to the 3a yet, but looking at solely the spec sheet I would probably come to the conclusion that at best it was a mediocre offering that pales in comparison to those specs detailed in some other offerings. But Google has never tried to make the hardware the best part of their phone (which also lends itself to their phones becoming more noticeably better over time with OS updates than those inprovements seen by other OEMs (when and if they do get OS updates).

 

[Itsa_Me_Mario]

This ^^

 

[emilioaponte]

Re: Pixel 3A/XL price rant

Does the pixel 3a still have a notification led and what the heck does "A" stand for ? anyone but@ Mike Dee can answer this lol

The A stands for affordable.

 

[mustang7757]

Re: Pixel 3A/XL price rant

The A stands for affordable.

Did you read that somewhere?

 

[emilioaponte]

Re: Pixel 3A/XL price rant

Did you read that somewhere?

Hello, I heard it at YouTube. Can't recall the youtuber channel or thread cause I'm subscribed to many of them and at 62 years old your memory is no good.

 

[mustang7757]

Re: Pixel 3A/XL price rant

Hello, I heard it at YouTube. Can't recall the youtuber channel or thread cause I'm subscribed to many of them and at 62 years old your memory is no good.

Well thanks , 62 still young

 

[emilioaponte]

Re: Pixel 3A/XL price rant

Well thanks , 62 still young

You're welcome. Well I walk everyday an hour and forty five minutes. So let's said I'm a mature walker.

 

[mustang7757]

Re: Pixel 3A/XL price rant

You're welcome. Well I walk everyday an hour and forty five minutes. So let's said I'm a mature walker.

Very good , keep that up .

 

[emilioaponte]

Re: Pixel 3A/XL price rant

Very good , keep that up .

Yes.

 

[Mike Dee]

Re: Pixel 3A/XL price rant

The A stands for affordable.

I've seen that speculated but not sure it's true.

 

[emilioaponte]

Well, as said I heard that at YouTube by a youtuber. I can't remember exactly what youtuber was cause I'm subscribed to many youtubers that deals with mobile phones. I got my little experience with HTC, Samsung but after been the former owner of a Nexus 5 and the first or original Pixel XL I think I stay with my current Pixel 3 XL and if in a near future a Pixel 4 XL comes out I definitely go for it. I don't need, cause I don't used, the bells and whistles of super premium Samsung devices. I bought the Galaxy's 6 and 8+ years ago and right now got my Note 8 in its box, kind of sleeping in it's Oreo stage cause last time I checked for Pie nothing at all came . I'm bought the Note 8 at AT&T, that's my mobile service carrier. I don't have regrets toward Samsung, I just feel good with Pixel.

 

[Mike Dee]

Well, as said I heard that at YouTube by a youtuber. I can't remember exactly what youtuber was cause I'm subscribed to many youtubers that deals with mobile phones. I got my little experience with HTC, Samsung but after been the former owner of a Nexus 5 and the first or original Pixel XL I think I stay with my current Pixel 3 XL and if in a near future a Pixel 4 XL comes out I definitely go for it. I don't need, cause I don't used, the bells and whistles of super premium Samsung devices. I bought the Galaxy's 6 and 8+ years ago and right now got my Note 8 in its box, kind of sleeping in it's Oreo stage cause last time I checked for Pie nothing at all came . I'm bought the Note 8 at AT&T, that's my mobile service carrier. I don't have regrets toward Samsung, I just feel good with Pixel.

Pixels are great devices despite what you hear from some of their worst critics

 

[emilioaponte]

Sorry, I was walking and left my Pixel at the Challet. Yes I never understood was the fight around, if anybody is happy with Iphones good for them, is Samsung good for them too. I like my Pixel 3 XL and still I'm a cool old man.