Replace a Pixel 2 with a Pixel 3a?

[1countryboy]

I have a Pixel 2 that I bought new two years ago and now wanting to upgrade my wife’s phone (Moto G5 Plus) which doesn’t always work to a Pixel. I love my Pixel 2 and I’m not yearning for anything bigger than a 5” screen but never say never. My wife doesn’t use her phone for anything but making and receiving calls so screen size is not important to her either... her Moto G 5 Plus has a 5.2” screen.

Here’s my thinking:
(1) Get my wife a used mint Pixel 2... she’s fine with it.
(2) Pickup a used mint Pixel 3a for myself and give her my Pixel 2 which she’s fine with too.

First of all I can save roughly $100 by doing option (1) so that’s tempting. Also keeping my Pixel 2 means easier to carry in my pocket.

Option (2)... so would going from a 2 to a 3a really be that much of an improvement to warrant the upgrade... what do you think? The thing going from a 5” to a 5.6” screen sounds like a dramatic increase in screen size to me? I always wondered how guys get those bigger phones in their pockets (jeans, shorts, etc,).

Would like some opinions thanks!

 

[Rukbat]

I have a 2 also. My thinking when the 3 came out was "it only has Night Sight". Then the app came out (it's not up to the one in the 4 - version 7 of the app). So I'm still on the 2, still able to get nice ****s of stars ... and what would I gain with a 3 or a 4? It seems that Google is coming out with "new" phones every year just because they want to come out with new phones, but they're not really adding anything (even took the FPS away from the 4 - which is why I bought the 2). With the 'a' series, you also lose the Visual Core chip, and the CPU is slower and less battery-efficient. So I'm still using my 2. Maybe when the 5 or 6 comes out, they'll have done something. (Meanwhile, I still get updates for almost a year, and I can easily go a year without a new version.)

(Going from a 2 to a 3a is a decline as far as I'm concerned. (As for keeping a large phone in a pocket, I've always used Otterbox Defenders, with the holster, so my Note 3 [which still works fine, but no fingerprint sensor] or even a Pixel 4 XL would still fit on my belt. [I come from the days when it was such a great improvement to finally get belt holsters for phones - about 16 years ago. (And I've been in the business since we developed the first portable phone - I can't remember when. But it was in the 60s.)])

 

[B. Diddy]

With the 'a' series, you also lose the Visual Core chip, and the CPU is slower and less battery-efficient

Interestingly, though, the 3a is supposed to have significantly better battery life, at least compared to the flagship 3 (and the 4). Probably since it doesn't have as many bells and whistles?

 

[1countryboy]

Rukbat thank you for your opinion that you think going from a 2 to a 3a is decline.

B. Diddy I also read that the 3a had a significantly better battery life which would come in handy.

So coming at it from another direction say you needed a new/used Pixel now and couldn’t wait for another Pixel version down the line. Also taking into consideration you were going to keep this phone for three years or more... would you get a 2 or 3a?

 

[B. Diddy]

I enjoy taking photos (especially while travelling), so I like the unlimited Original Quality Google Photos backups until Jan 2021 that the Pixel 2 has (the 3a only gets unlimited High Quality, just like every other phone). I also want better battery life, so if I had to pick, it'd be a Pixel 2 XL.

 

[1countryboy]

I enjoy taking photos (especially while travelling), so I like the unlimited Original Quality Google Photos backups until Jan 2021 that the Pixel 2 has (the 3a only gets unlimited High Quality, just like every other phone). I also want better battery life, so if I had to pick, it'd be a Pixel 2 XL.

So if you were picking between a 2 vs 3 would you spend the extra money for a 3?

 

[B. Diddy]

I'd go for the 3 (flagship, not 3a) over the 2, since it will get system updates for a longer time.

 

[1countryboy]

Thanks think I’ll get her a 3 a little more expensive but like you said longer updates.

 

[Theot]

I had a Pixel 2, now on a 3 and one of my kids has a 3a. In my humble opinion the 3 is a much better phone than my 2 was, build quality is better, haptics are better, screen is better. As for the screen size difference, the 3 is literally almost the exact same dimensions as the 2 overall, just the screen is bigger. So those giant bezels at the top and bottom of your 2 are just screen on the 3.

I've used the 3a a bit and my kid is a hard on the battery and it lasts her all day. That's something I can't get out of my 3 nor could I on my 2. So the 3a gets far better battery life, the screen is just as good, camera is almost the same as the 3 and as good as the 2 and it's only marginally bigger. Performance has not been an issue at all. Honestly if I had it to do again I probably would have just bought the 3a. My 3 gives me nothing I need or use that the 3a doesn't have.

Just my $0.02.

 

[mustang7757]

I had a Pixel 2, now on a 3 and one of my kids has a 3a. In my humble opinion the 3 is a much better phone than my 2 was, build quality is better, haptics are better, screen is better. As for the screen size difference, the 3 is literally almost the exact same dimensions as the 2 overall, just the screen is bigger. So those giant bezels at the top and bottom of your 2 are just screen on the 3.

I've used the 3a a bit and my kid is a hard on the battery and it lasts her all day. That's something I can't get out of my 3 nor could I on my 2. So the 3a gets far better battery life, the screen is just as good, camera is almost the same as the 3 and as good as the 2 and it's only marginally bigger. Performance has not been an issue at all. Honestly if I had it to do again I probably would have just bought the 3a. My 3 gives me nothing I need or use that the 3a doesn't have.

Just my $0.02.

Pixel 3a I have to say was a great phone , hopefully Google can continue that on pixel 4a

 

[1countryboy]

I had a Pixel 2, now on a 3 and one of my kids has a 3a. In my humble opinion the 3 is a much better phone than my 2 was, build quality is better, haptics are better, screen is better. As for the screen size difference, the 3 is literally almost the exact same dimensions as the 2 overall, just the screen is bigger. So those giant bezels at the top and bottom of your 2 are just screen on the 3.

I've used the 3a a bit and my kid is a hard on the battery and it lasts her all day. That's something I can't get out of my 3 nor could I on my 2. So the 3a gets far better battery life, the screen is just as good, camera is almost the same as the 3 and as good as the 2 and it's only marginally bigger. Performance has not been an issue at all. Honestly if I had it to do again I probably would have just bought the 3a. My 3 gives me nothing I need or use that the 3a doesn't have.

Just my $0.02.

Gosh wish you would have posted sooner it's nice to get an opinion from someone who has/had a Pixel 2, 3a, and 3. I went ahead and spent extra for a used 3 but battery life is kind of a big deal for my wife but possibly a wireless charger would help her out some.

 

[Theot]

Gosh wish you would have posted sooner it's nice to get an opinion from someone who has/had a Pixel 2, 3a, and 3. I went ahead and spent extra for a used 3 but battery life is kind of a big deal for my wife but possibly a wireless charger would help her out some.

Well if she is as light of a user as you said honestly the 3 will be fine. It can get you through a day of light use I just don't have to many of those days. If it becomes an issue a couple well placed wireless chargers certainly can help. I did that for my wife with her iPhone because she runs the thing down to nothing before plugging it in and now she's pretty good about setting it on the charger when she's not using it which makes me feel better because she's not going out driving with a nearly dead phone all the time.

Good luck!

 

[1countryboy]

Well if she is as light of a user as you said honestly the 3 will be fine. It can get you through a day of light use I just don't have to many of those days. If it becomes an issue a couple well placed wireless chargers certainly can help. I did that for my wife with her iPhone because she runs the thing down to nothing before plugging it in and now she's pretty good about setting it on the charger when she's not using it which makes me feel better because she's not going out driving with a nearly dead phone all the time.

Good luck!

Thinks just one more thing did you buy fast charging wireless chargers for your wife or the cheaper slower chargers?

 

[Theot]

Thinks just one more thing did you buy fast charging wireless chargers for your wife or the cheaper slower chargers?

I got her a couple of Anker fast charging stands. In my experience the slow ones are fine for the night stand but the fast charge ones are nice for work or like the kitchen counter or something. Also I'd stick with a three coil charger, it's just easier because you don't have to be super picky with where you place it.

 

[1countryboy]

Thanks wish there were less inexpensive options and more than two choices for the Pixel 3.

 

[B. Diddy]

To make you feel better, I'd find these to be advantages of the 3 over the 3a:

- Unlimited Original Quality Google Photos backup
- Wireless charging
- Wide angle selfie (which is much better for group shots -- whenever I took selfies of my family on my 2 XL, my daughter's face invariably got distorted due to the barrel distortion of the single lens, since she's shorter and was usually more on the periphery of the shot)
- Water resistance isn't a big deal for me, but it can provide some peace of mind
- Presence of the Visual Core, which should make processing of photos faster and more efficient

 

[1countryboy]

I’m sure I or my wife will be happy with the 3.

Since I don’t upgrade phones very often just want to make sure I know the procedure. If my wife upgrades from her Moto G5 Plus to the 3 she just needs to backup her phone via Settings > Google > Backup then Restore to the 3 correct?

Now if I decide to give my wife my 2 I just need to factory restore it first and then she restores from her Moto correct?

 

[B. Diddy]

If my wife upgrades from her Moto G5 Plus to the 3 she just needs to backup her phone via Settings > Google > Backup then Restore to the 3 correct?

That should work, but it'd be ideal to do the setup while you still have the G5 Plus, in case something doesn't restore properly.

If you give your wife the Pixel 2, then first go to Settings>Account and remove your Google account, then do a factory reset. After that, she should be able to set it up like new. (I think with Pixels, you don't have to worry about removing your Google account first as long as you're using the factory reset option in the system settings, but I always recommend this as a precaution.)

 

[1countryboy]

Thanks B. Diddy I will follow your directions!

 

[1countryboy]

Well spent the afternoon trying to setup the Pixel 3 for my wife and things didn’t exactly go smooth. She’s temporarily in a nursing facility because of bad knees and found out their WiFi is terrible! Talked to maintenance guy and he said it’s basically a waiting game to see if you can connect so I waited... and waited. Finally connected right before I was ready to head home but guess I should count myself lucky! Then I somehow didn’t have the right password for my wife’s Google account and spent a couple hours trying to get in or reset it but was able to figure it out.

Anyway was kind of shocked how small the Pixel 3 was compared to the 2. Yes it has a bigger screen but the 2 looks/feels like bigger phone. Think it had been mentioned the 3 wasn’t all that much physically bigger and it isn’t but kind of wish it was bigger. Going forward when I upgrade to a 4 or 5 I probably ought to look at both regular and XL versions. It appears though that each new version is getting a little bigger each time so by the time I upgrade it might be big enough.

When I left her Pixel 3 was trying to download and update apps but with her internet it may take forever. Since I’d never restored a phone before I kept looking for the setting to restore but came to the conclusion restoring is the syncing action... or at least I hope that’s what I was doing. Lol!

When this gets done restoring should she have all the apps she had on her old phone? Will it restore all the Zedge and custom ringtones I put on her old phone?

Couple things I noticed with only having messed with it for an afternoon is the ringtone volume seems awfully low compared to my Pixel 2. I went into Sounds and set ringtone volume wide open but still sounds low to me. I did put custom ringtones on my 2 plus download some ringtones from Zedge so possibly they’re recorded at a higher level.

The other thing is sound quality on my end when she called me after I got home... her voice had a little echo sound to it. I hope this was a one-time thing and not normal with calls.