Switch to Pixel 3A XL, good idea?

[anthonium]

I've been contemplating getting a Pixel 3A XL solely for the main reason of battery life. While I love my Pixel 3 and the little powerhouse that it is, the battery drains so quickly and I always have to plug it to recharge around the end of my workday and I'm hardly a heavy power user. I only keep the WIFI and Buetooth on and that's about it. Any web surfing for about an hour will rapidly drain the battery life.

Anyway, I could opt for the Pixel 3A but for a few bucks more I think the larger battery size on the 3A XL is a great option.

I already know I would be losing wireless charging (never use it) and unlimited original quality storage option.

I've also never held the XL so not sure how gigantic of a beast it is.

What do you all think? Good idea or bad?

 

[B. Diddy]

The 3 XL is pretty cheap these days as well -- have you considered it? $450 at B&H Photo: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod...mtxFtth8M4v2zHSbn0otAudnqHi5NWxoaAo9xEALw_wcB

 

[mustang7757]

I had the pix 3a for couple months , I liked it a lot so either pix 3a or 3axl should be good , personally I would of opted for bigger if I had to do again

 

[anthonium]

The 3 XL is pretty cheap these days as well -- have you considered it? $450 at B&H Photo: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod...mtxFtth8M4v2zHSbn0otAudnqHi5NWxoaAo9xEALw_wcB

I thought about it but the 3a xl has a less power hungry processor and bigger battery life. And although you can disable the notch, the asymmetry kind of bugs me. Haha

 

[B. Diddy]

Good points. My understanding is that the 3a line's performance isn't that noticeably lower than the flagship 3.

 

[eric002]

Good points. My understanding is that the 3a line's performance isn't that noticeably lower than the flagship 3.

Now you're absolutely right! My mom has a pixel 3A XL and the performance is pretty much identical to that of the regular Pixel 3's. Sure, you don't get wireless charging, or the faster chip, but you don't notice it that much. She absolutely loves her phone.

 

[tfitzpat03]

The main difference between the Pixel 3 and 3a series is the storage. I assume you have the 64gb version of the pixel 3 but the 3a series does not go past 64gb.

That is the only knock I have against my Pixel 3a. Other than that, its a worthy switch if you want more battery life.

 

[anthonium]

Thanks all for the input. I do have one other curiosity regarding original quality image storage. If I own the regular Pixel 3 and Pixel 3A XL and I take a picture with the Pixel 3A XL could I "transfer" the image to my Pixel 3 and be able to store it at original quality and not count against my Google storage? Or is this device specific? Some code in the image allows Google to know what device it was taken from?

Hopefully this question makes sense.

 

[B. Diddy]

No, I'm pretty sure Google Photos will know which device took the shot. If you were to upload any photo from a Pixel 3 that wasn't taken by that phone's Camera app, then it would count against your Google Drive storage if you pick Original Quality.

 

[anthonium]

No, I'm pretty sure Google Photos will know which device took the shot. If you were to upload any photo from a Pixel 3 that wasn't taken by that phone's Camera app, then it would count against your Google Drive storage if you pick Original Quality.

Alright that clarifies things. I was thinking of keeping two devices but they're pretty much the same thing as far as user experience. I think I rather "downgrade" to the 3A XL for the battery life alone and just pay for additional Google storage if need be.

Oddly on other sites I see the Pixel 3 selling for the same price as the 3A XL. Pixel devices don't seem to retain much value do they?

 

[B. Diddy]

I think it has more to do with how old the devices are, and how much they initially sold for. The 3a line came out over 6 months after the 3. Also, you'll tend to see less of an absolute price reduction for a device that was already relatively cheap to begin with.

 

[Theot]

I've thought about doing this myself. I have the pixel 3 and love the size but my daughter has the 3a and it is far better on battery and I've seen very little difference in performance. I just don't know if I want to buy a 3a now that's it's almost a year old.

 

[srgonu]

I have 3 and my daughter have 3a. I feel 3 is more smooth and faster when switching between apps and scrolling web pages. I see this difference only when I compare, otherwise 3a is just fine.

 

[Morty2264]

Have you made a decision yet, OP? I say go for it! Maybe hold the 3a XL in the store and see if it could be something you'd be comfortable with? Let us know what you decide!

 

[anthonium]

Have you made a decision yet, OP? I say go for it! Maybe hold the 3a XL in the store and see if it could be something you'd be comfortable with? Let us know what you decide!

I ended up getting a never used Google refurbished 3A XL from Swappa. Device looks brand new and got the black Google fabric case.

I've been using it a few days now and this is about the only CON (though barely one)...I do notice it is not as buttery smooth as my Pixel 3 but that's me being extremely nitpicky because the 3A XL has never lagged on me. Honestly if I hadn't used the 3 for as long as I have I would not tell the difference. It's mostly notable for image and video processing time. Also the speakers are great but definitely the front firing speakers on the 3 sound better.

PROS... battery life! Wow I do not have to worry about how long I use the device. I know many have external battery chargers and both the regular and 3A lines charge really quickly but this is a major plus for me. As for size, I have large hands so it's not an issue for me but I do miss the pocket ability of the regular Pixel.

For now I'm still testing the 3A XL but I feel it's a winner and I'll likely sell my regular 3. In my opinion I feel Google should stick to "mid range" devices. The A line feels like the phone for the people, especially with the same camera as the regular line.

 

[Morty2264]

I ended up getting a never used Google refurbished 3A XL from Swappa. Device looks brand new and got the black Google fabric case.

I've been using it a few days now and this is about the only CON (though barely one)...I do notice it is not as buttery smooth as my Pixel 3 but that's me being extremely nitpicky because the 3A XL has never lagged on me. Honestly if I hadn't used the 3 for as long as I have I would not tell the difference. It's mostly notable for image and video processing time. Also the speakers are great but definitely the front firing speakers on the 3 sound better.

PROS... battery life! Wow I do not have to worry about how long I use the device. I know many have external battery chargers and both the regular and 3A lines charge really quickly but this is a major plus for me. As for size, I have large hands so it's not an issue for me but I do miss the pocket ability of the regular Pixel.

For now I'm still testing the 3A XL but I feel it's a winner and I'll likely sell my regular 3. In my opinion I feel Google should stick to "mid range" devices. The A line feels like the phone for the people, especially with the same camera as the regular line.

I'm so glad you are liking your 3a XL! Sounds like you got an amazing deal! So glad you are enjoying the battery life, camera, and OS!

 

[B. Diddy]

In my opinion I feel Google should stick to "mid range" devices. The A line feels like the phone for the people, especially with the same camera as the regular line.

Google may very well be thinking the same thing, since the Pixel 5 is rumored to have a Snapdragon 765G.

 

[Morty2264]

Google may very well be thinking the same thing, since the Pixel 5 is rumored to have a Snapdragon 765G.

What does the "G" stand for?

 

[mustang7757]

What does the "G" stand for?

Probably mean 765 5G

 

[B. Diddy]

765G is boosted for gaming: https://www.androidauthority.com/qualcomm-snapdragon-765-specs-1059745/