• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Exclusive

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump Fortune Editor-in-Chief: Alyson Shontell sat down with President Trump in the Oval Office for an hour. Tariffs, Intel, AI, Boeing, Iran—and the question every CEO eventually has to answer: who's next?

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump Fortune Editor-in-Chief: Alyson Shontell sat down with President Trump in the Oval Office for an hour. Tariffs, Intel, AI, Boeing, Iran—and the question every CEO eventually has to answer: who's next?

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump Fortune Editor-in-Chief: Alyson Shontell sat down with President Trump in the Oval Office for an hour. Tariffs, Intel, AI, Boeing, Iran—and the question every CEO eventually has to answer: who's next?

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump Fortune Editor-in-Chief: Alyson Shontell sat down with President Trump in the Oval Office for an hour. Tariffs, Intel, AI, Boeing, Iran—and the question every CEO eventually has to answer: who's next?

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump Fortune Editor-in-Chief: Alyson Shontell sat down with President Trump in the Oval Office for an hour. Tariffs, Intel, AI, Boeing, Iran—and the question every CEO eventually has to answer: who's next?

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump Fortune Editor-in-Chief: Alyson Shontell sat down with President Trump in the Oval Office for an hour. Tariffs, Intel, AI, Boeing, Iran—and the question every CEO eventually has to answer: who's next?

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump Fortune Editor-in-Chief: Alyson Shontell sat down with President Trump in the Oval Office for an hour. Tariffs, Intel, AI, Boeing, Iran—and the question every CEO eventually has to answer: who's next?

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump Fortune Editor-in-Chief: Alyson Shontell sat down with President Trump in the Oval Office for an hour. Tariffs, Intel, AI, Boeing, Iran—and the question every CEO eventually has to answer: who's next?

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump Fortune Editor-in-Chief: Alyson Shontell sat down with President Trump in the Oval Office for an hour. Tariffs, Intel, AI, Boeing, Iran—and the question every CEO eventually has to answer: who's next?

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump Fortune Editor-in-Chief: Alyson Shontell sat down with President Trump in the Oval Office for an hour. Tariffs, Intel, AI, Boeing, Iran—and the question every CEO eventually has to answer: who's next?

TechGoogle

How Google’s Pixel 3a, Pixel 3a XL Stack Up Against Low-Cost iPhones

By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
May 8, 2019, 3:16 PM ET

Google is betting that cheaper smartphones with less powerful features can help it make a mark in the mobile market, but stepping out from Apple’s shadow might prove to be the biggest challenge.

At its Google I/O developer confab Tuesday in Mountain View, Calif., Google unveiled its new Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL smartphones. The devices are in the midrange price in the smartphone market – typically hundreds of dollars cheaper and equipped with less-powerful components than premium smartphones, like Apple’s iPhone XS.

Google has been trying to boost its appeal in an extremely competitive smartphone market dominated by Apple, Samsung, and China-based smartphone maker Huawei. For the last several years, Google has released Pixel-branded smartphones that target the premium smartphone market. But Google CEO Ruth Porat told investors last month the company was facing “pressures” in the premium smartphone market that have hurt Pixel sales. Porat signaled a move to the midrange smartphone market might make sense.

While the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL are decidedly midrange smartphones, they also come with some higher-end features, like a top-notch camera that works well in dark, nighttime settings. And at prices that don’t break the bank, the Pixel 3a lineup could deliver value to shoppers that don’t want to spend $1,000 or more on a new device.

But like every other Android-based device in the market, the Pixels will be compared to Apple’s iPhones—and specifically, Apple is still selling the iPhone 8. Google also will need to find a way to deliver more value to shoppers who are deciding whether an iPhone or a Pixel is the best choice.

Let’s see how the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL compare to low-cost iPhone 8 which ranges between $600 to $800.

Design

Google’s Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL come with 5.6- and 6-inch screens, respectively. They each have chunky bezels around their screens, which fly in the face of a recent smartphone design trend that slims down the bezels and features a small black notch at the top of the display to house the front-facing camera and earpiece.

The smartphones come in several different colors, including white, black, and an iris. A single-lens camera and fingerprint sensor sit on the back.

Apple’s iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus designs have similarly chunky bezels around the screen and come in a variety of colors, like Silver, Space Gray, and Gold. On the rear, you’ll find the familiar Apple logo and the rear-facing camera. Apple’s iPhone 8 has a 4.7-inch screen, and the iPhone 8 Plus has a 5.5-inch display.

In this area, your choice comes down to personal taste. Neither device has a clear advantage.

Power

Google’s new Pixels run on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 670 processor and 4GB of RAM. That combination should be enough to power most apps without trouble, but they won’t run as quickly as they would on higher-end alternatives, like the Pixel 3 that ships with a more powerful Snapdragon processor. Their 3,000mAh battery delivers up to 30 hours of battery life.

Apple’s iPhone 8 lineup runs on the company’s A11 Bionic chip. In benchmark tests, which aim at determining a processor’s power, the A11 is far more potent than most Snapdragon chips—including the Snapdragon 670 in Google’s Pixel 3a lineup.

The iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus won’t necessarily deliver the most power of any iPhone, but they will offer better performance than the Pixel 3as. Apple promises up to 14 hours and 21 hours of battery life in its iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, respectively.

If you’re seeking power, the iPhone 8 is still a better choice. But the Pixels clearly win on battery life.

Camera

Each year, Google releases Pixel devices that have industry-leading camera performance. And the Pixel 3as is no different. They have a Night Sight feature that will illuminate pictures you take at night or in the dark so they show far more detail than they otherwise might.

A Portrait Mode provides better detail on a subject’s face, and an unlimited storage feature means you can store all of your photos in Google’s cloud-storage service Cloud without running out of space.

Apple’s iPhones have excellent cameras, but nothing that can quite match Pixels. The iPhone 8 Plus has a dual-camera system that lets you take both wide-angle and telephoto pictures. Apple also tosses in a Portrait Mode like what you’d find in the Pixels.

According to tech critics who have reviewed the new Pixels, Google’s Pixel 3a lineup offers a superior camera experience that Apple’s iPhones can’t match.

Price

Beating Pixel 3a pricing is hard. The Pixel 3a costs just $399, making it hundreds of dollars cheaper than premium smartphones, like the iPhone XS, that can start at $1,000. The larger Google Pixel 3a XL goes for $479.

Apple’s iPhone 8 starts at $599 and the iPhone 8 Plus starts at $699. If you bump their capacity to 256GB, it’ll tack on an additional $150 and bump their prices to $749 and $849, respectively.

If it’s savings you’re after, the Pixel 3a lineup is clearly the way to go.

About the Author
By Don Reisinger
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

John Ketchum, CEO of NextEra Energy, speaks during BlackRock's 2026 Infrastructure Summit in Washington, DC, on March 11, 2026. Photographer: Daniel Heuer/Bloomberg via Getty Images
EnergyNextEra Energy
NextEra’s $67 billion Dominion takeover creates the world’s largest utility—just in time to win the AI data-center power surge
By Jordan BlumMay 18, 2026
23 minutes ago
Harvard University banners hang in front of a building
CryptoCryptocurrency
Harvard sold off its entire $87 million Ethereum stake just one quarter after buying it
By Jack KubinecMay 18, 2026
39 minutes ago
Not the Allbirds effect: Japan’s top bidet maker Toto has been quietly making chip supplies for decades, and the stock market finally noticed
AIChips
Not the Allbirds effect: Japan’s top bidet maker Toto has been quietly making chip supplies for decades, and the stock market finally noticed
By Catherina GioinoMay 18, 2026
1 hour ago
monet
CybersecuritySocial Media
6.7 million people thought they were ripping apart an AI-generated Monet painting. But it was real
By Nick LichtenbergMay 18, 2026
2 hours ago
Photo of Elon Musk
AIOpenAI
Jury rules against Elon Musk in $150 billion lawsuit against OpenAI and Sam Altman
By Sharon GoldmanMay 18, 2026
2 hours ago
broker
Investingbubble
AI is eating the market and Wall Street strategists have bubble brain as they debate: are we in 1997 or 1999?
By Nick LichtenbergMay 18, 2026
3 hours ago

Most Popular

The top foreign holders of U.S. debt may soon dump Treasury bonds and bring their money back home, potentially spiking borrowing costs
Economy
The top foreign holders of U.S. debt may soon dump Treasury bonds and bring their money back home, potentially spiking borrowing costs
By Jason MaMay 17, 2026
1 day ago
Microsoft AI chief gives it 18 months—for all white-collar work to be automated by AI
AI
Microsoft AI chief gives it 18 months—for all white-collar work to be automated by AI
By Jake AngeloMay 16, 2026
2 days ago
The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises
Politics
The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises
By Jake AngeloMay 12, 2026
6 days ago
'No one was coming to save me': How Reese Witherspoon built a $900 million company from a problem Hollywood wouldn't fix
Success
'No one was coming to save me': How Reese Witherspoon built a $900 million company from a problem Hollywood wouldn't fix
By Sydney LakeMay 17, 2026
1 day ago
SpaceX heads into a record-shattering IPO with the 'deepest moat that exists today' as investors vow to 'never bet against Elon'
Innovation
SpaceX heads into a record-shattering IPO with the 'deepest moat that exists today' as investors vow to 'never bet against Elon'
By Jason MaMay 16, 2026
2 days ago
Mamdani's New York is coming to tax your private jet. Here's how to prepare
Personal Finance
Mamdani's New York is coming to tax your private jet. Here's how to prepare
By Greg RaiffMay 16, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.