Google Pixel 3 vs Google Pixel 3a
A spec-by-spec comparison of the Google Pixel 3 and the Google Pixel 3a, taken from their full specification sheets. Green marks the better value in each measured row.
Head to head
| Google Pixel 3 | Google Pixel 3a |
|---|
| Price | $99 | $74 |
| Our rating | 7/10 | 8/10 |
| Battery | 2,915 mAh | 3,000 mAh |
| Wired charging | 18W | 18W |
| RAM (max) | — | 4 GB |
| Storage (max) | 128 GB | 64 GB |
| Screen size | 5.5 in | 5.6 in |
| Main camera | 12.2 MP | 12.2 MP |
| Weight (lower is lighter) | 148 g | 147 g |
| Released | Oct 2018 | May 2019 |
Summary: Google Pixel 3 is ahead on storage (max). Google Pixel 3a is ahead on our rating, battery, screen size, weight (lower is lighter).
★ Which should you buy? Google Pixel 3a is the stronger overall pick on the measured specs.
Reviewed by the infozme.com Editorial Team — see how we research & rate phones.
Display
| Google Pixel 3 | Google Pixel 3a |
|---|
| Type | P-OLED, HDR | OLED |
| Size | 5.5 inches, 76.7 cm2 (~77.2% screen-to-body ratio) | 5.6 inches, 79.6 cm2 (~75.0% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2160 pixels, 18:9 ratio (~443 ppi density) | 1080 x 2220 pixels, 18.5:9 ratio (~441 ppi density) |
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 | Dragontrail Glass |
Platform
| Google Pixel 3 | Google Pixel 3a |
|---|
| Chipset | Qualcomm SDM845 Snapdragon 845 (10 nm) | Qualcomm Snapdragon 670 (10 nm) |
| CPU | Octa-core (4x2.5 GHz Kryo 385 Gold & 4x1.6 GHz Kryo 385 Silver) | Octa-core (2x2.0 GHz Kryo 360 Gold & 6x1.7 GHz Kryo 360 Silver) |
| GPU | Adreno 630 | Adreno 615 |
| OS | — | Android 9.0 (Pie), upgradable to Android 12 |
Memory
| Google Pixel 3 | Google Pixel 3a |
|---|
| RAM | 4GB LPDDR4X | — |
| Internal Storage | 64GB or 128GB | — |
| Card Slot | No | — |
| Card slot | — | No |
| Internal | — | 64GB 4GB RAM |
Main Camera
| Google Pixel 3 | Google Pixel 3a |
|---|
| Single | 12.2 MP, f/1.8, 28mm (wide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS | 12.2 MP, f/1.8, 28mm (wide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS |
| Features | Dual-LED flash, Pixel Visual Core, Auto-HDR, panorama | Dual-LED flash, HDR, panorama, Night Sight, Top Shot, Portrait Mode, Super Res Zoom |
| Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60/120fps, 720p@240fps | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60/120fps |
Selfie Camera
| Google Pixel 3 | Google Pixel 3a |
|---|
| Dual | 8 MP, f/1.8, 28mm (wide), PDAF; 8 MP, f/2.2, 19mm (ultrawide), no AF | — |
| Features | Auto-HDR | HDR |
| Video | 1080p@30fps | 1080p@30fps |
| Single | — | 8 MP, f/2.0, 24mm (wide), 1.12µm |
Battery
| Google Pixel 3 | Google Pixel 3a |
|---|
| Type | Li-Po 2915 mAh, non-removable | Li-Po 3000 mAh, non-removable |
| Charging | 18W wired, PD2.0; 10W wireless (Qi) with Pixel Stand, 5W with other Qi chargers | 18W wired |
Body
| Google Pixel 3 | Google Pixel 3a |
|---|
| Dimensions | 145.6 x 68.2 x 7.9 mm (5.73 x 2.69 x 0.31 in) | 151.3 x 70.1 x 8.2 mm (5.96 x 2.76 x 0.32 in) |
| Weight | 148 g (5.22 oz) | 147 g (5.19 oz) |
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), glass back (Gorilla Glass 5), aluminum frame | Polycarbonate unibody (plastic back) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM and/or eSIM | Single SIM (Nano-SIM and/or eSIM) |
| Water & Dust Resistance | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 mins) | — |
Comms
| Google Pixel 3 | Google Pixel 3a |
|---|
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, hotspot | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot |
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX HD | 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX HD |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO | GPS, GLONASS, Galileo |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.1 | USB-C 2.0 |
Launch
| Google Pixel 3 | Google Pixel 3a |
|---|
| Announced | October 2018 | 2019, May 07 |
| Status | Available. Released 2018, October 18 | Available. Released 2019, May 15 |
| OS at Launch | Android 9.0 (Pie), upgradable to Android 12 | — |
Frequently asked questions
Which has the better battery, Google Pixel 3 or Google Pixel 3a?
Google Pixel 3a — 2,915 mAh for the Google Pixel 3 versus 3,000 mAh for the Google Pixel 3a.
Which is lighter, Google Pixel 3 or Google Pixel 3a?
Google Pixel 3a — 148 g for the Google Pixel 3 versus 147 g for the Google Pixel 3a.
Which is newer, Google Pixel 3 or Google Pixel 3a?
Google Pixel 3a — Oct 2018 for the Google Pixel 3 versus May 2019 for the Google Pixel 3a.
Is the Google Pixel 3 or the Google Pixel 3a rated higher?
We rate the Google Pixel 3 7/10 and the Google Pixel 3a 8/10.
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