Opinion post by
Oliver Cragg
The Google Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL are the worst kept secret in the mobile industry right now.
The long-rumoured “Lite” versions of Google’s flagship phones are expected to drop in the coming weeks with price-tags that could be as low as half the cost of the regular third-gen Pixel series.
While budget Android phones — even ones from the OS’s creator — aren’t usually the most exciting handsets to hit the market, the Pixel 3a duo is a special case that could be a game changer in the mid-range handset sector.
“Lite” is alright
Before we get to the really good stuff, let’s have a quick recap of what we know about the Pixel 3a series so far (head here for a longer breakdown of all the major rumours).
Expected to cost between $300 to $500LCD displays instead of OLEDSimilar design to the regular Pixel 3, but made from plasticIdentical cameras to the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XLPowered by Qualcomm’s octa-core Snapdragon 670 SoCHave 3.5mm headphone jacks
Now, there’s probably one bullet point there that stood out more than the rest, and no, I’m not talking about the headphone jack — though there’s absolutely reason to celebrate its return over inferior USB-C audio.
No, I’m talking about the Pixel 3a camera, which will apparently be identical to the Pixel 3 camera.

The Huawei P30 Pro is stealing much of the limelight in the smartphone camera wars (and for good reason), but the Pixel 3 is still the best phone when it comes to capturing killer photos, consistently, with a quick point-and-shoot.
Factor in Night Sight, which is still a magical bit of software trickery, and an equally clever Portrait mode, and you’ve got one of the best camera phones money can buy.
Related: Google Pixel 3 revisited: What’s held up and what hasn’t after five months
The problem is that last part: money. The cheapest Pixel 3 costs $799, which is a hefty sum, especially for a phone with only 4GB RAM, a now outdated processor, and mediocre battery life when compared with 2019’s heavy hitters.
That’s a high price of entry if you want a top-tier camera, but consumers have long been used to paying through the nose for the best camera phones.
3 is one of the best camera phones money can buy, but it isn't cheap.
Affordable flagships from brands like OnePlus and Xiaomi have been lavished with praise for their high-spec, low-priced handsets that deliver elite hardware for half the price. Yet, while the raw megapixel numbers and features suggest otherwise, too many affordable flagships are saddled with underwhelming cameras. Google itself is guilty of this — even the classic Nexus 5, probably my favourite phone of all-time, had a relatively rubbish camera.
The Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL could change all that by bringing world-class smartphone photography to the even more affordable mid-tier price bracket.
Trading power for perfect pics

Compared with the rest of Qualcomm’s mobile platforms, the Snapdragon 670 is still a competent, mid-range processor that manages to cram in flagship features like a multicore AI engine and Quick Charge. That said, overall performance, especially when gaming, will inevitably still be below the regular Pixel 3’s Snapdragon 845 chipset.
Qualcomm Snapdragon SoC guide: Qualcomm’s current SoCs and how they compare
ZUZIBa0av8 Qualcomm’s Snapdragon SoCs — or mobile platforms, as the company calls them — are the most common chips in the Android smartphone space. Samsung uses Snapdragon for its Galaxy line in the U.S., as do …
For many buyers, however, a modest processor will be a small price to pay to get their hands on the Pixel 3’s camera, not to mention the phone’s other major selling points like timely updates and the Pixel software and launcher.
Personally, I’d take an underpowered Pixel over a cheap powerhouse like the Pocophone F1 any day. Xiaomi’s ultra-budget phone might pack the same processor as the mainline Pixel 3, but it’s hamstrung by its bulky design and underwhelming camera.
If you’re a regular here at Android Authority and other mobile tech blogs, you’re probably already heading to the comments to mention the Pixel Camera port. In theory, the port means you can have your cake and eat it by having the Pixel Camera app on any phone, but there are two niggling problems.
Also read: Night mode could make 2019 budget phone cameras awesome
First off, the Pixel Camera port is far from perfect. I use it on the OnePlus 6T and while the rear camera results are great, the selfie camera always gives photos a weird pink hue. As this is all unofficial, it can sometimes be a long wait for a fix and find the latest version isn’t as easy as just booting up the Play Store.
The second, more general issue, is that the vast majority of phone buyers won’t even know the Pixel Camera port exists, where to download it, or whether it’s safe to do so. A phone you can buy off the shelf with the same Pixel 3 camera is a much easier sell.
Capturing a gap in the market

Meanwhile, the mid-range sector in the U.S. is lacking any truly stand-out phones. With popular budget phone makers like Huawei and Xiaomi both out in the cold, there just isn’t as much choice in the mid-tier compared with other regions like India and the U.K.
The Pixel 3a will bring world-class smartphone photography to the mid-tier price bracket.
The Pixel 3a series could be the perfect solution for both Google’s sluggish phone sales and the U.S. lack of budget handset options. For Android aficionados, the broader hardware trade-offs may be too much to stomach, but bargain hunters looking for a best-in-class camera phone may pick the Pixel 3 “Lite” with its obvious photography upgrades over a less tangible performance boost.
Do you think the Pixel 3a will be the best “Lite” Android phone yet? Let us know in the comments.
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O2.Google Pixel 4 and 4 XL might be codenamed "coral" and "flame"
We've taken our time in covering the lead-up to the Pixel 4 and 4 XL announcements — presumably several months away. Our strongest statement on the developments so far was our editorial about modular clickbait. But we may have more to latch onto from here on out with the revelation of some new aquatic codenames: "coral," "needlefish," and "flame."
Google has a long-established tradition of nicknaming its Android-based devices with species of fish from "hammerhead" (Nexus 5) to "cargo" and "bonito" (perhaps the Pixel 3a and 3a XL). The new names sure appear like they could keep the general pattern going.
div dir="ltr"> The path started with an AOSP commit submitted yesterday. A developer was trying to hash out why errors were appearing on SELinux policy implementations for eight devices. Six of the devices were from Google and two were from Panasonic. They were listed as such:
device/google/bonito-sepolicy/vendor/qcom/common/genfs_contexts:67device/google/coral-sepolicy/vendor/qcom/common/genfs_contexts:17device/google/crosshatch-sepolicy/vendor/qcom/common/genfs_contexts:72device/google/marlin/sepolicy/genfs_contexts:17device/google/needlefish-sepolicy/vendor/qcom/common/genfs_contexts:16device/google/wahoo/sepolicy/vendor/genfs_contexts:49device/panasonic/hawk/sepolicy/vendor/common/genfs_contexts:28device/panasonic/owl/sepolicy/vendor/common/genfs_contexts:28
"Coral" and "needlefish" weren't really on the radar when it came to Pixel phone codenames, but they were remarkable enough for 9to5Google to dig around. In decompiling the latest beta of the Google app, it was able to find a string that laid some names out pretty clearly.

to5 points to a Geekbench diagnostics run from January with the device name of "Google coral" to support the "coral" codename for the Pixel 4 — with 6GB of RAM and a motherboard identification that seems to line up with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, the specification aspect seems plausible, but we'd rather approach benchmark finds with some caution. Meanwhile, this is the first time we've seen the "flame" name for the Pixel 4 XL, supposedly referring to the flame angelfish, in the works.
Overall, we'd be careful until we can get a further reference on these names, but these first indications do come from fairly reliable sources, which is why we're reporting on them here.
Unfortunately, that leaves "needlefish" as an unknown variable. While it is safe to presume that it will be an Android-based Google product, we're waiting to see where it as well as the similarly mysterious "medaka," and "salmon" will surface next.
03 .Google Pixel 3a gets name-checked in apparent Google Store slipup

Sarah Tew/CNET
Phone fans experiencing high-price panic may be stoked by another hint that Google's rumoured midrange Pixel 3a will arrive before long.
On Friday night, 9to5Google spotted a new navigation bar in the online Google Store that featured links referencing the gadget. A link under the Phone section was labelled "Pixel 3a -- NEW," and a link in the Accessories section mentioned a "Google Pixel 3a Case."
The new nav bar has since been removed and replaced by the old one, according to 9to5Google. The site speculated that Google rolled out an update to the Google Store ahead of schedule, accidentally name-checking the not-yet-announced handset. Google didn't respond to a request for comment about the now-you-see-'em, now-you-don't links.
CNET reviewers have deemed Google's flagship Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL two of the best phones you can buy. But starting at $799 and $899 respectively, they ain't cheap. That's why rumours about a Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL have budget-conscious gadget buyers licking their phone-loving lips. The handsets (also known as the Pixel 3 Lite and 3 XL Lite) would offer some of the same key features as the Pixel 3 at a lower price.
Recent scuttlebutt has it that the gadgets could launch in August. You can check out our rumour roundup about the phones, including info on specs, here.

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