Latest Pixel 3a Leak Shows Off Features and Colors

Google is almost certainly going to announce new, cheaper Pixel phones on the first day of Google I/O next week. Its efforts to keep these phones under wraps have failed spectacularly over the last few months, and it’s time for one final leak before the announcement. Some new images and graphics for the Pixel 3a and 3a XL have shown up, probably from an unlisted product page. Not only do we get a peek at the colors but also the features of Google’s new budget smartphones.

The Pixel 3a and 3a XL both use the same general design as the current Pixel 3 flagship. There’s no huge display notch a la the 3 XL. The phones will come in black, white, and light purple. The white and purple phones also have a little splash of color on the power buttons (orange and yellow, respectively). On the back, you have the same two-texture finish as the current Pixels, but rumors point to a plastic body instead of glass. There’s also a rear-facing fingerprint sensor.

Google isn’t big on providing full specs on its product pages, which is probably why this latest leak only has a few key items. The 3a will have a 5.6-inch display, and the 3a XL will be 6 inches. The smaller phone gets a 3,000mAh battery, and the XL has 3,700mAh. Both will have 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage.

The phones will have a single 12.2MP primary camera sensor and just one front-facing camera instead of two like the Pixel 3. Google promises a camera experience similar to its flagship phones with features like Night Sight and motion autofocus. Most of Google’s camera features are dependent on software, so that’s no surprise.

Most of those specs are remarkably similar to the Pixel 3, which starts at $800. We expect these phones to be much cheaper, though. The spec list doesn’t include the SoC, but rumors point to something slower than the Snapdragon 845 from the Pixel 3 — probably something in the 600 or 700 range. The leak also doesn’t mention features like wireless charging or free original quality photo uploads. So, those might be missing from the Pixel 3a as well. However, these phones will have the same 3-year OTA update promise and the fabulously useful Call Screen functionality.

Google will unveil the Pixel 3a and 3a XL at Google I/O on May 7th. They will probably go on sale shortly thereafter.

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