Smartphone makers have a problem. They keep packing more and more features into their phones, driving up the cost. And increasingly, people aren't buying them.

Camera measures up well to the Pixel 3 XL's; Affordable price tag; Long-lasting battery; Headphone jack; Good performance for a midrange model

Dim screen; Prominent bezels; No wireless charging or water resistance

If you like a big screen, Google's Pixel 3a XL is the absolute the best phablet you can buy for less than $500. And for many people, it's also a compelling alternative to high-end flagships that cost nearly twice as much.

Fantastic camera; Beautiful OLED display; Long battery life; Solid performance; Guaranteed software updates for three years

No microSD slot or wireless charging

A class-leading camera at half the price Just buy the Pixel 3a already

Smart and helpful software; speedy updates; Great performance; Fantastic camera; Relatively affordable pricing; Good battery life

Thick bezels; Build quality feels a little cheap

Read the ratings. A good alternative would be a Pixel 2 XL. The good on the Pixel 2 XL are the bad on this one and the other way around. I prefer the 2 XL but this phone is still awesome. Not knocking it.

Battery; Battery; Battery; Build; Speaker volume; Camera; Price; Headphone jack

Deliberately slowed down UI by Google, Should be at least $50 cheaper still; Sharing videos and photos still use MMS (in US

Google Pixel 3a XL review: You should buy this instead of a Pixel 3 XL

Smartphone prices these days are simply insane if you purchase the latest flagship outright. Sure, you can get one for free on a two-year contract with most telcos but then you're tied into a contract.

It's hard to see anything the Pixel 3a XL does wrong for the price. No, it's not as powerful as the flagships of last year, but it leaves the main strengths of the Pixel 3 XL untouched: the best-in-class camera and a smooth, bloat-free installation of Android, first in line for updates.

Well planned cuts on the Pixel 3 XL; Same excellent camera; Clean Android 9 experience with early updates

Pixel 3a is even cheaper; No expandable storage

All of this goes together to produce a rather impressive overall package. In fact, in the Pixel 3a XL I think Google has stumbled across a magic formula. This is a phone that's not only far more reasonably priced than most modern flagships, but also looks good, feels just as responsive and takes...

Same camera as the Pixel 3 XL; Same software as the Pixel 3 XL; Better battery life than the Pixel 3 XL

No water or dust-resistance; No wireless charging; Screen isn't edge-to-edge

garbage phone..worthless. nothing works correctly.. no sounds.. half the apps don't work.. waste of money not even close to what google claims.

Amazing phone. Great battery life and I use it constantly. All the new features work great, and despite what people thought, the notch doesn't bother me at all