Pixel 4a vs Pixel 3a: Worthy of a One-Year Upgrade?

The highest praise I can give a new phone is that it’s so much better than last year’s, it’s worth flipping the old phone to upgrade. That’s an EXCEEDINGLY difficult metric to meet.

When working lower prices on phones like the Pixel 3a, does the new 4a have the goods to warrant a one-year upgrade? Let’s see… Continue reading “Pixel 4a vs Pixel 3a: Worthy of a One-Year Upgrade?”

Android 10 on the Google Pixel 3a – Living up to Promises and Expectations

Yesterday was Android 10 day! A flurry of podcasts, articles, and videos hit the web showing off the official release of Google’s newest phone operating system. I joined the fun talking about Android’s native Desktop Mode on a OnePlus 7 Pro Open Beta, but yesterday was all about Google’s Pixel. Very few other manufacturers can match the update speed of a first party Hardware + Software solution.

Lot’s of manufacturers make promises about support, and few live up to those promises. Google has had a solid track record with support so far, we all remember the Nexus too, but this year represented two important milestones for the brand.

Judging a manufacturer by its claims, it’s refreshing when those claims are realized. Continue reading “Android 10 on the Google Pixel 3a – Living up to Promises and Expectations”

What stops YOU from using the Google Pixel 3a?

The Pixel 3a is CRAZY overkill for just covering the basics, but that seems to be the main takeaway from a lot of reviewers. So, I’m genuinely asking, what do you do on your phone? What would legit stop you from picking up a less expensive device? Let’s chat! Continue reading “What stops YOU from using the Google Pixel 3a?”

Pixel 3a doesn’t just cover the basics: Your tech elitism costs you cash

Before we get into this, I’d like you to check something on your phone. Look through your app drawer. Look up your battery stats. If you use any kind of Digital Wellbeing tracking, look at the list of services used. I’d like you to look up what apps and services really get used on your phone. I’ll come back to this, but you probably already know where I’m going after reading the title of this editorial.

Quick flashback.

In 2016 I was in Germany covering IFA with Jaime for Pocketnow. We had just finished a Huawei presser, the company showing off a new pair of premium mid-range phones. This was a bit confusing between all the various lines of Huawei and Honor gear, but they sent us away with a Nova and a Nova Plus to demo and review.

I was extremely skeptical. This phone was going to be expensive for its internals, starting at 400. Pricing it above my precious Honor 8 felt “wrong”. I am a professional though, so I popped the smaller Nova out of its box, gave Jaime the larger phone, and we shot a first impressions video from our hotel.

Reading the specs, being concerned about price, and then using the phone, those concerns slowly evaporated. Continue reading “Pixel 3a doesn’t just cover the basics: Your tech elitism costs you cash”