in my day-to-day life, which costs

more than a $1,000,

but I recently switched to

Google's cheap new Pixel phone,

which costs less than $500,

and I was surprised at how little I missed.

All in all, the Pixel 3a was proof

that you don't need to pay $1,000

to get a really good smartphone

that doesn't compromise.

The Pixel 3a delivers where it counts:

on battery life, camera performance,

day-to-day performance, and screen quality.

It doesn't have all the bells and whistles

that you'll get from a high-end smartphone

like the iPhone XS Max.

But, like I said, it performs where it counts.

So the thing that really stood out to me

after having used both of these phones

is really how little I missed when

switching to a smartphone this cheap.

So what's interesting about the Pixel 3a XL

is that it really maintains a lot

of the really important features

of a flagship smartphone.

So most of the time in the past

when I've used budget smartphones,

you know, they usually get the job done,

but they lack in a few areas.

Especially, you know,

camera performance is usually one of them.

One of the best things about the Pixel 3a

is that it has an excellent camera,

just like the more expensive Pixel 3.

The Pixel 3a has a 12.2-megapixel camera

that comes with the same features

as Google's more expensive phone.

This includes Google's Night Sight feature,

which takes really good photos in low-light conditions.

When I was out with a group of friends,

I took a picture with both phones in a dim bar,

and the difference was astronomical

between the iPhone and Google's Pixel phone.

The photo I took in the bar was just so much brighter,

and the colors were a lot richer,

and it just captured more detail

than I could have with Apple's iPhone.

The iPhone XS Max has a 12-megapixel camera

that's also very good.

When I used the two phones side by side,

I noticed that they were both able

to take bright, crisp, colorful photos.

Although I did notice that the iPhone's pictures

were sometimes a bit brighter in daylight.

But the Pixel's photos took very, very sharp

details, which was very impressive

for a phone that's this cheap.

Both phones also support portrait mode,

although you'll notice that Apple's iPhone

has two cameras on the back,

whereas Google's only has one.

That's because the iPhone uses two camera lenses

to create that portrait-mode effect,

whereas Google's camera does it through software.

Both phones are capable of taking really great pictures

in portrait mode.

The photo I took with Apple's iPhone

looks slightly more natural than Google's,

although the portrait effect is much more noticeable

in Google's photo.

Which one is better will depend

on your preference.

One of the biggest differences

between these two phones is the build quality.

You'll notice Apple's iPhone is made

of glass and metal and has a very premium feel to it.

The Pixel 3a XL is made of a more lightweight

polycarbonate material.

This makes the Pixel 3a feel much more lightweight,

but it also has a little bit of a cheaper feel to it.

The iPhone, on the other hand, does feel more premium,

but it's also a bit heavier.

Another important difference between

these two phones is the screen.

You'll notice that the iPhone XS Max

has an edge-to-edge screen,

whereas Google's Pixel 3a still has bezels

on the top and bottom like some older phones

from previous years.

In everyday use, the screen quality was pretty similar

between the two phones, other than that design difference.

An important detail about Google's Pixel 3a

is that it still comes with an OLED screen,

whereas a lot of cheaper phones

come with LCD screens.

For a cheap phone,

the Pixel 3a XL performed pretty well

in everyday use.

I didn't notice much lagging

except for a couple of circumstances.

In one instance, for example,

I noticed that a game that I had been playing

was a bit laggy.

Although it was still playable,

it just didn't feel as buttery smooth

as it did on the iPhone.

That's because the Pixel 3a runs on

a lower-end processor,

while Apple's iPhone XS Max

comes with the company's top-of-the-line A12 Bionic chip.

The battery life on the Pixel 3a XL

was very impressive.

I was able to get through a full day of use

and then a half day after that

without having to plug the phone in.

That's usually the type of battery life

I would expect from a much more expensive phone.

While the Pixel 3a XL does not support wireless charging,

it does come with a fast charger in the box.

That's important because the iPhone currently

doesn't come with a fast charger.

It comes with the same 5-watt charger

that Apple has been selling with its iPhones

for years.

And of course,

the Pixel 3a comes with Google-specific features

that you can only get on the company's smartphones.

For example,

the Pixel 3a has a feature that lets you launch

the Google Assistant just by squeezing the bottom

of the phone.

Some people may find that useful,

but I honestly didn't really use it very much.

But it's just an example of how Google

is trying to differentiate its smartphone experience

from the rest.

One thing I tend to love about Android phones

in general, since a few phones have this feature,

is the always-on display.

That means that even when you turn the phone's screen off,

you can still see information

like the time and notifications.

I find this to be very useful,

and it's a feature that companies

like Google and Samsung have adopted

that Apple still has not brought to the iPhone.

Most of the Google-specific features,

as I mentioned earlier,

can be found in the device's camera.

But when it comes to Apple, if you're an Apple fan,

and you like to use Airpods often,

and you have an Apple watch,

your gonna miss that experience

by switching to Android.

That's one of the key features

that's kept me hooked into Apple's ecosystem.

You can use Airpods with Android phones,

but you won't get the same benefits that you get

from pairing them with an iPhone.

Other than that,

some of the key differences that you get

when you buy a more expensive phone

like the iPhone XS Max

are advanced features like wireless charging

and facial recognition.

Those two features are definitely appreciated,

and I love being able to just rest my iPhone

on my nightstand on its wireless charger

without having to fiddle with a cable.

But it's not necessarily worth paying

all of that extra money.

Also, with Apple's newest iPhones, you get Face ID,

which lets you unlock the phone just by looking at it.

The Pixel 3a does not have this feature,

although it does have a fingerprint sensor

on the back of the phone.

The fingerprint sensor worked

pretty reliably in my experience.

There were a couple of times

where it would ask me to

swipe my finger again,

but that also happens with Face ID occasionally.

I don't always unlock the phone

immediately when I look at it.

The Pixel 3a is a great phone for those

who maybe have a phone that's a year or two old,

and they're looking to upgrade,

but they don't want to pay $1,000.

Smartphones are getting more expensive than ever

with new models from Samsung, Apple, and even Google

with its more premium phones costing nearly $1,000.

This is a great option for Android fans

that want to upgrade and really care about

camera quality and display quality and battery life

but don't necessarily want to chalk up

the extra, you know, $500

for the top-of-the-line smartphone

that has high-end features like

facial recognition and wireless charging.