First Impressions of the Google Pixel 3a XL and Google Nest Hub Max ~ XDA

Friday, May 10, 2019

First Impressions of the Google Pixel 3a XL and Google Nest Hub Max

This has been a busy week with tons of news out of Google I/O 2019. One of the biggest announcements was the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL. Google has been saving most hardware announcements for the Fall, but this year they not only announced the two phones, but also the Nest Hub Max. Miles and TK from XDA TV had a chance to check out both of these devices this week.

First, Miles unboxed the Pixel 3a XL. Like the phone itself, the packaging is nearly identical to the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL. But what’s inside is very different. The experience feels very familiar if you’ve used a Pixel phone before, it’s just a little slower.

Pixel 3a/3a XL Specs - Click to expand

Specs	Pixel 3a	Pixel 3a XL
Display	5.6-inches, 2220 x 1080, gOLED, 441 ppi, 18.5:9	6-inches, 2160 x 1080, gOLED, 402 ppi, 18:9
Size	151.3 x 70.1 x 8.2 mm, 147g	160.1 x 76.1 x 8.2 mm, 167g
System-on-chip	Qualcomm Snapdragon 670	Qualcomm Snapdragon 670
GPU	Adreno 615	Adreno 615
RAM Capacity	4GB	4GB
Storage Capacity	64GB	64GB
Headphone Jack	Yes	Yes
Front Camera	8MP 1.12μm pixel width f/2.0 aperture Fixed focus 84° field of view	8MP 1.12μm pixel width f/2.0 aperture Fixed focus 84° field of view
Rear Cameras	12.2MP Dual-Pixel Sony IMX363 Autofocus with dual pixel phase detection Optical + electronic image stabilization ƒ/1.8 aperture 76° field of view 1/2.55″ Sensor Size 1.4μm pixel width	12.2MP Dual-Pixel Sony IMX363 Autofocus with dual pixel phase detection Optical + electronic image stabilization ƒ/1.8 aperture 76° field of view 1/2.55″ Sensor Size 1.4μm pixel width
Battery Capacity	3,000 mAh	3,700 mAh
Wireless Charging	No	No
Fast Charging	Yes, 18W	Yes, 18W
Biometrics	Rear fingerprint scanner	Rear fingerprint scanner
Water and Dust Resistance	n/a	n/a
Software	Android 9 Pie (Android Q soon)	Android 9 Pie (Android Q soon)
Colors	Just Black, Clearly White, Purple-ish	Just Black, Clearly White, Purple-ish

Next, TK was able to see the Nest Hub Max in action. This is a larger version of the Google Home Hub with some new Nest features and gestures. It has a bigger display (still 720p) and much better speakers than the Home Hub. One neat addition is hand gestures. You can control certain things by doing gestures with your hands in front of the camera, perfect for kitchen situations. The Nest Hub Max can also use the camera for facial recognition to tailor the content on the screen to whoever is nearby.