Source: Google's upcoming lower-priced Pixel phones will be called Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL with 5.6- and 6-inch displays; 3a to feature Snapdragon 670, 4GB RAM
According to a source familiar with the phones, the forthcoming mid-range Google Pixels are indeed called the “Google Pixel 3a” …
Context & Ripple Effects
Six months after Google launched the $799+ Pixel 3 and $899+ Pixel 3 XL in October 2018, a source tells 9to5Google the company is preparing a cheaper pair — the Pixel 3a and 3a XL — with 5.6- and 6-inch displays, a Snapdragon 670, and 4GB of RAM in the smaller model. The 'a' suffix is new to the lineup, which until now has been strictly premium, following the bezel-heavy Pixel 3 photo leaks of August 2018.
What makes this leak worth tracking is how durable the tier it introduces turns out to be: the mid-range branch Google is seeding here reappears as the $450 Pixel 5A in 2021 and, per recent coverage, survives all the way to the $499 Pixel 10a unveiled in February 2026 with a Tensor G4 and 8GB of RAM.
First-order effects
- Buyers get a Pixel with the same software and camera pedigree as the Pixel 3 at roughly half the price, splitting Google's own lineup between a $799+ flagship tier and a new mid-range tier rather than competing only at the top.
- Qualcomm gains a second, volume-oriented slot in the Pixel bill of materials: the Snapdragon 670 sits below the flagship silicon in the Pixel 3, making the 'a' phones a distinct SKU family rather than a discounted clone.
Second-order effects
- Rival Android makers' mid-range offerings now compete against Google's own first-party hardware at the same price points, pressuring them on camera quality and update cadence where the Pixel brand is strongest.
- Each subsequent 'a' generation ratchets specs upward while holding near the same price — the 2021 Pixel 5A moved to a Snapdragon 765G and 6GB of RAM — forcing the whole sub-$500 segment to keep improving or cede ground.
Third-order effects
- If the pattern holds, the 'a' line becomes the anchor of Google's hardware strategy rather than a side bet: seven years on from this leak, the Pixel 10a still launches at $499 with current-generation silicon, suggesting the mid-range tier outlives individual flagship designs.
- A stable annual mid-range Pixel also gives Google a distribution vehicle for its services and AI features across a broader user base than flagships alone would reach — the audience its Assistant and Gemini transitions ultimately depend on.
The trend: Google's one-off cheaper Pixel experiment revealed here hardens into an annual sub-$500 'a' line that becomes the volume backbone of its phone business.