After launching deals in recent years to entice customers to bring their unlocked Google Pixel onto T-Mobile’s network, T-Mo is officially launching Pixel phones itself.
The Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL were announced at Google I/O 2019 today, and they’re coming to T-Mobile. After years of Verizon having the U.S. carrier exclusive on Google’s Pixel phones, the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL are launching at T-Mobile, Sprint, Verizon, U.S. Cellular, Spectrum Mobile, C Spire, and Google Fi.
The design of the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL are similar to the standard Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL, but Google made some changes to help reduce the price of its new Pixels. The Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL have 5.6-inch 2220×1080 and 6-inch 2160×1080 OLED screens, respectively, and they’re both powered by an octa-core Snapdragon 670 processor. There’s 4GB of RAM in each phone as well as 64GB of built-in storage.
One thing Google didn’t change from the Pixel 3 to the Pixel 3a is the camera. Both the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL have a 12.2MP rear camera with f/1.8 aperture and both optical and electronic image stabilization. This looks to be the same rear camera as the one in the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL, and Google is also packing in features like HDR+, Portrait Mode, Super Res Zoom, and Night Sight to help you capture better low-light photos.
Around front there’s a single 8MP camera on the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL for all your selfie needs. Each phone also has stereo speakers, NFC, and USB-C. The Pixel 3a is powered by a 3000mAh battery while the Pixel 3a XL has a 3700mAh battery, and both phones support fast charging. And one thing that the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL have that their pricier siblings don’t is a 3.5mm headphone jack.
Finally, Google says that both the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL will get three years of OS and security updates. They’ll also include free unlimited high-quality photo storage on Google Photos.
The Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL are available from the Google Store today, and Google says it’ll be available from its partners tomorrow. Both phones will be available in Just Black, Clearly White, and Purple-ish color options. Pricing for the Pixel 3a is set at $399, while the Pixel 3a XL is $479.
If you’d like to buy from T-Mobile, you’ll be able to get the Pixel 3, Pixel 3 XL, Pixel 3a, and Pixel 3a XL from T-Mobile’s online store starting tonight at 9:01 pm PT. The devices will be in stores tomorrow, May 8th.
Pricing for the Pixel 3a will be set at $0 down and $16.67 per month for 24 months, while the Pixel 3a XL will cost $0 down and $20 per month for 24 months. The flagship Pixel 3 will be priced at $79.99 down and $30 per month for 24 months ($799.99 full retail), while the Pixel 3 XL will be priced at $179.99 down and $30 per month for 24 months ($899.99 full retail).
T-Mobile tells me that Google’s Pixel phones will not be available through JUMP! On Demand at this time.
To celebrate the Pixels’ arrival on its magenta shelves, T-Mobile is offering up to $400 off any Pixel phone via 24 monthly bill credits when you trade in an eligible device. This offer is open to new and existing customers. The phones that are eligible for trade-in include the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, Galaxy S8 series, Galaxy S9 series, Galaxy Note 8, LG V30/30+ and V40, Pixel and Pixel XL, Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL, and OnePlus 6T.
All four Pixel phones will support T-Mobile’s 600MHz 4G LTE coverage. However, T-Mo says only the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL support LTE Advanced features like 4×4 MIMO, 256 QAM, License Assisted Access (LAA), and carrier aggregation.
So now that the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL are official and T-Mobile is officially getting Google’s Pixel phones, what do you think? Will you be picking up one of these four devices?
