Google’s new phones about half the price of previous offerings

SINGAPORE — Singaporeans will be among the first in the world to get hold of Google’s latest smartphones — the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL — which launched here on Wednesday (May 8).

The new models come in two colours — Just Black and Clearly White — and will cost S$659 for the smaller Pixel 3a and SS$779 for the slightly larger Pixel 3a XL.

A third colour — ‘Purple-ish’ — is not available here.

The Pixel 3a has a 5.6-inch display, while the Pixel 3a XL has a 6-inch display.

Comparatively, the two new models from the tech giant are about half the price of its previous offerings — Google’s flagship Pixel 3 starts from S$1,249 while the 3XL starts from S$1,399. They were both released here late last year.

The new devices will be available through Google’s carrier partner Singtel, retailers Courts and Challenger, and Google’s online store.

Mr Martin Geh, managing director of Apac Hardware Partnerships at Google, said: “Singaporeans are always on the lookout for a good and helpful smartphone to enhance the way they live, work and play.

"Following the positive response for the Pixel 3 during its launch in October last year, we are excited to extend the Pixel experience to even more people, working with our partners to offer the best of Google’s features and functionality for a price considerably less than premium phones.”

SOME FEATURES TO LOOK OUT FOR

• FAST CHARGING

The Pixel 3a’s battery promises up to 30 hours of use on a full charge, and up to seven hours on a 15-minute charge.

• BUILT-IN SECURITY

The devices come with three years of security and operating system updates, and custom-built chips which reportedly help guard against sophisticated cyber attacks and cordon off sensitive data.

• PREVIEW OF AUGMENTED REALITY IN GOOGLE MAPS

This overlays walking directions on Google’s Street View, allowing users to quickly find where they are and which way to turn, the tech giant said.