Google Pixel 3a vs Samsung Galaxy A40

Every spec side by side, from each maker's published figures.

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Pixel 3a compared with Galaxy A40

	GooglePixel 3a	SamsungGalaxy A40
Overview
Released
Released	May 2019	April 2019
Display
Screen size
Screen size	5.6″	5.9″
Resolution
Resolution	2220 × 1080	2340 × 1080 (better)
Sharpness
Sharpness	441 pixels per inch (better)	437 pixels per inch
Panel
Panel	OLED	OLED
Display type
Display type	Full-screen OLED; 18.5:9 aspect ratio	Full HD+ Super AMOLED Infinity-U Display
Pixel density
Pixel density	441 ppi	–
Always-on display
Always-on display	Always-on display; Now Playing	–
Screen protection
Screen protection	Asahi Dragontrail Glass identified by Notebookcheck	–
Display features
Display features	100,000:1 contrast ratio; true black; 24-bit colour; 16 million colours; D67 white point	–
Performance
Chip
Chip	Qualcomm Snapdragon 670	Exynos 7904
Memory
Memory	4 GB	4 GB
Storage
Storage	64 GB	64 GB
CPU
CPU	64-bit octa-core CPU; 2.0 GHz + 1.7 GHz; Titan M security module	Exynos 7904 octa-core at 1.8 GHz and 1.6 GHz; chip identified in Notebookcheck's exact-model review
GPU
GPU	Google's historical hardware sheet lists Adreno 615; Notebookcheck identifies Adreno 616	–
Storage type
Storage type	4 GB LPDDR4x RAM; eMMC storage identified by Notebookcheck; no microSD slot	Dedicated microSD slot supports cards up to 512 GB
Cameras
Main camera
Main camera	12.2 MP	16 MP (better)
Ultra wide camera
Ultra wide camera	None	5 MP
Telephoto camera
Telephoto camera	None	None
Optical zoom
Optical zoom	None	None
Front camera
Front camera	8 MP	25 MP (better)
Main camera
Main camera	Dual-pixel phase-detection autofocus; f/1.8; 1.4 μm pixels; 76° field of view; optical and electronic image stabilisation	16 MP, F1.7, autofocus; no optical image stabilisation
Ultra wide camera
Ultra wide camera	–	5 MP, F2.2, 123° field of view
Front camera
Front camera	f/2.0; 1.12 μm pixels; fixed focus; 84° field of view	25 MP, F2.0, fixed focus
Video recording
Video recording	Rear 4K at 30 fps; 1080p at 30/60/120 fps; 720p at 30/60/240 fps	Full HD 1920 × 1080 at 30 fps
Front video
Front video	1080p, 720p or 480p at 30 fps	–
Camera features
Camera features	HDR+; Portrait Mode; Super Res Zoom; Night Sight; time lapse	–
Battery and charging
Battery
Battery	3,000 mAh	3,100 mAh (better)
Video playback (maker's claim)
Video playback (maker's claim)	–	Up to 14 hours
Wired charging
Wired charging	Up to 18 W	–
Wireless charging
Wireless charging	None	None
Battery life detail
Battery life detail	Maker claims up to 30 hours with a mixed-use profile and always-on display off; actual endurance varies	3,100 mAh typical; 15 W fast charging; up to 14 hours video playback
Wired charging
Wired charging	Up to 18 W using supplied USB-PD 2.0 adaptor; maker claims up to seven hours of mixed use from 15 minutes of charging; actual results vary	–
Design
Type
Type	Standard	Standard
Weight
Weight	147 g	140 g (better)
Thickness
Thickness	8.2 mm	7.9 mm (better)
Height × width
Height × width	151.3 × 70.1 mm	144.4 × 69.2 mm
Materials
Materials	Polycarbonate unibody	3D Glasstic back
Colours
Colours	Just Black, Clearly White and Purple-ish; availability varies by market	Black, Blue, White and Coral in Europe
Buttons
Buttons	Power button and volume controls; Active Edge squeeze gesture	–
Biometrics
Biometrics	Pixel Imprint rear fingerprint sensor	Rear fingerprint reader and face recognition
Sensors
Sensors	Proximity and ambient light; accelerometer; gyrometer; magnetometer; barometer; Android Sensor Hub; haptics	–
Speakers
Speakers	Stereo speakers	3.5 mm headphone socket; mono speaker
Microphones
Microphones	Two microphones with noise suppression	–
Software
Operating system
Operating system	Android	Android
Software at launch
Software at launch	Android 9 Pie	Android 9 Pie with One UI
Safety features
Safety features	–	Samsung Knox
Software updates
Software updates	No longer receives Android version or security updates according to Google's current support policy; original promise was three years	–
AI features
AI features	Google Assistant with Active Edge; Call Screen initially available in English in the US and Canada; Google Maps AR walking preview required Street View coverage, a good data connection and good lighting	–
In the box
In the box	18 W USB-C power adaptor and Quick Switch adaptor confirmed in Google's launch announcement	–
Connectivity
Mobile network
Mobile network	Europe including UK supports LTE Cat 11 download up to 600 Mbps and Cat 5 upload up to 75 Mbps; three-carrier aggregation; 2x2 MIMO; no 5G	4G LTE, 3G WCDMA and 2G GSM
SIM
SIM	One nano-SIM and eSIM in selected markets, including the UK; operator dependent	Dual nano-SIM plus dedicated microSD slot on the BTU configuration
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi	Dual-band 2.4/5 GHz 802.11a/b/g/n/ac; 2x2 MIMO	Wi-Fi 5 (802.11a/b/g/n/ac), 2.4 and 5 GHz
Bluetooth
Bluetooth	Bluetooth 5.0 + LE; aptX and aptX HD	Bluetooth 5.0
NFC
NFC	NFC; Google Cast; FeliCa on Japanese models	Supported
USB
USB	USB-C 2.0; 3.5 mm headphone jack	USB-C 2.0
Positioning
Positioning	GPS and GLONASS; BeiDou and Galileo outside the US and Puerto Rico	GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou and Galileo