Google Pixel 3a vs Samsung Galaxy A8 (2018)

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

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Pixel 3a compared with Galaxy A8 (2018)

	GooglePixel 3a	SamsungGalaxy A8 (2018)
Overview
Released
Released	May 2019	January 2018
Display
Screen size
Screen size	5.6″	5.6″
Resolution
Resolution	2220 × 1080	2220 × 1080
Sharpness
Sharpness	441 pixels per inch	441 pixels per inch
Panel
Panel	OLED	OLED
Display type
Display type	Full-screen OLED; 18.5:9 aspect ratio	Full HD+ Super AMOLED Infinity Display, 18.5:9; Always On 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 7885
Memory
Memory	4 GB	4 GB
Storage
Storage	64 GB (better)	32 GB
CPU
CPU	64-bit octa-core CPU; 2.0 GHz + 1.7 GHz; Titan M security module	Exynos 7885 octa-core; 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 up to 512 GB on the BTU product page
Cameras
Main camera
Main camera	12.2 MP	16 MP (better)
Ultra wide camera
Ultra wide camera	None	None
Telephoto camera
Telephoto camera	None	None
Optical zoom
Optical zoom	None	None
Front camera
Front camera	8 MP	16 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, phase-detection autofocus; no optical image stabilisation
Front camera
Front camera	f/2.0; 1.12 μm pixels; fixed focus; 84° field of view	Dual 16 MP and 8 MP, both F1.9, with Live Focus portraits
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; digital video stabilisation
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	3,000 mAh
Video playback (maker's claim)
Video playback (maker's claim)	–	Up to 17 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	3,000 mAh; up to 17 hours video playback; fast charging
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 (better)	172 g
Thickness
Thickness	8.2 mm (better)	8.4 mm
Height × width
Height × width	151.3 × 70.1 mm	149.2 × 70.6 mm
Water and dust resistance
Water and dust resistance	–	IP68
Materials
Materials	Polycarbonate unibody	Curved glass front and back with metal frame
Colours
Colours	Just Black, Clearly White and Purple-ish; availability varies by market	Black, Gold and Orchid Grey announced for UK and Europe
Water resistance detail
Water resistance detail	–	IP68 dust and water resistance, up to 1.5 metres for 30 minutes in fresh water
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
Microphones
Microphones	Two microphones with noise suppression	–
Software
Operating system
Operating system	Android	Android
Software at launch
Software at launch	Android 9 Pie	Android 7.1.1 Nougat
Safety features
Safety features	–	Samsung Knox, Secure Folder and Samsung Pay
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 Cat. 11, 3G WCDMA and 2G GSM
SIM
SIM	One nano-SIM and eSIM in selected markets, including the UK; operator dependent	Single nano-SIM with separate 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 and BeiDou