Google is adding a new, compact-sized Pixel 4a to its smartphone portfolio. The good news is that Pixel 4a won’t hurt your wallet, as the phone starts at $349 in the US, making it the cheapest Pixel-branded smartphone ever.

The Pixel 4a is aimed at budget-conscious consumers who don’t have the money to buy Pixel 4 or Pixel 4 XL, Google’s latest flagship devices. For the price, the Pixel 4a is a compelling purchase—at least for those who do not want features like multiple cameras and higher refresh rate displays in a smartphone.

The company informs that the Pixel 4a is built on the same idea as the last year’s Pixel 3a, and the idea is to bring the “best of Google hardware, software and AI” to more consumers at an accessible price point. But this time, the Pixel 4a is launching at a time when consumers are hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. With most people cutting down discretionary spending, the $349 price tag of Pixel 4a might just convince them to upgrade to a new smartphone. It’s the same tactic Apple recently applied with the second-generation iPhone SE, which starts at $399.

Many would think that Google has made compromises to launch the Pixel 4a at a low price, but that’s not true. Google took the best out of Pixel 4 and cut features on Pixel 4a. The new low-cost phone has a 5.8-inch FHD+ OLED screen with minimum top and bottom bezels. Google says the screen size is increased by 4.5 per cent compared to the Pixel 3a, while the overall device size is decreased by 5.8 per cent. The 5.8-inch screen is neither too small nor too big for a modern-day smartphone. The Pixel 4a is not a small phone, but compact enough to use one-handed. At the same time, Google has managed to fit a faster Snapdragon 730G processor, meaning the phone will run all the games and apps that many expensive Android smartphones do.

The price of Pixel 4a, though, is its strongest selling point. However, the Pixel 4a faces tough competition from the iPhone SE, which has been well received by consumers.

In fact, Apple saw iPhone sales increased in Q3 2020, largely due to the “very successful” release of the low-cost iPhone SE in April. It remains to be seen how well the Pixel 4a is received, in US and internationally, with a price that already dramatically undercuts Apple’s iPhone SE. The Pixel 4a is expected to officially arrive in South East Asian markets by October.

(Agencies)