Google first announced its first smartphone candidate to compete with Apple and Samsung in 2016 with the Google Pixel. Several years later, we are a few generations deep into the Pixel series. Let's take a look at two specific models: the Google Pixel 3a (released in May 2019) and the more recent Google Pixel 4a 5G (released in August 2020).

Camera

Both the Pixel 3a and 4a have single rear 12.2MP cameras and an 8MP front-facing camera. There's not much different to note between the two camera systems, but the Pixel 4a has a few added features due to upgraded software, such as dual exposure, Astrophotography mode and Live HDR+ photography.

Battery

When it comes to battery life, the Pixel 4a 5G has a slightly larger battery at 3140 mAh compared to 3000 mAh on the Pixel 3a. Google claims that the 4a battery lasts up to 24 hours, but the 3a isn't far behind. However, if you value fast-charging, you should consider the 4a, which supports faster 18W charging.

Display

The Pixel 4a gets a small upgrade in display size measuring 5.8-inches diagonally compared to the Pixel 3a's 5.6-inch screen. While that might not seem like much, you definitely get more screen real estate with the 4a, which has a sleeker design with a screen that goes edge to edge and smaller bezels. Overall, the 4a has a much bigger screen to body ration than the 3a.

Storage 

In terms of storage capacity, the Pixel 3a only came with 64 GB. The Pixel 4a doubled that with 128GB of storage, so if you have a tendency to take up your phones' memory space with apps, downloads, photos and videos, then you'll definitely want to upgrade to the Pixel 4a.

Both phones also have 8 CPU cores and run Android 11 as their operating system, but differ in RAM capacity. The Pixel 4a has 6GB RAM, while its predecessor only offers 4GB RAM. You might notice a difference when running multiple apps simultaneously or playing games with high graphics requirements.

Processor

The Pixel 3a runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 670, while the 4a has an upgraded Snapdragon 730G chip. The latter isn't a whole lot faster, but it does give you more processing power at the end of the day.

Given that both of these phones are so similar, we'd usually steer you to save your money and opt for the earlier model in the Pixel 3a. However, the Pixel 4a was launched at a lower price than the 3a ($349 vs $399), so there's a chance that you'll actually find this model for less. We don't see any reason why you would consider the 3a over the 4a if the more recent model is cheaper, but if you currently own a Pixel 3a, then you might want to consider keeping your phone or upgrading to the Pixel 5 or 6.