With the Pixel 3a , Google is this year also entering in the highly competitive middle class. But what losses do you have to accept in comparison to the more expensive Pixel 3 Fewer than expected, as our test of the latest Pixel smartphone shows.

Handy format; Stereo speakers; Top camera; Solid battery life

No wireless charging; Restricted storage space; Old-fashioned design

The Google Pixel 3a is less than half the price of most flagship smartphones , and yet it doesn't look or feel cheap. That's because Google delivers the features most users really care about, including a vivid 5.6-inch OLED display, a fantastic camera and all of the company's clever software, for...

Flagship-caliber camera; Google software and support; Solid build; OLED display; Low price; Excellent battery life; Supports all carriers

No water resistance; Performance is good; not great; Display could be brighter; No wireless charging

Since Google rebranded the Nexus program with Pixel smartphones, it has driven the price up pretty considerably, to compete with the other flagship smartphones out there. But, Google has decided to go back to its

After making Pixel smartphones for three years, Google wants to widen its range. But while the company is making a cheaper variant, it's rather guarded in its approach.

The Google Pixel 3a doesn't feel like the affordable cousin of a high-end phone – it feels more like a powerful and impressive mid-range handset in its own right, with great specs and useful features inherited from the Pixel 3 that you won't find in many other similarly-priced devices.

Brings back the headphone jack; Affordable price point; Has Active Edge

Feels a little slower than the Pixel 3; No wireless charging; Plastic body doesn't feel 'premium

The Pixel 3a is an unbelievably impressive phone, considering the price. Google has managed to retain all the things that made the original Pixel 3 great. The trademark Pixel camera remains which will please the brand's faithful, and it returns with even more intelligence than before, without...

Intelligence in every corner; Colour accurate display; Impressive and unchanged camera

Night Sight is somewhat unreliable

We like that Google has opted to build a more affordable version of its pure Android smartphones, and even used some smart artificial intelligence (AI) to ensure the camera and performance is pretty much the same as the pricier models (save for some behind-the-scenes slower processing times).

Clean and smooth software experience; Great point-and-shoot camera; Fast charging is useful

Quite expensive given its specs/features; Plastic build feels a bit cheap; No wireless charging

Google's return to the mid-range is a bold yet highly impressive move for the company. Punching through the flagship-killing market – potentially ringing the death knell for the regular Pixel 3 in the process – Google's Pixel 3a is the antithesis of what we've come to expect from cheaper variants of...

Camera is just as good as the Pixel 3's; Significantly cheaper; Superb colour-accurate display

Battery life is only better than average

The Google Pixel 3a might be the perfect antidote to the £1000 smartphone – and an answer to Google's dwindling smartphone sales. With flagship devices commanding ever higher prices, and people choosing to upgrade their phones far less in general, cheaper handsets are becoming more important.

Last year, the Pixel 3 proved that it's possible to use software to create a thoughtful phone that's just as powerful, and sometimes easier to use than competitors crammed full of the latest high-end components.