It is becoming exceedingly apparent that in the past couple of years the smartphone landscape has completely changed. This change can be attributed primarily to the influx of Chinese budget smartphone brands. These brands such as Honor, Realme, Xiaomi, Pocophone etc, offer a tremendous value for money when it comes to budget Android smartphones. Major smartphone manufacturers who are known for their premium devices don’t seem to be oblivious to this trend. Take Samsung for example, they are trying to come out with their own line of budget smartphones and so is Google. That is right, a recent youtube video shines some light on the upcoming Google Pixel 3 Lite Specs and design. The hands-on video shows for the first time, Google’s upcoming entry into the budget smartphone market.
Google Pixel 3 Lite Specs
Let’s dive into the full list of specs first.
Display
- 5.56 Inch LCD display
- 1080 x 2160 Pixels
- 434 PPI
OS
- Android 9
Dimensions
- 155.7 mm x 75.8 mm
Chipset
- Snapdragon 670 (10nm)
- Octa-core
GPU
- Adreno 615
Memory
- 4 GB RAM
- 32 GB ROM
Main Camera
- 12.2 MP
- f/1.8, 28mm wide,1/2.55″, 1.4 μm, OIS
Selfie Camera
- 8MP
Sensors
- Fingerprint (rear)
- accelerometer
- gyro
- proximity
- compass
Battery
- 2915 mAh
It should be apparent from the specs listed above that Google is aiming for the low-tier smartphone market. While the specs listed are not exactly underperforming by any means, they are still fairly basic compared to what we have seen from Google Pixel 3 and Google Pixel 3 XL. The smaller display, the rear fingerprint scanner, the slower chipset, they are all indicative of a device meant for more casual users.
The chipset used in this device is the Snapdragon 670 chipset which is based on a 10nm process. It has 6 cores operating at 1.7 GHz along with two high-performance Kryo 360 Gold operating at 2 GHz which makes a total of 8 cores. This processor is fast enough and should have ample power to drive the device seamlessly, however, it’s performance would contrast significantly against a Snapdragon 845 if they were to be compared.
Google Pixel 3 Lite Design and Build
In all fairness, the specs seem reasonable for a device that is meant to target the budget market. Another area will you have to compromise when getting this phone is the build. This device is made entirely from plastic, since it is not supposed to be premium nor are you going to pay a premium for it, this move makes sense to cut cost.
Moreover, due to the plastic back, there will be no wireless charging support for the phone. Also, don’t expect much from the phone in terms of aesthetics, the front of the phone has quite noticeable bezels and a chin.
The fingerprint sensor is on the back with the camera lens and flashlight accompanying it at the top. Overall the design and build are very basic and to the point. There are no frills or thrills to it. Its practical design with a no-nonsense approach.
I should also mention that there will be a Pixel 3 Lite XL as well with a bigger display and formfactor. Nothing substantial has come up regarding that variant of the phone presently so we will have to wait for more details on that.
Google Pixel 3 Lite Camera
Let’s be honest, the Google Pixel line of phones has a strong reputation when it comes to their camera capabilities. I am sure many people opt for the Pixel phones because of this reason alone if not due to the exceptional UI and frequent updates etc.
The Google Pixel 3 and 3 XL are no exception, both the phones perform exceedingly well even though they feature a single camera lens as opposed to dual or even tri-camera setups on other flagship phones.
This is the big deal with this phone! According to the video, the Pixel 3 Lite takes exactly the same quality photos as its bigger brothers. This is going to be a very decisive factor for people interested in buying this phone. You will receive the same camera quality as the much more expensive Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL from a phone that will cost significantly less.
You can view the sample photos taken by the Pixel 3 Lite below
Google Pixel 3 Lite Has a Headphone Jack!
Surprisingly enough the Lite version of the phone has a headphone jack. I guess Google realized in the process of designing this phone that the budget consumer has a greater need for a headphone jack on a cheaper device. This makes sense since half-decent wireless earphones can cost as much as twice the price of decent wired earphones.
it goes without saying that this move will be highly appreciated by the interested consumers. It will play a pivotal part in sales as we have seen time and time again how people are not yet ready to part ways with the headphone jack.
Google Pixel 3 Lite Launch Details
As for the launch date, the video claims that the device will be launched after Google’s I/O 2019 event, but it will still be running Android 9 Pie. This means that we should focus on the March, April or May to see if the Pixel 3 Lite will be unveiled during any one of these months. This means that the device will most probably be launched around the months of April and May.
Currently, there are no speculations regarding the pricing and it is hard to take a guess at it when a brand does not have a prior budget smartphone. Since this is a first for Google we will wait for official price announcement or a credible leak.
Do check on the hands on video in the source below and tell me your thoughts in the comments.