Remembering the Purple-ish Pixel 3a

Quoting myself from five years ago:

Google’s Pixel 3A phone has a lot of admirable qualities. It sports a great camera that rivals the higher-end Pixel 3. Like other Pixel phones, it’s first in line for Android updates straight from Google. You can squeeze it to speak with the Google Assistant. And its starting price of $400 unlocked is tough to beat.

If I’m being honest, though, the best thing about the Pixel 3A is the “Purple-ish” color option.

…

The purple Pixel 3A’s great triumph is in the way it manages to be distinctive and subtle at the same time. While Google has always offered at least one offbeat color scheme for its Pixel phones, the purple Pixel 3A is the company’s high watermark.

This morning I pre-ordered an iPhone 16 Pro Max in “Natural Titanium,” and I’m sure it will be sufficiently slick. But Google’s early Pixels had a playfulness that I really miss—even the plain white Pixel 3 had a minty green power button—and the Purple-ish Pixel 3a with its tennis ball green power button hasn’t been matched since.

Just terrific.