Google Pixel 3a / Pixel 3a XL (2019) vs Samsung Galaxy Note8 (2017)

While the Google Pixel 3a (2019) makes for a passable Smartphone for its asking price, the Samsung Galaxy Note8 (2017) simply doesn't make the cut and should be avoided by the majority of people. In either case, we suggest that you look into some better alternatives that cost around $130 or $340.

However, if you'd nonetheless like to find out more about the Google Pixel 3a (2019) and the Samsung Galaxy Note8 (2017), you can continue reading for our summary of what we know about them:

The Google Pixel 3a (2019) got praised by CNET and Tom's Guide - two highly trusted sources that perform in-depth hands-on testing. It was awarded the "Ranked 3 out of 6" title from CNET and "Ranked 3 out of 10" from Tom's Guide in their respective Smartphone roundups.

Taking a look at the Samsung Galaxy Note8 (2017), we found it was well-received by reviewers from a couple of reliable sources that conduct their own hands-on testing, including PCWorld, GadgetMatch, slashgear.com, and Gear Patrol. It performed great in their Smartphone roundups - it managed to earn the "Best premium phone" title from PCWorld, "Best Productivity" from GadgetMatch, and "Ranked 1 out of 7" from slashgear.com, which is a notable accomplishment.

Out of the sources that tested and rated both of these Smartphones, Expert Reviews, techaeris.com, and Android Central preferred the Google Pixel 3a (2019), whereas reviewers at What Hi-Fi?, T3, PCWorld, Android Authority, TrustedReviews, hardwarezone.com.sg, slashgear.com, and CNET liked the Samsung Galaxy Note8 (2017) better. Tom's Guide, Photography Blog, PhoneArena, PCmag, and Techradar gave them identical review scores.

We also took a look at which sources liked these products best - the highest Google Pixel 3a (2019) rating came from Expert Reviews, whereas the Samsung Galaxy Note8 (2017) most impressed reviewers at What Hi-Fi?; they earned scores of 10 and 10, respectively.

Lastly, we averaged out all of the reviews scores that we could find on these two products and compared them to other Smartphones on the market. We learned that both of them performed far better than most of their competitors - the overall review average earned by Smartphones being 7.5 out of 10, whereas the Google Pixel 3a (2019) and Samsung Galaxy Note8 (2017) managed averages of 8.6 and 8.5 points, respectively.

Due to the difference in their prices, however, it's important to keep in mind that a direct Google Pixel 3a (2019) vs. Samsung Galaxy Note8 (2017) comparison might not be entirely fair - some sources don't take value for money into account when assigning their scores and therefore have a tendency to rate more premium products better.