Camera-testing outfit DxOMark has given the Google Pixel 3a an overall score of 100, making it one point behind its flagship predecessor the Pixel 3.

Pixel 3a DxOMark Score

It shouldn't come as much of a surprise that the scores between the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3 were so close. That's because they both have the same 12.2-megapixel main camera with an f/1.8 28mm wide-angle lens.

The main differences lie in the internal specs, particularly the processor. While the more expensive Pixel boasts the speedier Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, the budget variant only has Snapdragon 670. In addition, the latter doesn't come with Google's Pixel Visual Core, which basically helps with image processing and energy efficiency. These presumably reflect on DxOMark's findings.

Now, on the photo side of things, the Pixel 3a scored 103 points, the same as the Pixel 3. In fact, it got higher points in certain areas than the pricier Pixel, such as color and texture. According to DxOMark, it's because it "captures more neutral white balance" in different lighting conditions when compared to the Pixel 3.

Meanwhile, it scored 95 points on video tests, which is three points lower than the Pixel 3's score. As the camera-benchmarking outfit explains, the primary problem the Pixel 3a had here is "noticeable underexposure in low light."

As for the Pixel 3a XL, there's a good chance that it'll score the same as its smaller sibling. The two share pretty much the same processor and cameras, after all.

In short, the Pixel 3a lineup comes with a camera on par with flagships such as, well, the Pixel 3, and its DxOMark score more or less proves that. The best part is, it's available at a starting price of $399, which is half the cost of its flagship sibling.

The Competition

Google's Pixel phones have typically been high up in DxOMark's rankings, but they've been outshined by other devices recently, such as the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G, OnePlus 7 Pro, and Huawei P30 Pro, to name three. Still, considering the cost of the Pixel 3a, it's impressive to see it up there in the charts.

For the complete review of the Pixel 3a's camera, don't forget to hit up DxOMark's post.