Buying the new Google Pixel 3a is a much easier proposition than it was even six months ago when the Pixel 3 line was released. The Pixel 3a was announced yesterday morning, and I had one in my hands yesterday afternoon, as did many other Australians who were able to buy one in store on the day they were announced.
As it stands, the Pixel 3a range is available from a number of retailers – in store and online – as well as from Vodafone.
Do you want a Pixel 3a on a plan?
If you want a Pixel 3a on a plan, there’s only a couple of choices, and all of them are with Vodafone which has a carrier exclusive in Australia.
There’s a range of 12-month and 24-month plans on offer, and with Vodafone, you can cancel your plan whenever you want and pay the remaining handset balance with no penalty.
Here’s the 12-month plans:
Here’s the 24 month options:
What you’ll notice is the minimum costs don’t vary much; your minimum cost is one month’s mobile service and the handset itself. It doesn’t hurt that Vodafone’s plans offer reasonable value, too.
How about buying one outright?
At launch, Google said the Pixel 3a range would be available from the Google Store, JB HiFi, Harvey Norman, and Officeworks, and – for now – the pricing is all identical; no one’s offering discounts on a brand new phone just yet:
- eBay: From $849 (international version).
- Google Store: From $649.
- Officeworks: From $649.
- Harvey Norman: From $649
- JB Hi-Fi: From $649.
We have heard some stories of people buying the Pixel 3a in store at JB HiFi walking out with a free Google Home Mini. If this is appealing to you, it’s worth asking in store if this deal is on offer to you too.
As it happens, across all three options,
Just buy the phone outright from the Google Store online, and then take it to which ever network you like. You get a SIM-only plan.
Buying the phone outright usually works out cheaper than paying it off monthly to a phone network.
The plans above literally work out to $648.96 for the phone over 12/24 months…
Also, never buy from the Google Store online, cause you will get your item long after you could have buying from JB, Officeworks, or Harvey Norman.
It seems silly to not offer the XL on any carriers :/. People are more likely to buy the normal 3a outright at $650 than the XL outright at $800.
PS what is Voda even like these days? I’m assuming they overcame all those coverage dramas from years ago? I’ve been on Virgin/Optus for too many years, and even they struggled a little in the Sydney CBD when I’d visit. Telstra is just completely ruled out for being ridiculously priced for the plans they have.