We purchased the Google Pixel 3a XL so that our expert reviewer could thoroughly test and review it. Read on for our full product review.

For all the things Google did right with 2018’s Pixel 3 XL – including its impressive new Android operating system, beautiful display, and ample power – the company came up short with that awkward notch above the display. Deeper and more immediately visible than the camera cutouts you’ll see on competing phones (like Apple’s iPhone X), it felt like an unrefined, clumsy design decision on a very expensive phone.

Fortunately, the new Pixel 3a XL avoids both of these problems. Like the smaller Pixel 3a, it’s a slimmed-down version of Google’s flagship phone that opts for cheaper materials and less-skilled components, but carries a much more appealing price tag. In the case of the Pixel 3a XL, you’re getting a big, capable phone without a notch in its display, plus it costs nearly half as much as the original Pixel 3 XL. The result is one of the best big phones you can buy for under $500.

The one good thing about the Pixel 3 XL’s notch was that it reduced the amount of unnecessary bezel above the display. Since the Pixel 3a XL looks more like a super-sized Pixel 3, that means there’s a fair amount of blank, black space both above and below the display. It makes the phone look less refined than some of the other top-end phones on the market today, but it’s less noticeable on the Pixel 3a XL than on the standard Pixel 3a due to the larger display.