# Google Pixel 3a

Hacker Approved page: https://hackerapproved.com/p/google-pixel-3a/

8 people recommended Google Pixel 3a in Hacker News comments, 1 had mixed feelings and 7 criticized it, November 2025 to October 2026. It was recommended in 5 of 12 months, in 8 threads. It does not meet the Hacker Approved badge rule.

**Verdict:** Recommended for its unlockable bootloader, custom ROM support and reliable calls, though it stopped getting security updates about three years after release.

Summary written by Claude from 16 comments.

## Why people recommend it

- Unlockable bootloader and custom ROM support (2 comments in the sample): "Pixel devices have historically been really good about letting you unlock the bootloader and install what you want" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48117074)) "Pixel devices are very well supported by third-party ROMs after EOL" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47063086))
- Reliable phone calls and everyday performance (2 comments in the sample): "These days the Google Pixel 3a is coming close, as multiple people report reliable phone calls" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47035921)) "I loved my pixel 3a - it did the work" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47063763))

## What people warn about

- Security updates ended after about three years (4 comments in the sample): "The fact that they decided to drop support for the pixel 3a ~3 years after its release was fucked up." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47062508)) "stopped receiving security updates after less than 3 years" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48113613)) "doesn't get any security updates anymore since years now" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47222087))
- No HDMI or USB-C video output (2 comments in the sample): "old Pixels don't support video out over USB-C for whatever reason" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49196159)) "Old pixels don't have HDMI output, I learned it the hard way when the screen of my Pixel 3a died." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46808142))

## Other smartphones people recommend

- [Apple iPhone](https://hackerapproved.com/p/iphone/): 438 recommend, 190 mixed, 789 criticize
- [Fairphone](https://hackerapproved.com/p/fairphone/): 110 recommend, 42 mixed, 94 criticize
- [iPhone 13 mini](https://hackerapproved.com/p/iphone-13-mini/): 105 recommend, 32 mixed, 44 criticize
- [Apple iPhone Pro](https://hackerapproved.com/p/iphone-17-pro/): 90 recommend, 45 mixed, 138 criticize

## The badge

A product earns the Hacker Approved badge when at least 10 people recommend it, recommenders outnumber critics at least 2 to 1 (mixed feelings count toward neither side), it was recommended in at least 4 of the 12 months and in at least 5 different threads, and no single thread supplies more than half of the people who recommend it. Health and money products are never badged.

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "Google Pixel 3a", https://hackerapproved.com/p/google-pixel-3a/ (8 recommend, 1 mixed, 7 criticize; Hacker News comments, November 2025 to October 2026).

Counts updated 2 Nov 2026, with data through October 31, 2026.