Moto Z4 vs Pixel 3a XL: Best Budget Phone Stand-off

[@localblackman427]

I bought a projector mod for my old z1 force and my life has never been the same. I barely use my bedroom TV anymore. I wish I would have gotten one years ago

[@shawnsnow6413]

Camera: Pixel > Z4 Everything else: Z4 > Pixel

[@AshenTechDotCom]

having tested both with stock cam app, and open camera, it really depends on the situation, and mode you run the camera in, in my exp, the z4 has given me a full day listening to music/audio books over bluetooth(radsone es100 bluetooth/use dac+amp), and not gone below 40%, by full day, i mean, i charged the es100 2x that day (as i used it), so that part...i duno hit and miss like some samsung experiences i have had.....(love my note 3 to this day...things held up stupidly well, even has android 9 now....) honestly, from my testing on the cam, the pixel won sometimes, and was a wash or even a bit worse often, again depending on mode used. the selfie cam can be left in its default mode or set to 24mp mode, i found that this had a noticeable effect in some situations, though in not sure why... as in better or slightly worse results depending on conditions. and yeah, every thing else, the z4 just...makes me wonder why google cannot add an sd slot, and why they think 64g is enough.... this was the first phone that wasnt overpriced, that wasnt in one way or another a downgrade from my venerable note 3, my only real complaint is, i would like a user replaceable battery, i know, im "weird and old" but, the note 3 having a user replaceable battery kept me from returning it when the stock battery was defective...i just ordered a 10,000mAh battery+case and, got 5+ days of near constant use (audiobooks/music) before hitting 20% and needing a charge.... i dont expect that now, but, just the ability to swap it out if it starts to fail or fails...without having to risk breaking the phone or having to use the warranty replacement program... i agree mostly with this review, and it would be nice if moto could update their cam software to tune it a bit...or allow more tuning within the default app....(open camera honestly is great on most phones in my exp, in many ways better then default apps or pay apps even... in some not, if a phone has specif features only the default app currently has access to....though thats rare, mostly its just companies like google locking out full features if you dont get their hardware.... i need to look but, afik you can grab the pixel xl camera app with all features unlocked on the xda forums, that might help make the compairson better...i should just check the results on my z4...if i remember when i wake up...almost 3 days with nearly no sleep...i hate chronic pain. .. this phone(z4) has made me happy so far, kinda wish it wasnt the verizon ver..simply because i would have the 360 cam...not that i would use it a ton, but... there are times it would be handy...

[@HiPlains1]

Thank you for the unbiased review here. Most of the other reviews are just slamming the Z4. I bought the Z4 and love it and in my opinion has a much nicer screen than the pixel. I played with both of the devices side by side at Best buy and the Moto Z4 has a much nicer looking screen and it is a lot brighter. Plus I can't stress enough having twice the memory SD card and itself is reason to go with Z4. the camera on the Z4 is not as good but it's not a deal killer this is undoubtably the best camera that Motorola has ever put out.

[@SeanJohn127]

Loving my z4

[@sodica81]

@@SeanJohn127 how did you pay for the z4?

[@cityboysexo4180]

have the z4. only thing was a problem for me was fingerprint scanner... but i just added the same finger twice and its much better

[@HiPlains1]

@@cityboysexo4180 you also have to do it after putting on tempered glass.

[@AshenTechDotCom]

@@cityboysexo4180 my friends exp, this isnt uncommon with multi brands, including samsung....my aunts a50...she was refusing to use the fingerprint scanner because it "would only work 10% of the time" so i had her add each thumb 2x, problem solved...funny thing...i paid attention, and shes very consistent on how she presses her finger to the screen..freakishly so... also, after she had them install a tempered glass protector, the fellow listened and helped her add each one twice and said he was going to remember that trick they get complaints all the time...

[@adamschulte5903]

I find it funny how the requirements of a "good OLED display" have changed. It used to be that OLED's were to produce saturated colors and a high contrast. Now a "good OLED display" is supposed to produce "natural" colors. Wtf? I thought that was what LCD displays did.

[@Robotkiller14]

Got my moto Z4 for $250 and already have moto mods from before. Moto is the way for me on this one, just wish they had faster updates

[@grantbecerra9051]

Bernard where did you get it for 250?

[@codys14]

@@grantbecerra9051 Verizon right now is doing $10 a month for 24 months (so $240)

[@1Dub79]

@@codys14 I got mine, last month at Best Buy for that price. Great deal.

[@golftownpro999]

But will you get an update....will you ever get Q probably not Signed former moto fan boy

[@meritosagie4394]

Mike Metcalfe get pixel instead

[@sjn_]

Moto is no longer the same since Lenovo bought it. I used to be a fan as well, their budget phones were good but not anymore...

[@Oakleyworld]

@@sjn_ i remember rhe original moto x, that phone was really good

[@mak0893]

They confirmed Q but not R

[@bronxsalvy503]

Pixel 3 not the cheap one is ok android Q is aite not all that either but my s10+ plus running Android 9 can run circles around my pixel 3 in performance no question about it. Not even with custom roms could the pixel convince me and I tried a few that's why it had to go I just picked up the z4 is really not that bad so far. I had all pixels till now but the pixel 4 doesn't seem to do it for me cant convince me with a camera and updates anymore. plus they took away unlimited storage for original size pic+vids on pixel 4 nahh 🤷‍♂️

[@ghayyasqureshi]

How much the price now of moto z4 in Pakistan?

[@hkingkong]

64 G is barely enough for the pixel

[@thomasok16833]

No

[@AshenTechDotCom]

its 2x what my 2013 note 3 has...but lacks the sd slot and replaceable/upgradeable battery, so it was a no-go for me, i had a 256gb sd card in my note 3, its got my 128gb in it now, and its got LinageOS 16(android 9.x)... the z4 was the first i found that was pretty much an across the board upgrade, minus the battery being user replaceable, but that dosnt worry me all that much, i bought a 20,000 mAh QC3.0 power pack that quick charges it faster then any wall wart i have tested(including a high end anker qc3.0 charger i keep on my bed....) i can even charge my Radsone ES100 off of it with a C-Micro OTG cable from 9% to full in around 12min, and have the phone last the day..(and keep listening to music/audio books as i do it, if i pause audio, it charges faster..but...thats plenty fast imho...) the z4 has my 256gb sd card, and testing with Open Camera vs the Pixel 3a XL... honestly, the pixel had a better camera at times, the z4 at others, the one thing i can say, the z4 was a bit more consistent in that i never have had it create an image so dark that you lose detail...during a fairly bright day...the pixel 3a xl...didnt do as well that day its own cam app or open camera same issue... that night it also had some issues...the z4...not an amazing low light camera, but, a pretty good camera none the less, better then many MANY i have used in cameras up to 3x the price(wish i was kidding...one phone...its default app was horrid, so many icons and options around the edges of the image the couldnt be hidden...and where easily accidentally hit... i think it claimed to be 16mp....looked alot worse then my note 3...(i only use open camera on that phone it runs linageos and will till its hardware fails...its a good little device....held up amazingly well...2013 phone thats still better then many mid range phones today.....insane...) the fact that the z4 had headphone jack, sd slot, 128 internal, and a very decent battery life.. and easily unlocked bootloader.... i really am not worried about updates..if moto/lenovo dont update it..im sure the community will... and..honestly...i wont mind moving to linage os on here.. i use evie launcher anyway.... i still have my venerable note3...this thing..honestly... i have used the note 8 and 9, its 2/3-3/4 of what they offer, at half the price, and the bootloader is easily unlocked, im waiting for an official twrp and linageos support, then, i will strongly consider moving off the stock firmware... the pixel wouldnt suit me at all...i have more music and audio books(in opus format) then would even fit...with my sd card, i have plenty of room for them, without using any internal space at all... hell, once theres an official root guide for the z4...it will get rooted, i want to install aniur (sp?) audio and a rip out youtube, in favor of youtube vanced black edition... a few other tweaks... i can say, i have a love of, and desire to, pack "too much shit" around...but...my mood changes...sometimes i listen to one kind of music, sometimes another... the same for audio books... hell there are audio books i avoid most of the time, but, a couple times a year im in a mood to watch one..is that odd? anyway...this phone also has aptx adaptive, that the es100 should be getting in the comming year(it already got updated to bt5.0, with ldac, aptx/aptx-hd for high quality audio transports...and the creators/devs have been pretty good with the firmware updates so far.... i use opus because, size to quality, nothing beats it or in some cases even comes close..... audio books never need more then 32k music never needs more then 160k(thats higher then anybody reported being able to hear any changes by a bit, i added a buffer after research..) with neutron, this phones great.....im even glad it dosnt have some of the weird audio enhancement/tuning crap that many phones come with, that, sometimes, for me, ruin specific songs or even audio books voices... seems very neutral/flat by default, the fact i can use this phone in any mode my audio device supports, is actually a bonus...on top of the nice headphone jack thats so lacking in most newer phones...

[@xleon26x]

I have moto z3. I have all the mods for it. Is moto z4 compatible?

[@prithvirajkanne]

Lenovo what have you done? Motorola MotoZ line up is a Flagship lineup but you made it with a SD675 CPU !?

[@TuPhonez4Free]

Motorola has other phones coming so that's not their focus. But I'll admit. I'll pick pixel XL now. This phone is a go! Lol 😂

[@birkensafttt]

I consider it as an advantage. I'm not a gamer, and Snapdragon 6XX series processors have a positive impact on battery life.

[@zeroiceice008]

The flagships are coming the moto z lineup watch soon Moto one, G 10 etc They haven't announced it officially on the dates

[@TuPhonez4Free]

@@zeroiceice008 lol 😂

[@prithvirajkanne]

@@TuPhonez4Free that's a good choice, even for the awesome camera ...

[@centslessviolence]

The storage on the pixel is a deal breaker for me.

[@notanotheryoutubechannel777]

Facts

[@okok72277]

Yeah I have a pixel 3a, and I love everything about it, it's genuinely the perfect phone, except for the storage. Expandable storage would have made it unbeatable.

[@BriefNerdOriginal]

The Moto Z4 seems like the best deal.

[@Dmonday_81]

Moto phones are great, if they kept them up to date like Google does the pixel I really think they'd be a little more popular than they are. They also don't really market themselves well. The mods are great, but they never made new ones, what's the point of doing 4 generations of compatible phones if you're not gonna release new mods? It's like the design department got lazy....I loved the Moto Z2 force, but no updates, and no new mods made me sell it

[@DreamyAbaddon]

@obummersux For me it's the battery, speakers and gamepad.

[@DeadofWinter321]

I'm stuck between these two for being a back up device in case something happens to my daily driver. I love (and miss) the Moto Mods but the Pixel has the superior camera on the market of any other smartphone.

[@12-arnabdeb98]

Which Benchmark app were they using?

[@maxoo._]

Very good video John !! 👍 Better looks for the Z4 only drawback is no stereo speakers and bad camera... 😰

[@jakey20022]

The z4 has a pretty good camera

[@maxoo._]

@@jakey20022 Yeah for the Z series but unfortunately inferior to the Galaxy S9 and S10 series and Pixel 3 and 3a series... Should have been at the same level... 😰

[@JonChrymes]

@@maxoo._ click on reviews of people that actually own the device. i have the z4 and pixel 3a and i prefer the z4 in daytime and pixel in night time. there's a guy on here that owns both devices and did a thorough breakdown of each device in real world usage. you should check out his video. just type moto z4 vs pixel 3a. reviewers regurgitate the same things year after year. i look at them for entertainment. when it comes to actually choosing a device, i look at real people that own the phone and me playing with the devices myself.

[@JonChrymes]

Point Of View when you add smiley emojis, you simply show the argument that people want to validate their purchase through childish "team building" but for the life of me, I can't understand why you stated you have a pixel 3 on a phone comparison about a pixel 3a XL and Moto z4. For what it's worth (or not worth?) I have a pixel 3 as well and if you say the pixel 3 has the same camera as the pixel 3a XL then you haven't done your research. Now, show me a review from a real consumer that owns both devices. The best reviewers will tell you to try products for yourself and in my usage i much prefer the z4 photos in daytime and pixel 3a XL at night, especially the front camera on the z4 changed to 25mp(not the 25 into 6mp out of the box but you can change it directly to 25mp)

[@maxoo._]

@@JonChrymes good analysis but nobody can test by oneself Z4 or/and 3a camera so they have to rely on KZbin camera tests... I haven't said that the 3 and 3a have the same camera and quality let's check... I like sometimes having a childish behaviour through smileys posting, and indeed my regular Pixel 3 in just black color has a way better camera quality than both Z4 and 3a xl... Presence of the PDAF sensor between the lens and the flash that the 3a doesn't have better software optimization 2 front cameras with one equipped with 84° width angle that the 3a/xl doesn't have etc... you can check everywhere the 3 has better daylight/night photos than the 3a same for videos and stabilization 😉 Pixel 3/xl > Pixel 3a/xl > Pixel 2/xl > Moto Z4 (same level as Pixel/xl) > Moto Z3 > Z3 play

[@SeanJohn127]

Love my moto z4

[@AJITH-jf2wt]

Motorola is best ✨💪 Motorola lover from 🇮🇳✨

[@TuPhonez4Free]

No they not. No updates and I'm always having app crashes and lag. Pixel is winning. Lol 😂

[@HiPlains1]

@@TuPhonez4Free Never had issues with my unlocked versions from best buy. Which one did you have? And if it was a Carrier phone then that was your first major mistake.

[@cza79]

Consumers don't realize the Pixel is also Motorola phone. Google once owned Motorola but still retains most of the patents

[@ismailsajidvellorean]

great tech support news & comparison. hats off to your channel

[@lupogiallo]

How is the moto with gcam?

[@I_Love_Global_Warming]

I owned both. The Z4 feels and looks like a premier device. The Pixel is know for Vanilla Android, camera, and fast /consistent updates. I purchased the Z4 only for the 5G Mod making it by far the least expensive 5G device. But Lenovo doesn't care about updates and this is a sticking point for me. Like Apple, Google, Oneplus etc most manufacturers should update immediately. People are beginning to keep their phones longer so updates are more important than they ever were.

[@RKO6192]

As a previous owner of a Z Play, and now an owner of a 2XL, you don't even think about the moto mods, they're all reasonably decent concepts, ruined by their price tag and the fact you could just get a bluetooth accessory that does the same thing in most cases. That and you'll wait 3/4 a year for android Q, and good luck getting any further with that compared to the 3a's Q, R and S updates. Plus the camera was a cake walk for the Pixel

[@qazifaisal5]

Only one of them can be made even better the Z4 so I have to go with the Z4 every single time. most Americans prefer mid range phones to flagships hence Samsung scrambling to make lots of mid range phones . With my battery mod my z3play goes well over 2 days with heavy usage. So again z4 for the win easily.

[@JJs_playground]

I just got a pixel 3, but I'm missing the Moto gestures and front facing fingerprint scanner from my Moto Z2 play.

[@Vedrajrm]

Somehow from the thumbnail, I knew it was John V. Miss the intro though.

[@hienho15]

I don't know. To me based on the small sample, the Moto z helds it's own. I wouldn't say the pixel is better in pictures.

[@rafaelcarruyo8988]

Good video , wallpaper pixel 3a please

[@EM-cj7tu]

ive had every moto z phone... except the 3rd one... also have had high end phones like samsung 9 plus... honestly id rather spend half than what a galaxy cost.. i learned quickly that those phones charge so much for all the ram they shove in those phones but... there is no app or game that demands that much power.. my moto z4 still plays cod mobile on all high settings.

[@willfake84]

Picked up the Z4 on Visible for around 250 after rebate. Great phone. Wish it was IP 68 like previous Z models but the processor choice was very smart! Stays cool and runs fast! I installed the pixel camera app so photos are amazing on the Z4 hardware.

[@JTManuel]

I wish this was available here in the UK. My Z3 play is getting long in the tooth.

[@Nolan-xc3yl]

Do a video on the honor 9 lite

[@zeroiceice008]

You have to know what you want. The pixel 3a and 3aXl is not for everyone, if you take alot of pictures and love current updates the phone is fir you its hast great software google of course. And if everyone knows Motorola there ohones gave always been based on durability and solid use more of a feature ohone ie moto mods. If you are a moto mod person the phone is definitely for you, the speaker is loud enough if not get the jbl mod and wow lol, there are tons of mods to use.The camera has come a long way so any fan wouldn't be disappointed. Its all on what you prefer. but everyone knows Motorola is slow on updates. but thats not unusual. Either phone is great for the price.

[@AshenTechDotCom]

the big thing that killed my interest in the pixel lineup was lack of sd slot and quite limited storage......its only got 2x the storage my 2013 note 3 came with....and that has a slot(with a 128gb card in it no less..) 64g in 2019...guess they expect you to stream your music and audiobooks(yuck) and not take too many full res pics and videos without having gdrive/photos upload them and remove the originals from the phone... that was my main issue with the pixel... having used them side by side for a few days... honestly the pixel cam/cam software is better, but not in every situation, some pictures where just bad in some conditions the pixel software...dosnt do so hot...open camera does better but...nothings perfect... as to software updates....i expect by the time they stop updating this, i will have unlocked the bootloader and installed twrp, so i will be able to run linageOS or another android build for the phone, so that dosnt worry me, hell i got android 9 with working bluetooth calling on my note 3... that was a bit of work....(mostly because it was a verizon ver and the unlock required a PITA process even with the automated package somebody made, once unlocked though, i was able to update to android 7.x from 5.1.1, then recently, somebody sused out the problem with bt calling and...android 9 is functional on the note 3...

[@sylentxtinction2097]

Too bad to guys didn't test the zoom camera mod.

[@zeroiceice008]

If people are so concerned about price and still want a great phone with all the features under 500 get a Shaomi mi 9.. Its a beast for the money

[@Oakleyworld]

I was gonna get that but i heard it doesn't work well with tmobile LTE

[@TheSupremeSkill]

In Finland Moto Z4 is not currently available and Google Pixel 3A costs 500 €. For example Huawei P20 Pro costs now 400 € and there are other way better choices available. I don't bode Google Pixel 3A selling well in Europe. PS. Why is the title 'budget phone'? These are clearly not budget phones, rather higher mid-range phones.

[@recruit7416]

Lmao pixel 3a xl here in Romania is like 600$

[@llengford]

I will never purchase another Motorola phone I have had my Motorola z 4 for 9 months..... The screen has started to come apart..... I take very good care of my phones I have had cheaper phones that last for five years no problem..... it's a shame that a $550 phone will not last but nine months...... Motorola's warranty is ridiculous they want you to make a cash down payment of $400 before they can fix the phone that you bought a warranty on......

[@sumeetsharma8482]

pixel 3a front camera is not better than moto z4 at any given day !

[@sunnymalton33]

With love from Pakistan

[@EllEmm149]

#teampixel 3a xl all day and night

[@wpstatusgvk3370]

Lol , realme and k20 pro are laughing so hard by looking at these videos

[@bl00dkillz]

WP STATUS gvk yeah not in the United States which these devices are target to, westerners

[@wpstatusgvk3370]

@@bl00dkillz oh shit

[@jamiljohnson3653]

pixel 3 a may not look better but give fan what they need

[@AkitaWebb]

That Moto🤾🏃🏃🏃

[@janepolewchak731]

If you want to save money I'm still get that camera, you get the pixel 3A and forget the other two. In between the two if you have that $500 get the Moto. Unless having a good camera on your phone is very important to you.

[@AshenTechDotCom]

because the z4 cam is horrible...

[@hottube135]

Motorola z4 better design premium look this phone is the winner

[@badbeatking80]

The mods don't fit right. Trust it will bother you

[@Robotkiller14]

It bothers a bit but nothing too bad

[@JayWillzGaming]

And as of today the Moto 4 is 399 at Best buy

[@minimalisthealth]

Honestly, these are mid-range phones. Not budget!

[@bighes100]

Budget is NOT mid range!

[@firefightergoggie]

"budget friendly mid rangers" LoL!! Here in Australia, these are $750.00 phones. Budget my ass.

[@bl00dkillz]

SuperSix Delta everything is expensive in aus so it’s to be expected

[@lockhamj]

I wish the phone was wider

[@tebogothoka2561]

Probably the first viewer for the first time in my life damn.

[@briefcaseblues6061]

Z4 all day

[@candyboy368]

OnePlus 7 comfortably overpowers both.......but pixel is still camera king

[@mak0893]

OnePlus isn't even in budget range anymore the 7 is no longer a killer but a flagship

[@MrJasenstewart97]

I already had 3 Moto mods so I ordered a z4, had to go back to Moto. Been a fan since the Moto x

[@pramanwithvarun]

Google making phones using motorola engineer and there RnD n patient

[@srtmetal7647]

Moto is water resistant. Pixel is not. Game over.

[@bdpSovietafr0]

Budget? Both of these phones are $400 after taxes and shipping? I dunno but budget ranges are more so in that sub $250 range, these phones are legitimate mid-range devices

[@PierreWilliams35]

Compared to $1500? Gotta disagree. Very budget imo.

[@jdonahoo69]

I just got an lg g7 thinq for 215 off ebay in excellent condition. Looks brand new and its alot better than these phones

[@albertz.]

Hmm. 2 years worth of updates or no updates for all we know. Better camera or settle for a lesser camera? Hard choice to make.

[@AshenTechDotCom]

half the storage, no expantion option, the pixel 3a xl is clearly superior in every way.

[@KofolaDealer]

I just switched to a windows phone

[@tebogothoka2561]

Let me like and finish the video.

[@tebogothoka2561]

you might as well donate a phone to me, given that I'm from South Africa too. Wow impressive

[@faheemmushtaq3805]

2nd....🤣

[@tebogothoka2561]

I'm from South Africa by the way, I wish you could giveaway a phone to me.

[@ultimaetsolder]

Africa gets enough aid already.

[@tebogothoka2561]

Lol it does? Not in the tech market

[@waleedchen]

@ronlovesit coz we r in one world so if u can help go ahead if can't don't talk to much

[@birkensafttt]

@ronlovesit Yeah, and we white people never beg.

[@mak0893]

@ronlovesit that's racist that's like saying teenage white girls dont go on social media and beg for the latest iphone

[@Archontasil]

Budget my butt

[@Hi-nw4dh]

Buttget

[@KakkoiSan]

I think K20 pro is far better than both in terms of value and performance

[@Fadamaster]

The Moto z 4 isn't a budget Phone, it's a $500 phone.

[@balancelee9598]

Got motor z4 at best buy for $200

[@Fadamaster]

@@balancelee9598 I just got mine at Best buy for $499

[@Fadamaster]

I've had mine for about 2 weeks

[@JonChrymes]

to me, $499 and $479 (dunno why he called the moto z4 $500 because he then should have called the pixel 3a xl $480 to be fair) are BOTH $500 phones since they are over $499 after taxes? at a $20 buck difference when we are talking about hundreds of dollars , that's the same price. Nothing on a phone would make me say "i'd rather save $20" ...i could say "i'd rather save my $100 bucks" but $20??? i'm going after what i PREFER for that difference over saving $20 i'll lose going to the movies or something.

[@note9isboss767]

Both are pretty pathetic and useless as daily handsets pretty dull, boring and sadly typical.

[@AshenTechDotCom]

yup, cant make calls, cant watch videos/brows the net, cant listen to music or audio books, just, pathetic and useless.

[@TuPhonez4Free]

I'm shocked at myself I chose a pixel over a Moto! 😲🤣🤣🤣 #TeamPixel

[@oneplus6tisboss782]

Financial losers are pretty sad in society.

[@TuPhonez4Free]

@@oneplus6tisboss782 bruh Pixel 3a XL winning. Lol 😂 OnePlus is trash bruh get over it.

[@meritosagie4394]

iTechUOutGuy or maybe you should just get iPhone xr it's s budget phone

[@mak0893]

@@meritosagie4394 That's funny

[@typhoon_8086]

Motorola is a joke compared to other budget devices from Google and Samsung

[@llengford]

I will never purchase another Motorola phone I have had my Motorola z 4 for 9 months..... The screen has started to come apart..... I take very good care of my phones I have had cheaper phones that last for five years no problem..... it's a shame that a $550 phone will not last but nine months...... Motorola's warranty is ridiculous they want you to make a cash down payment of $400 before they can fix the phone that you bought a warranty on......