Nice to meet you, Pixel 3a, even if you were the most leaked phone ever

We asked you last week if you still felt excitement when the Google Pixel 3a and 3a XL phones were announced in the flesh, or whether all the leaks building up to them somewhat took it away despite the excellent value-for-money ratio. Just 17% of our respondents were categorical that the most leaked device in the history of smartphones ruined their enthusiasm for it because they knew everything there was to know beforehand.

For about a fifth the fact that we saw the gear six months before its unveiling "somewhat" ruined the announcement event, yet the majority of you think that Google managed to pull off enough of an added value with the first midrange Pixels that it didn't matter they were profusely leaked prior to launch.

The Pixel 3a was the most leaked device in history, did that ruin the unveiling for you?

Yes

17.18%

63.59%

Somewhat

19.23%

From the complete specs sheet to the final naming scheme, and even lengthy review videos, we've known all about the Pixel 3a and 3a XL phones many months before Google took the stage to introduce them this week.

First, an alleged Pixel 3 Lite turned up in live photos from the confines of the former Soviet Union, complete with a writeup of the current specs - the processor, the RAM amount, the 12MP/8MP camera combo, the 5.56" display - everything was listed about six months before the unveiling.

A few days later, we got it sized up with the Pixel 3, then the gear was sized up and compared with Apple's current iPhones. Heck, we even had the first camera samples from the 12MP rear shooter way back in November. In December, it was time for the Pixel 3a XL to show up, and the ball started rolling with the final naming scheme and the first video reviews.

The full Pixel 3a and 3a XL design and specs were known almost half a year before their unveiling

Thus, the Pixel 3a and 3a XL had hands-ons, video reviews, camera samples, and comparisons with popular phones two weather seasons before their actual announcement this week, which makes them the most leaked smartphones in history. When Google's CEO Sundar Pichai took the stage on Tuesday, about the only thing left to see were the promo videos and the software trickery that the phones will introduce.

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Daniel, a devoted tech writer at PhoneArena since 2010, has been engrossed in mobile technology since the Windows Mobile era. His expertise spans mobile hardware, software, and carrier networks, and he's keenly interested in the future of digital health, car connectivity, and 5G. Beyond his professional pursuits, Daniel finds balance in travel, reading, and exploring new tech innovations, while contemplating the ethical and privacy implications of our digital future.