The launch of the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL has helped Google in doubling Pixel sales year-over-year. The announcement was made by Sundar Pichai during Alphabet’s Q2 earnings call.

Despite packing an impressive rear camera, the Pixel series had done poorly from a sales viewpoint. The launch of the mid-range Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL seems to have changed that and brought these phones to the attention of a lot of consumers.

The Pixel 3a series is definitely not the best mid-range smartphone around in the market, but it does offer a camera performance similar to the bigger and more expensive Pixel 3 series which is its trump card. There’s no other mid-range phone in the market currently that could beat the Pixel 3a series in terms of camera performance.

Apart from its camera performance and pricing, the wider availability of the Pixel 3a series has also likely played a key role in its success. Before that, the Pixel series was notorious for its limited availability which was a major hindrance.

While not revealed by Google, these phones must have done well in the United States and other similar markets where there is a death of good mid-range smartphones in the $400-$500 price band. OnePlus previously had some offering at this price point, but it ended up entering into the flagship territory this year with the OnePlus 7 Pro and its $650+ pricing.

It is also important to note that the sales of the Pixel 2 and Pixel 3 series were not that impressive. With that in context, Google’s feat of doubling Pixel sales after the launch of the Pixel 3a does not sound that impressive anymore. Nonetheless, Google would likely still be happy after meeting with at least some success with its Pixel series.

If you are planning on buying the Pixel 3a, make sure to read our review.