Google is quietly killing the Pixel 3a, its $400 Android phone that ended up being one of the best smartphones of last year

• Google is discontinuing the $400 Pixel 3a, the more affordable version of its Pixel 3 phone that it launched last spring.
• The company said it had completed sales of the phone but that the device would still be available through partners while supplies last.
• The phone was widely acclaimed by critics for offering some of the Pixel 3's best features, like Night Sight, at a significantly lower price.
• Google is widely rumored to be developing a successor to the Pixel 3a called the Pixel 4a, but the company has yet to make any announcements.

Google has quietly discontinued the Pixel 3a, the $400 smartphone it launched last spring as a more affordable version of the Pixel 3.

Google's website lists the phone as "Out of stock," but the search giant said that it has "completed sales of the Pixel 3a."

"Google Store has sold through its inventory and completed sales of the Pixel 3a," the company said in a statement to Business Insider. "For people who are still interested in buying Pixel 3a, the product is available from some partners while supplies last."

Android Police first reported the news of Google's decision to discontinue the Pixel 3a.

The Pixel 3a came in two variants: the standard $400 Pixel 3a and the larger-sized $480 Pixel 3a XL. The phones were highly regarded among critics as being an excellent value for the price.

The Pixel 3a maintained some of the Google-exclusive features of the Pixel 3, like Night Sight for taking photos in the dark and Call Screen, a feature for screening calls as its name implies.

Last November, Business Insider ranked the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL in fourth place on its list of the 20 best smartphones in the world. The Pixel 3a is also the best-selling unlocked smartphone on Amazon, ranking higher than phones from Samsung, Motorola, and Apple.

Google has not yet announced a successor to the Pixel 3a, but the company is rumored to be developing a sequel called the Pixel 4a. That phone is said to come with a rear-mounted fingerprint reader, a 12.2-megapixel single camera, and a screen measuring around 5.7 or 5.8 inches, according to rumors and leaks that have surfaced over the past few months.

However, it's unclear when the phone would debut. Google launched the Pixel 3a at its Google I/O developers conference last May, but this year's event was cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic. Google also typically unveils its new flagship Pixel phones and other gadgets in the fall, so it's possible the company may wait until then.

Google was among the first major smartphone makers to launch a device in the United States that was significantly less expensive than popular smartphones like Apple's iPhone and Samsung's Galaxy S series.

But a lot has changed since the Pixel 3a's launch last spring; Apple has since released the $400 iPhone SE, and Samsung has brought its mid-range Galaxy A series to the US. If Google does launch a Pixel 4a soon, it'll certainly face more competition.