Google took a major shot at Apple's iPhone camera while announcing its new $400 Pixel smartphone

Google

Google VP of product management Sabrina Ellis introduced the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL on stage in Mountain View, California on Tuesday, May 7.

• Google revealed two new Pixel smartphones on Tuesday: The Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL, which start at just $400 and $480 respectively.
• The low-priced phones employ Google's best-in-class cameras from the far more expensive Pixel 3 flagship smartphone.
• In revealing the new phones, Google took a direct shot at Apple's iPhone X camera in a direct comparison.
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Google's Pixel smartphones are nowhere near as popular as Apple's iPhones, but they boast one major advantage over the iPhone: Photography.

Though the iPhone camera is excellent, the Pixel line has best-in-class camera tech - especially when it comes to photos taken in low light.

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We confirmed as much ourselves with the Pixel 3a in a recent review:

Lisa Eadicicco/Business Insider

The photo on the left was taken with an iPhone XS Max and the photo on the right was taken with a Pixel 3a XL.

Google is clearly aware of this discrepancy, and took its recent Pixel 3a announcement event as a chance to take a jab at Apple's far more expensive smartphone.

"What other smartphone cameras try to do with expensive hardware, we can deliver with software and AI - including high-end computational photography," Google VP of product management Sabrina Ellis said on stage. "So here's what that means: Pixel 3a can take amazing photos in low light with Night Sight. It's one of Pixel's most popular features."

As the words came out, an image highlighted just how much better Google's Pixel line is at capturing low-light photos than the competition.

Google

Notably, Google's image didn't explicitly spell out the competitor - instead, the comparison is to "Phone X." We're taking a wild guess that Google isn't talking about the Moto X.

Check out the full presentation right here:

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