Google Pixel 4a 5G Review: Best of Both Worlds? By Android Central

The pixel 4 i5 g is a bit of an oddity more than a pixel 4axl, but less than a pixel 5xl. It sits in the middle of Google's lineup this year with some fairly confusing branding, but ultimately it's five hundred dollars for a phone with most of the pixel 5's core specs and camera system and, of course, 5g. So, let's dive in and see if this middle child of the 2020 pixel lineup is actually worth buying. I'm Alex from android central- and this is our review of the Pixel 4a 5g. So the 4a5g fits right into Google's relatively dull 2020 design language with a polycarbonate body. That's basically just a blown up version of the vanilla 4a.

It feels nice, and the look is inoffensive, but this design is crying out to be done in something other than just black plastic. The lack of color here is a bit of a downer, so if you've watched our Pixel 4a review, this is that design, but just a little bigger, there's a 6.2-inch screen diagonal same full, HD plus resolution, as all the other pixels this year with decent but not outstanding. Brightness. One of the biggest things you'll miss out on from the pixel 5, is a fast refresh rate. The 4a5 g has a 60hz panel, though not all 60hz screens are equal, and this is one of the more responsive, 60hz phones, I've used.

I mentioned this- has the core specs of the pixel 5. Well, most of them anyway. The snapdragon 765g is on board here for quicker performance than the Pixel 4a, especially when it comes to graphics. That's in addition to 5g connectivity, as you might have guessed, but you only get 6 gigs of ram here, as opposed to the full 8 gigs in Google's top shelf phone in everyday app usage, you're not going to notice much of a difference. Certainly, I never noticed apps getting dumped out of memory like the pixel 3 back in the day.

Multitasking works just fine, the one area where you may notice the difference is in photography where it is easier to use memory more quickly, so the camera app may throttle you back more quickly than the pixel 5, but you'll only really notice this if you're taking a bunch of shots in quick succession. The camera is the other area where the premium over the regular Pixel 4a comes into play. This is literally the pixel 5's camera exact, same lenses and sensors with the same processor, doing the number crunching you've got a 12 megapixel standard camera, plus 16 megapixel ultrawide, for some of the best photos, you'll see out of any phone. We've got much more samples in our written review and in our pixel 5 video review. But in short, this is a camera setup that punches well above its weight with the main camera in particular.

You'll get shots that compete with phones, selling at a thousand dollars or more dynamic range and color detail in darker scenes are two areas of strength for this pixel and pretty much all the other ones too. Pixel photos aren't as super contrast and saturated as you'll see from Samsung or OnePlus, but they do have a distinctive look that I really like it's not over sharpened or too over processed plus. This phone has the full loadout of pixel camera features like a separate slider for shadow exposure, a night sight in portrait mode or even night sight with portrait mode, and the same goes for the pixel 5's new video stabilization modes for slower or smoother, moving shots, you'll find them alive and well on the Pixel 4a 5g. The ultra-wide camera is a bit weaker in low light conditions, but Google's HDR plus processing helps out a lot there, and you can pull a lot of detail out of darker scenes with night sight mode. So the pixel camera might be a large part of what you're paying extra for, but the basics of the phone are also worth digging into the software experience for pixel fans will be a known quantity.

It's speedy stock android with zero bloatware and an huge helping of google stuff helpful features like live transcription of audio and background music identification show google's focus on making your phone more useful in everyday life and, of course, the Google Assistant is at the center of this phone, and this is the newer, currently pixel exclusive version that runs on the device and is quicker to respond to voice queries performance wise, like I said, the 405 g gets the job done. The lack of a 90 hertz screen is what you'll really miss in terms of perceived performance despite running the same processor as the pixel 5. If you use them side by side, it's clear, the 5 does feel more responsive, but the 4a5g doesn't feel anywhere near as slow as, for example, lg 60hz phones that also run on the snapdragon 765. Beyond the luxury of a fast screen. It's also the little everyday conveniences that you miss out on.

Like QI, wireless charging and an IP rating for water resistance. The pixel 5 has both the 405 4a5g has neither whether that's a dealbreaker to you is going to depend on your preferences. For me, I think both are close to being table stakes at this point, though, one extra little convenience that you do get is a bona fide 3.5, millimeter, headphone jack, increasingly rare in a phone at any price point these days anyway, without wireless charging, you'll be charging the built-in 3800 William hour battery over the same 18 watt, USB pd brick as every other pixel. But that's not such a big deal. Considering the Pixel 4a 5g, like its sibling, is extremely battery efficient battery life, closely matched what I've been getting out of the pixel 5, which is to say you'll struggle to kill it off in under a day and screen on times north of seven hours are definitely possible.

My biggest beef with the pixel 405g is probably just the general boringness of the design. This design in other colors could have been pretty fun, but in matte black, it's about as bland as smartphone as you could possibly imagine, which is a shame, because the core experience here is great. Google's pixel software feels mature and speedy with genuinely helpful feature additions and because it's a pixel, you're supported with day one platform and security updates all the way up to android 14 in 2023, plus there's that pixel camera, which trousers just about anything else around the 500 mark. I still don't quite get why the 405 g is the largest of all the pixels this year. I guess maybe it was just necessary because of the 5g requirements.

You need a bigger battery. There's plastic construction plastic is less durable than the pixel 5's metal, so it needs to be bigger at this price. Point, you're always going to be compromising in some way, and I think this phone has a pretty reasonable set of compromises: the great battery life, but not the convenient charging, the great camera, but a little less ram, bigger screen, but only 60 hertz, but the name kind of undersells this phone. I think because the 5g is probably the least interesting thing about it, so maybe think of it as a pixel 4 and a half or a pixel 5 light whatever it's called google's middle child is a great little phone and worthy of your attention. If the top end pixel is a bit too small or a bit too expensive for your tastes, that's it for now be sure to subscribe.

So you don't miss everything else. We do here at android, central thanks for watching, and I'll see you next time. You.

Source : Android Central