Hands On with the Google Pixel 5a 5G
Retail Price: $449.00
DISCLAIMER: GOOGLE SENT US A REVIEW UNIT OF THE PIXEL 5A BUT ALL THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS ARE OUR OWN
We are just about at the fall stretch of 2021 and the highly anticipated Google Pixel 6 series is upon us. However, before a new wave of Pixel devices usher into the world, Google quietly updated their most affordable line of devices with the brand new Pixel 5a 5G. On the surface, the 5a may not even register as a spec bump, yet with a lower starting price and a brand new hardware material, this phone might be a worthy upgrade. Here’s our first look at the Pixel 5a 5G.
The End of an Era
The 5a marks the end of an era. Whenever the 6 and 6a see the light of day, the box will be just a bit lighter. You see that power brick in the box? Say bye to that. Google confirmed that they are going the way of Apple and no longer including a power brick with the purchase of the phone starting with the upcoming Pixel 6. Other than that, the 5a contains almost exactly as the same things the 4a shipped with.
The similarities don’t just end there as the 5a also share the same processor as last year’s 4a 5G. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 756G chipset makes a return with 6 GB of ram accompanying it. There’s only one option with 128 GB of storage. So while the specs of the brains of the operation are identical, a bigger battery and a new body highlight the improvements worth discussing in this refresh.
What Changed?
Google upgraded the 5a with a metal unibody while still retaining that matte plastic finish we’ve come to enjoy from previous Pixel devices. The power button continues the Pixel two-toned approach from previous years, but the texture has a ridge feel to it now. In what I can only assume is a budgeting move, there’s only one colorway offering this year and that’s Just Black. I swear by the tech gods that when I got the box today, I thought to myself that Google sure is getting cheap as the print of the image looked like it was faded and not actually black. Lo and behold the phone really is like a slightly desaturated black. Under LED lights, it looks rather green! I’m positive that this is now a green color as the accompanying default wallpaper is a dark woodsy green too! Well played Google.
The USB-C slot and 3.5 mm jack were all retained just as the rear mounted fingerprint scanner was. They’ve also added IP67 certification to officially give the 5a dust and waterproofing. These things added on top of an already serviceable 4a can be had at only $449. While we’ve seen some higher processor performing power from Chinese phones in this price range, it’s quite difficult to argue against the 5a at $50 cheaper than the 4a.
The Pixel 5a is also a bit bigger than the 4a. This doesn’t really translate over to the display which is almost a near exact 6.3 inch 2400 x 1080p OLED panel good for 415 ppi. Unlike the higher refresh rates spilling over to other mid-rangers, Google only supplies you with a 60 hz refresh rate display here. However, this year’s phone does use Corning Gorilla Glass 6 instead of a really outdated Gorilla Glass 3 on the 4a. There’s also a bigger battery this year too which is probably the biggest narrative we should be following with the 5a. We have a 4,680 mAh battery this year compared to the sub-4,000 mAh battery in the 4a. No matter how we spin it, with essentially the same internal parts as last year, we should see better battery life this year. Be sure to come back for the full review where we’ll put the Pixel 5a through the daily driver experience.
As far as the cameras go, it’s literally more of the same as the 5a reuses the 12MP and 16MP dual camera setup found on the 4a 5G and the Pixel 5. I personally would still rank the Pixel 5 as a top 5 camera experience even right now. I expect more of the same from the 5a 5G and that’s a good thing. Many budget buyers purchasing the 5a 5G will be enthusiastically happy with the camera capabilities.
And finally, seeing as this is a Pixel phone, the current version of Google’s operating system, Android 11, comes right out of the box. Google will supply direct software updates for three years. You honestly can’t go wrong with the Pixel 5a 5g in 2021. While there isn’t anything sexy about the phone, it should be a serviceable device for at least the three years Google supports it. We’ll report back with our full review very soon.
Alex
Caught in between the conundrum of his fascination with retro and the future, Alex has a very unique taste in technology. Never one to follow trends like his millennial peers yet constantly desiring to get ahead of the curve, he sees technology like he does his other love: comic books. Always looking for the best value or a hidden gem, his collector mindset reflects on some of his favorite gadgets: the Moto X (2015), HTC U11 and the Google Pixelbook. If there’s a good tech deal out there, Alex is on the hunt!