In essence it’s a solid mid-range camera phone with few improvements.
Except for a larger battery and an improved dust and water resistance rating, the Google Pixel 5a isn’t that different from its predecessor. It’s still a solid mid-range smartphone with great cameras and is a solid phone. It’s an excellent, if not exciting, alternative to the Pixel 5’s zoom camera.
For:
- Software and cameras that are great
- Excellent specs at a reasonable price
- Good sized battery
Against
- Not a significant improvement over predecessor
- No zoom camera
- In-box charger is low-powered
Our Review in Two Minutes
The Google Pixel 5a looks much the same as the Google Pixel 4a 5G, both in terms of internal specs and design. Although there are some minor improvements, it feels almost identical to last year’s model.
The Pixel 5a’s cost has not increased from the 4a 5G. And for those who own the Google Pixel 4a (without 5G), and more so for those who have an older Pixel phone, there are plenty of reasons to get the new Pixel 5a. It’s a great mid-range phone at an affordable price.
The Pixel 5a uses the same Snapdragon 765G chipset, 6GB RAM, and 128GB of storage as the Pixel 4a 5G. There is no improvement in its specs. The Pixel 5a has the same cameras
Its predecessor had a 12MP main camera, 16MP ultra-wide camera on the rear and an 8MP front-facing cam.
So, what is the difference?
The battery is larger than the power pack in either the Pixel 4a (3.140mAh) or Pixel 4a 5G (4.080mAh). It is slightly larger than the 4a 5G, with a 6.34 inch Full HD Plus OLED screen. In addition, it has an IP67 rating, which means that your phone can be submerged in water up to 1 meter for 30 minutes.
The phone is still a mid-range device that offers few upgrades over its predecessor. Although it is unlikely to be a true innovator, Google may delay the significant upgrades for the Tensor-powered Google Pixel 6 later in the year.
Google Pixel 5a Price and Release Date
The Google Pixel 5a launched on August 17, 2021. It is now available for preorder. In the US and Japan, the Google Pixel 5a will be released on August 26. This phone is not expected to be available in the UK or Australia at this time.
It comes in one configuration, with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage. The price is £325.
This is actually slightly less than the Google Pixel 4a/5 G’s PS499. We’re hearing rumours about the Google Pixel 6 being a premium phone. This means that you might not be able to get the next flagship at the same price as the Google Pixel 5 (PS599), meaning that the Pixel 5a may look a lot different when it launches.
The Pixel 5a is available in one colour: Mostly Black with “forest green undertones”, as the marketing material describes. This description is pretty accurate, with the green hues only showing up under certain lighting conditions.
Design
You’d be wrong if you think the Google Pixel 5a’s design hasn’t changed much from the Google Pixel 4a. Although the new phone is slightly larger than the previous one, it looks almost identical. The only difference between them is the new colour and the grey, ridged lock button on the Pixel 5a. The 4a 5G comes in a solid colour with a flat grey button.
The front of the phone is made from glass with a punch hole in the upper-left corner. The back is made of matte-textured plastic and wraps around the sides, the top and bottom. It is soft to the touch, not expensive, but not high-end. The simple design has remained the same since the Pixel 3a. The glossy-glass-covered camera block in the top-left corner stands out. There’s also a circular indicator.
Indentation in the back-centre of the fingerprint sensor is slightly deeper than that on the Pixel 4a5G. Other than that, both feel very similar to the last year’s phone.
The lock button is located on the right, below which you will find a volume knob. The SIM slot is located on the left-hand side of the phone, with the microphone on the right and 3.5mm headphones on the left. These are the same positions as on the Pixel 4a. The USB-C port is located in the middle of the phone, with speaker grilles on either side.
The Pixel 5a, the first phone in the a-series, has dust and water resistance. It also has an IP67 rating. This means that it can be submerged for up to half an hour in water. A minor improvement, but it will provide some relief for those concerned about the elemental resistance.
Display
Google Pixel 5a features a 6.34-inch Full HD Plus OLED display (2400 x 1028) almost identical to the Pixel 4a 5G’s (6.2-inch, 2340×1080).
It’s bright and vivid, so it’s great for playing games and watching media. Although it doesn’t have the fastest refresh rates (beyond 60Hz), common in mid-range phones with 90Hz and 120hz displays, this is not a problem.
Although the punch-hole is slightly smaller than that on the Pixel 4a 5G in the top-left corner of the display, the bezels around it are still visible and minimal.
Camera
The Pixel 5a features the same cameras as Pixel 4a 5G: A 12.2MP f/1.7 dual-pixel main camera with autofocus, both optical and electronic image stabilization, and an ultra-wide 16MP f/2.2 camera.
The Pixel 5a doesn’t have a telephoto lens, but the main camera can do up to 7x digital zoom. Other than that, the camera setup of the Pixel 5a is just as good as the Pixel 3a. This allows for stunning clarity and vivid colours. Google’s near-magic software will enable you to capture decently-lit images even in complete darkness. The Pixel 5a retains its title as the best-priced phone with a fantastic night camera.
An 8MP selfie camera is also available, which captures detailed photos for a front-facing cam. This camera is likely to be a result of Google’s excellent image software.
Performance and specifications
The Pixel 5a boasts decent specs, led by the Snapdragon 765G chipset last year.
This silicon is also used in the Google Pixel 5/5G and Google Pixel 4a 5G. It may not be as powerful as flagship smartphones with the Snapdragon 888 chipset, but it has 6GB RAM and 128GB of storage so you can surf, play games, watch videos and much more.
The Pixel 5a runs Android 11. It comes with the Google Suite of apps. The phone is straightforward and easy to use without too many frills. The best part is that the Pixel 5a, a Pixel phone, will be the first to receive Android 12, which we expect in September or October.
This phone only has sub-6 5G connectivity – unlike other versions of the Pixel 4a 5, there is no mmWave 5G support. The US will not be affected by this. Only Verizon and T-Mobile customers will be affected. However, they’ll still receive faster speeds on their sub-6 5G networks.
Batteries
The Pixel 5a’s 4,680mAh battery is one of the most notable improvements. It has a significantly higher capacity than the Pixel 4a 5G (3.885mAh) or the Pixel 4a (4,140mAh). A larger capacity usually means a longer battery lifetime, as is the case with this Pixel 5a.
The Pixel 5a was able to last for over a full day in practice. The battery was drained at the usual rate for smartphones – playing Wild Rift took 4%, while watching a 30-minute Netflix series took 3%.
The box comes with an 18W fast charger adapter. This is not the most impressive of charging devices, but it charges 33% in just 30 minutes. The Pixel 5a, like its predecessor, does not support wireless charging.
Do I need to buy the Google Pixel 5a or not?
It’s a good deal if:
- A mid-range phone that has great casual camera capabilities is what you want
- You don’t want a dedicated telephoto camera to take long-range shots. It will also save you money over more expensive cameras phones.
- you want a phone that can last for up to two days on a single charge.
- You are looking for a Google phone with Android 12 that is cheaper than the others. The Pixel 5a will receive Android 12 as soon as it arrives in September/October, meaning other Android phones may be just months ahead.
It’s not worth the risk if:
A full camera suite is what you want. Contrarily, the Pixel 5a is not the right phone for you if your goal is to have a broader range of cameras, particularly a zoom lens, so get the Samsung Galaxy S21 or the rumoured Samsung Galaxy S21 FE.
You’d prefer a more fashionable phone. The Pixel 5a may be a bit too pale – many phones have more style, such as the TCL 20 Pro 5G, which is similar in price across most regions.
You are looking for the mysterious Google Tensor chipset. Older Pixel owners looking to upgrade might want to wait for a few months to see what Google Pixel 6 can do with its Tensor chipset. We still don’t know a lot about it.
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