The Pixel 4a Is Google's Best Pixel Yet

Google has been floundering as of late, when it comes to its smartphones. It hasn't actually released a "good" Pixel since the Pixel 2. But the Pixel 4a is the all-time Pixel Google has ever released.

Yes, I know that might not exist a pop take, but I stand behind it.

With the Pixel 4a, Google went dorsum to nuts. Which might audio familiar, as that is what OnePlus also did with the Nord. But for Google, that meant ditching several SKUs of the Pixel 4a, and sticking with i single SKU. That's why there is merely one storage variant and ane color available. It also meant giving exactly what consumers need, and nothing more than. Google ditched some of the other "gimmicks" that nosotros've seen on Pixel phones. Like the squeeze for Assistant feature.

Then the terminal piece was the cost, $349 undercuts its nearly popular competitor – the iPhone SE (2020).

Google nailed the hardware

In gild for the Pixel 4a to be the all-time, information technology doesn't need to have the latest and greatest specs. It just doesn't.

This is because Google is and then good at optimizing software and making what niggling hardware information technology has, feel super speedy and fast. The Snapdragon 730G that is inside the Pixel 4a is pretty snappy. Don't let people tell you that the Snapdragon 700 serial is crap, because it's not true.

The Pixel 4a is super speedy, and Google even put 128GB of storage inside this one, which is pretty incredible, when you consider the fact that the Pixel 4 comes with 64GB in the base of operations model.

Then at that place's the actual build of the phone. Yes, it's plastic. But to exist honest, I don't fifty-fifty care. Plastic doesn't shatter like glass, it also makes the phone feel lighter. On acme of that, it doesn't concur fingerprints as much as a glass-backed phone, like the Pixel 4. Which is all great things for the Pixel 4a.

Oh, and there'due south a freaking headphone jack.

The battery actually lasts the whole twenty-four hours now

Google has thought for years that it could go away with a smaller bombardment in its Pixel smartphones, considering information technology optimizes the battery life with software. Well, software can only do and then much. Google has finally, sort of realized that, we think (and hope).

With the Pixel 4a, it added a 3140mAh capacity battery. Now that'southward non large at all, but information technology is bigger than the 2800mAh capacity bombardment in the Pixel four that is just a tiny scrap smaller (physically) than the Pixel 4a.

Pair that larger bombardment with the fact that this is a 60Hz display and non 90Hz, and the Snapdragon 730G within, and y'all're getting some impressive bombardment life.

I've been getting about five hours of on screen fourth dimension every single day with the Pixel 4a. And once I'm washed working for the twenty-four hours, I still have about 80% charge left. With the Pixel four, I'd be lucky to be over 50%.

We're not saying the battery life here is amazing, or the all-time nosotros've seen. But for a Pixel, information technology's very decent and will get yous through the twenty-four hours. We are hoping that Google has learned to put in a larger bombardment and that nosotros might run into a bigger one in the new 5G Pixels coming this fall.

Features don't go over the tiptop

There'southward and so many Android smartphones out there, OEMs routinely have to discover ways to make their telephone stand out from the many, many competitors out there. One mode to do this is past adding "useful" features.

But those "useful" features are usually not very useful. And a lot of them get turned off equally before long every bit the phone is taken out of the box. LG is pretty notorious for this. Giving users features they don't want, or didn't enquire for.

Google does this a little scrap, not to the same extent as some companies, but there are few gimmicks on the Pixel. Similar the Motion Sense on the Pixel 4, and Face up Unlock, as well every bit the Agile Border (clasp for Assistant). Google removed all of these on the Pixel 4a. Only giving users the needed features.

The Pixel 4a did keep some of the useful camera features like Superlative Shot, Dark Style and Astrophotography though. And that's largely because they don't need extra hardware. Unlike the features named above, which do.

The Pixel 4a is the best Pixel still, because it keeps things uncomplicated. And in an ever-irresolute world, that is just what the doctor asked for.

In other words, the Pixel went on a diet for the 4a, and removed a lot of the fat. That likewise gives y'all more storage, which no one is going to complain almost.

No 5G, and that'due south a practiced thing

Sadly, the Pixel 4a is likely going to be the only phone released this year that doesn't support 5G.

That's because the carriers want all of the phones it carries to accept 5G support. But 5G isn't ready. And won't be for at least another year.

So with the Pixel 4a, you're getting a 2020 smartphone without one key 2020 feature. Which is 5G. That helps keep the price down, and yous're non paying for something that yous're probable never going to get to use. Though that does hateful the Pixel 4a isn't going to exist very future proof, information technology volition still exist good to go on for a few years.

Currently, in the U.s.a., 5G is pretty tough to find. Verizon is using mmWave for 5G right at present, which is almost not-existent for nigh of the country. Then you take T-Mobile which is using low-band 5G first, and the speeds are really non much faster than 4G LTE. Then there's no existent point in getting a phone with 5G right now.

It doesn't get meliorate than this at $350

At a toll of but $350, the Pixel can't get any meliorate.

Of course spec heads are going to wish it had the Snapdragon 865 and 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. But you won't get that for $350. Not even OnePlus was able to do that for €400 – though information technology did get close with the Nord.

Merely the Snapdragon 730G is enough fast. It ticks all of the boxes when it comes to operation and can even play some graphic-heavy games similar Phone call of Duty: Mobile and PUBG Mobile without any real issues.

On top of that, y'all're getting the incredible Pixel camera for this price, which is really incredible. Oh and we can't forget, your telephone is actually going to go updated. That's non something you can say about other phones in this price range.

The Pixel 4a is the best Pixel Google has e'er fabricated. And we have loftier hopes for the Pixel 4a 5G and Pixel 5. Google, please don't permit united states of america downwards.

And in a world where smartphones are increasingly blowing by that $999 mark, getting a truly keen smartphone for about a tertiary of that toll is definitely needed. While the Pixel 4a might be Google'due south way of growing marketplace share, information technology'south a good way to do it.