Like Apple’s $400 iPhone SE, the $349 Google Pixel 4a isn’t a need telephone, it’s a necessity telephone. Apple made sure sacrifices with its finances iPhone to maintain the value low, and Google has accomplished the identical with its personal cut-rate Pixel, dropping options like wi-fi charging, 90Hz Smooth Display, Face Unlock, and a twin digicam that pushed the Pixel 4 XL to $900.
You would possibly suppose you want these options, however you most likely don’t. You solely need them. With simply 6GB of RAM and a 60Hz show, the Pixel 4a nonetheless delivers an Android expertise that’s as {smooth} and speedy as any premium telephone. Night Sight and Live HDR+ convey a high-end really feel to photo-taking that rivals something Apple brings with the iPhone 11 Pro. And whereas I’ll admit that I miss wi-fi charging, wired charging is a lot quick out of the field.
And Pixel 4a is Android’s ying to the iPhone SE’s yang
For a 3rd of what Samsung prices for its new Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, the Pixel 4a nails the naked requirements: a light-weight telephone with a pleasant design that’ll take nice footage and final all day. Put all of it collectively, and also you’re getting essentially the most sensible Android telephone ever made and the best shopping for determination you’ll ever make. You don’t even want to choose a coloration—it solely is available in black.
A Google telephone that really appears good
I’ve by no means been a fan of Google’s overly utilitarian design language, however it’s accomplished an admirable job with the Pixel 4a. The big bezels round which have been current on practically each different Pixel have been dramatically thinned round its display screen to offer the telephone a excessive screen-to-body ratio (83 %). The Pixel 4a’s small dimension means it has a comparatively small show as nicely—5.8-inches, which is smack dab in the midst of the 5.6-inch Pixel 3a and 6-inch Pixel 3a XL.
The 2340×1080 show is basically the identical one you get within the Pixel 4, so the identical frustrations are current. Colors will likely be muted even in Boosted mode and system textual content has an ever-so-slight glow round it. Still, it’s a very good dimension for a telephone on this value vary that’s principally within the candy spot for no matter you need to do. Videos and video games look good, textual content is a lot large, and apps have loads of room to function. And because it’s principally all display screen on the entrance with properly rounded corners that match the contours of the physique, the display screen feels even larger than it’s.
Compared to the iPhone SE, the Pixel 4a has a extra fashionable design and far larger display screen.
Part of that optical phantasm is because of Google’s use of a hole-punch digicam on the 4a, a primary for a Pixel telephone. It’s left-aligned moderately than centered, so the standing bar will likely be pushed misplaced, however it’s a large step ahead for Google’s telephone design and blows away Apple’s four-year-old iPhone SE.
However, there’s no mistaking the Pixel 4a for a premium Android telephone. It’s fabricated from plastic and solely is available in black, so there’s no must-have coloration or shimmery results to catch your eye. In the highest left nook, you’ll discover a reproduction of the sq. digicam array on the Pixel 4, however the smaller dimension and black coloration set towards the matte black physique of the telephone helps it mix in. Compared to the iPhone SE’s glass again, the Pixel 4a feels a little bit low-cost, even whether it is extremely mild at 143 grams (versus the SE’s 148-gram physique).
That plasticky really feel extends to the buttons, which have a stickiness like a case that hasn’t been damaged in. But the mint green-colored energy button appears nice, particularly towards the all-black enclosure, and the trademark curved sides match completely in your hand. It’s the primary Android telephone I’ve utilized in a protracted whereas that’s actually comfy utilizing with one hand, and anybody who’s regarded longingly on the iPhone SE’s stature will likely be more than happy with the Pixel 4a.
The Pixel 4a’s 5.8-inch display screen takes up practically the entire entrance of the telephone.
The Pixel 4a joins the iPhone SE as one of many few remaining telephones which have a round fingerprint sensor, and in addition like Apple’s Touch ID, it’s surprisingly nice. Unlocking is faster than any telephone I’ve used with an in-display sensor, and it makes me surprise why telephone makers moved away from them within the first place. If Google can match one on a telephone this dimension, then Samsung and OnePlus can definitely match one on their bigger telephones, to not point out a headphone jack, which the Pixel 4a additionally has.
It’s not quick however it’ll final
With a Snapdragon 730G and 6GB of RAM, the Pixel 4a isn’t going to win any velocity or efficiency awards. But Google makes the perfect of a slower chip with a finely tuned Android 10 that feels extra succesful than it ought to.
But for a processor that produced a few of the lowest benchmarks scores I’ve seen in years, the Pixel 4a actually isn’t dangerous. It can’t maintain a candle to the A13 chip within the iPhone SE, however it’s additionally not practically as gradual as its benchmarks point out:
Geekbench 5
- Single: 552
- Multi: 1646
- Compute: 1027
PCMark
Those numbers are considerably corresponding to the Snapdragon 845 within the Pixel 3, and the efficiency is roughly in keeping with a two-year-old flagship telephone. That is to say, it’s not horrible, however you may really feel it battle when working video games and intensive apps, and animations and transitions have been visibly laggy at instances.
The G brand on the again means you’ll get a smooth-as-silk Android expertise, even with a Snapdragon 730G processor.
But due to Google’s Android optimizations, the Pixel 4a belies its processor’s capabilities. It’s nonetheless nowhere close to as quick because the iPhone SE’s top-of-the-line A13 processor, however the Pixel 4a often felt as quick as my Pixel 4 XL. Even with no excessive refresh fee, scrolling may be very {smooth}, and the Snapdragon 730G not often feels frustratingly gradual, at the same time as somebody who recurrently makes use of the top-of-the-line processors.
You’re getting a strong 128GB of storage with the Pixel 4a, greater than the 64GB you get with the bottom iPhone SE and the Pixel 4. The Pixel 4a’s battery can be larger—3,140mAh versus 1,821mAh (iPhone SE) and a couple of,800mAh (Pixel 4)—and Google squeezes each little bit of juice from it. Benchmarks topped 11 hours and I comfortably made it by means of a full day, with typically greater than 50 % of my battery remaining. Both telephones are doing lots with a little bit, however I’ve by no means made it by means of a full day with my iPhone SE with out at the least a fast cost.
One digicam with a toolbox of methods
The Pixel line has all the time preached digicam processing over digicam {hardware}, in order anticipated the 4a doesn’t wow you with lenses, It has a single rear 12.2MP dual-pixel digicam with an f/1.7 aperture and 77-degree really feel of view. That’s similar to the 12MP, f/1.8 digicam you get with the iPhone SE and functionally equivalent to the primary lens on the Pixel 4 XL, which prices greater than twice as a lot, so Google isn’t chopping corners right here.
It would possibly look large, however the digicam array on the again of the Pixel 4a solely homes one lens/
You don’t get the secondary telephoto lens that comes with the Pixel 4, however you do get practically all the fringe advantages: Night Sight with astrophotography, Top Shot, Portrait Mode, HDR+, Dual publicity controls, Motion Auto Focus, even Super Res Zoom, a few of which aren’t accessible on the Pixel 3. That’s a powerful set of digicam options for a $349 telephone, however much more spectacular is how nicely they work on a $349 telephone.
When it involves low-light photographs, the Pixel 4a (left) completely smokes the iPhone SE.
Even with out the Pixel Visual Core ISP, the Pixel 4a takes unbelievable low-light photographs. Photos which might be in any other case unusable are properly brightened with out being blown out, and the outcomes persistently challenged what I received from the iPhone 11 and Pixel 4—and it fully blew away the iPhone SE. For instance, whilst you can see some coloration and element within the low-light picture above snapped by the iPhone SE, the Pixel 4a model appears prefer it was taken in fully completely different lighting.
The baseball crossing residence plate within the Pixel 4a shot (left) doesn’t seem like it’s transferring however it’s. But the iPhone SE dealt with movement extraordinarily nicely too.
In shiny mild, the Pixel 4a performs extraordinarily nicely, with sturdy colours, glorious readability, precision focus, and unbelievable shutter velocity. The 4a all the time dealt with motion nicely, however the brand new Motion Auto Focus function reveals no indicators of blurring. Portraits are additionally nearly as good as they’ve ever been on a Pixel, and the Pixel 4a can be fairly good at zooming, with full 7x photographs producing clear pictures with surprisingly good white steadiness. It even has a deal with digital degree that helps maintain your shot straight.
The Pixel 4a can take unbelievable photographs in every kind of sunshine with little or no fuss.
And the iPhone SE merely can’t compete. While it definitely takes good footage, principally not one of the Pixel 4a’s options can be found on the iPhone SE, most notably evening mode and zooming. While you may obtain third-party apps that replicate the performance considerably, the outcomes from the inventory digicam aren’t anyplace close to nearly as good as they’re on the Pixel 4a, and there’s lots to be stated for getting a ready-made, out-of-the-box expertise.
Should you purchase a Google Pixel 4a?
Whether you’re budget-conscious, feature-conscious, or are simply bored with paying an excessive amount of for telephones that hardly slot in your pocket, the Pixel 4a is a incredible possibility that received’t make you are feeling such as you cheaped out.
The mint-green energy button is a pleasant contact.
And fairly frankly, even in the event you do suppose you want premium options like gobs of RAM or 100X zoom, the Pixel 4a would possibly simply persuade you in any other case. Its efficiency is the one sticking level, however for a $349 telephone, it undoubtedly exceeds expectations even when it’s a far cry from the A13 chip within the iPhone SE. In each different space, the Pixel 4a excels, a lot so that you simply received’t even miss a glass again or wi-fi charging.
So in order for you a telephone that appears nice, lasts all day after which some, and takes unbelievable footage, get the Pixel 4a over the iPhone SE or Galaxy A71 or some other telephone in its value vary—and perhaps even a couple of that aren’t.