Google Pixel 4a 5G buyer’s guide: Know before you buy


7 min read 05-11-2024
Google Pixel 4a 5G buyer’s guide: Know before you buy

The Google Pixel 4a 5G is a great mid-range smartphone that offers excellent value for money. It features a sleek design, a great camera, and strong performance. But before you buy one, there are a few things you should know.

Design and Display

The Pixel 4a 5G is a handsome phone with a modern design. It has a large 6.2-inch OLED display, which is bright and colorful. The display has a resolution of 1080 x 2340 pixels and a pixel density of 413 pixels per inch (PPI). This means that the display is sharp and clear.

The Pixel 4a 5G's design is similar to that of the Pixel 4a, but it's slightly larger and has a few key differences. The most notable difference is the presence of a rear-facing fingerprint sensor on the Pixel 4a 5G. This makes the phone much more secure than the Pixel 4a, which only offers face unlock.

The Pixel 4a 5G is also slightly heavier than the Pixel 4a, but this is to be expected given its larger screen size. The phone's weight is evenly distributed, and the rounded edges make it comfortable to hold.

Overall, the Pixel 4a 5G is a great-looking phone. The design is sleek and modern, and the display is vibrant and clear.

Performance and Battery Life

The Pixel 4a 5G is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G processor, which is a powerful mid-range chip. The phone is able to handle demanding tasks with ease, including gaming and multitasking.

The Pixel 4a 5G comes with 6GB of RAM, which is enough for most users. The phone also comes with 128GB of storage, which is plenty of space for apps, photos, and videos.

The Pixel 4a 5G has a 3,885mAh battery, which is a decent size for a mid-range phone. The phone can easily last for a full day of use on a single charge. If you're a heavy user, you may need to charge the phone more frequently.

The phone also supports fast charging, which allows you to quickly charge the battery to 50% in about 30 minutes.

Overall, the Pixel 4a 5G is a strong performer. The processor is powerful, and the battery life is good.

Camera

The Pixel 4a 5G is known for its excellent camera. The phone features a single 12.2MP rear camera with a wide f/1.7 lens. This camera is able to capture stunning photos and videos, even in low-light conditions.

The Pixel 4a 5G's camera is powered by Google's advanced computational photography algorithms, which help to enhance the quality of photos and videos. These algorithms are able to automatically adjust the exposure, contrast, and color balance of photos. They can also identify objects in photos and automatically blur the background to create a shallow depth of field effect.

The Pixel 4a 5G is also capable of recording 4K videos at 30fps, which is great for capturing high-quality footage. The phone also supports slow-motion video recording at 120fps and 240fps.

The camera is one of the Pixel 4a 5G's main selling points. It's able to capture stunning photos and videos, even in challenging lighting conditions.

Software and Features

The Pixel 4a 5G runs on Android 11, Google's latest operating system. Android 11 is a feature-rich operating system that is designed to be user-friendly and intuitive.

One of the key features of Android 11 is its focus on privacy. The operating system comes with a number of new features that help to protect your privacy, such as a new privacy dashboard that allows you to see which apps have access to your personal data.

Another key feature of Android 11 is its improved notifications system. The operating system now lets you prioritize notifications from important apps and mute notifications from less important apps.

The Pixel 4a 5G also comes with a number of exclusive Google features, including Google Assistant, Google Photos, and Google Maps. These features work seamlessly with the phone's hardware and software to provide a smooth and enjoyable user experience.

The Pixel 4a 5G also comes with a number of other features, including:

  • Call Screen: A feature that automatically answers calls and transcribes them to text, so you don't have to pick up the phone.
  • Live Caption: A feature that automatically transcribes audio from videos and podcasts.
  • Night Sight: A feature that lets you take bright and clear photos in low-light conditions.
  • Portrait Mode: A feature that lets you take photos with a blurred background.
  • Motion Mode: A feature that lets you take photos of moving objects with a blurred background.
  • Google Pay: A contactless payment system that lets you make payments with your phone.
  • Google One: A cloud storage service that gives you extra storage space for your photos, videos, and other files.

Overall, the Pixel 4a 5G is a great phone with a lot to offer. The software is feature-rich and user-friendly, and the phone comes with a number of exclusive Google features.

Connectivity and Storage

The Pixel 4a 5G is a 5G phone, which means that it can connect to the latest and fastest cellular networks. This makes the phone ideal for streaming videos, downloading large files, and playing online games.

The phone also supports Wi-Fi 6, which is the latest Wi-Fi standard. Wi-Fi 6 offers faster speeds and more efficient use of bandwidth.

The Pixel 4a 5G comes with 128GB of storage, which is plenty of space for apps, photos, and videos. The phone also supports expandable storage via a microSD card slot.

The Pixel 4a 5G supports dual SIM cards, which means that you can use two different phone numbers on the same phone.

Competition and Price

The Pixel 4a 5G is a great value for money. It offers a lot of features for its price, including a great camera, a powerful processor, and a long-lasting battery.

But the Pixel 4a 5G does face stiff competition from other mid-range phones. Some of its main competitors include:

  • OnePlus Nord N10 5G: The OnePlus Nord N10 5G is a great phone that offers excellent value for money. It has a 6.49-inch AMOLED display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 690 processor, 6GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, and a 4,300mAh battery.
  • Samsung Galaxy A52 5G: The Samsung Galaxy A52 5G is another great phone that offers excellent value for money. It has a 6.5-inch AMOLED display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G processor, 6GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, and a 4,500mAh battery.
  • Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G: The Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G is a great phone that offers excellent value for money. It has a 6.55-inch AMOLED display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 780G processor, 6GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, and a 4,250mAh battery.

The Pixel 4a 5G is a great option if you're looking for a phone with a great camera and a clean Android experience. But if you're looking for a phone with a bigger screen, a more powerful processor, or a lower price, you may want to consider one of the other phones on this list.

Pros and Cons

Here are some of the pros and cons of the Pixel 4a 5G:

Pros:

  • Excellent camera: The Pixel 4a 5G's camera is one of its best features. It's able to capture stunning photos and videos, even in low-light conditions.
  • Clean Android experience: The Pixel 4a 5G runs on a clean version of Android, which means that you won't find any bloatware or unnecessary apps.
  • Powerful processor: The Pixel 4a 5G is powered by a powerful processor that can handle demanding tasks with ease.
  • Long-lasting battery: The Pixel 4a 5G has a long-lasting battery that can easily last for a full day of use.
  • 5G connectivity: The Pixel 4a 5G is a 5G phone, which means that it can connect to the latest and fastest cellular networks.

Cons:

  • No headphone jack: The Pixel 4a 5G does not have a headphone jack.
  • No wireless charging: The Pixel 4a 5G does not support wireless charging.
  • No expandable storage: The Pixel 4a 5G does not have a microSD card slot for expandable storage.
  • No IP rating: The Pixel 4a 5G is not water-resistant.

Should You Buy the Pixel 4a 5G?

The Pixel 4a 5G is a great phone for users who are looking for a solid mid-range option with a great camera and clean Android experience. It's a good choice for users who want a phone that is fast, reliable, and affordable.

However, the Pixel 4a 5G does have a few drawbacks, such as the lack of a headphone jack, wireless charging, expandable storage, and an IP rating. If these drawbacks are deal-breakers for you, you may want to consider one of the other phones on the market.

FAQs

Here are some frequently asked questions about the Pixel 4a 5G:

1. Is the Pixel 4a 5G worth buying?

The Pixel 4a 5G is worth buying if you're looking for a phone with a great camera and a clean Android experience. It's a good choice for users who want a phone that is fast, reliable, and affordable.

2. Does the Pixel 4a 5G have a headphone jack?

No, the Pixel 4a 5G does not have a headphone jack.

3. Does the Pixel 4a 5G support wireless charging?

No, the Pixel 4a 5G does not support wireless charging.

4. Does the Pixel 4a 5G have expandable storage?

No, the Pixel 4a 5G does not have a microSD card slot for expandable storage.

5. Is the Pixel 4a 5G water-resistant?

No, the Pixel 4a 5G is not water-resistant.

Conclusion

The Google Pixel 4a 5G is a great mid-range smartphone that offers excellent value for money. It features a sleek design, a great camera, and strong performance. However, there are a few drawbacks, such as the lack of a headphone jack, wireless charging, expandable storage, and an IP rating. If these drawbacks are deal-breakers for you, you may want to consider one of the other phones on the market. But if you're looking for a phone with a great camera and a clean Android experience, the Pixel 4a 5G is a great option.