Google Pixel 4a review: A second opinion
I think I wasn’t as excited about a phone as I was about the Pixel 4a. I’ve been waiting for years for a tiny Google phone that had decent battery life and didn’t have any major issues. After paying too much for a Pixel 4 XL in the past few months and living with terrible battery life, I decided to switch to the 4a. So I ordered one on the start day.
Most of the Pixel 4a’s strengths have made me appreciate Google’s cheap phone. The battery life, size, and headphone jack are all fantastic. But one thing prevented me from keeping the Pixel 4a.
Read my second opinion on the Google Pixel 4a to find out why I returned the Pixel 4a after two weeks.
Our full review: Google Pixel 4a review: Google’s best phone in years
What I liked about the Google Pixel 4a
Design and overall size
The Google Pixel 4a is the perfect size if you like small phones. The 5.81-inch display may seem large on a spec sheet, but the small bezels and pinhole camera make this phone a true one-handed phone. I never wished I had a bigger phone while scrolling through social media or watching YouTube videos.
We also like plastic phones here at Android Authority. Switching from a fragile glass phone to plastic gave me a sense of freedom that I never had with the Pixel 4 XL or the Galaxy S20 Plus. I didn’t have to use the Pixel 4a with an enclosure. The phone is nowhere near as slippery and probably more durable than a glass-covered phone if I drop it off my desk.
Do not get me wrong. As refreshing as the Pixel 4a is from a large premium phone, I don’t like it everything about its design. It’s fine on the front, but it’s pretty bland on the back of the phone. There’s no visual flair, and it doesn’t help that the 4a only comes in one color. It’s also pretty light at just 143g. It felt like I had a toy in hand the entire time I was using the phone.
display
Speaking of the display, it’s good. Google went for a 5.81-inch AMOLED panel that didn’t let me miss the Quad HD resolution of other flagship phones. The display of the Pixel 4a becomes dark enough and rich in contrast for nighttime use without appearing unnatural. I wish it could get a little lighter.
There’s a loophole that has kept me from really liking the 4a’s display. More on that later.
Battery life
I’m not a power user, but I do a lot on my phone every day. I usually end the day with about four hours of on-time with a couple of hours of streaming podcasts.
The Pixel 4a was able to handle my use with no problem. Typically I would end my day (from about 6:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.) with about 20% in the tank. Not the best that can be done with a budget phone, but that’s more than acceptable to me.
Fingerprint Sensor> Face Unlock
Everyone has their preference, but that’s mine: I prefer fingerprint sensors to unlocking.
I like being able to swipe the notification shade with a back-mounted fingerprint sensor. I also like to tap the sensor to get into my phone instead of swiping up on the lock screen.
Fingerprint sensors have also been around longer, so third-party apps have had more time to integrate Google’s Pixel Imprint technology for biometric authentication. Many of the apps I use most are compatible with my phone’s fingerprint sensor, but not the Pixel 4’s face unlock technology. It’s strange how I can instantly log into LastPass on my Pixel 4a, but my password is on my Pixel 4 XL must be entered.
Cameras
You probably already know this, but I’ll say it again anyway. The Pixel 4a’s cameras are great. You get the same 12MP sensor on the back that Google used on previous Pixel phones. The camera setting is all about simplicity. With the Pixel 4a, you can get a great photo almost every time, not to mention the killer Night Sight and Astrophotography modes if you love shooting at night.
The Pixel 4a’s camera setup isn’t versatile – no wide-angle lens, no telephoto lens, no depth sensor. Some people might have problems with this and I wouldn’t blame them.
Google’s less-is-more approach to smartphone photography is okay for the Pixel 4a and especially for this price point. The company can’t stick to a single sensor forever, but it works for this phone.
Also read: The best budget camera phones you can buy
Audio
For the most part, the audio experience on the Pixel 4a is very good. The stereo speakers become loud enough to play music or podcasts around the house. I’ve found the speakers aren’t as loud as the Pixel 4, but it’s not much of a difference.
It also has a headphone jack. Enough said.
price
It’s the Pixel 4a’s biggest selling point. Personally, I’m tired of spending more money than I like on new phones. Plus, there’s a lack of mid-range phone choices in the US, so accessing a solid phone for $ 350 is refreshing.
What I didn’t like about the Google Pixel 4a
Display (again)
I tried and I failed. The only missing feature of the Pixel 4a that annoys me to the extreme is the lack of a high refresh rate display. It’s no small thing against Google – this is a $ 350 phone so I wasn’t expecting it – but the degradation is just too much for me. I’m so used to the Pixel 4 XL’s 90Hz display that I don’t think I could ever go back to a 60Hz panel.
I can’t call the Pixel 4a a “delayed” phone. It’s just not. However, the drop from 90 Hz to 60 Hz makes it feel slower than other phones with better screens.
The missing extras
Then there are the corners that Google needs to trim to bring the cost down to $ 350.
The Pixel 4a does not have an IP rating. It is a minor inconvenience, but an inconvenience nonetheless. I am very careful with my smartphones and have never broken one or thrown one in the water. However, it’s 2020 and all phones should have an IP rating.
There’s no wireless charging either. This omission doesn’t bother me as much as others. Wireless charging degrades batteries much faster than wired charging and is usually quite slow. But after using wireless charging on my smartphones for the past few years, it’s strange to buy a phone without this feature when I already have three wireless chargers in my house.
Finally no active edge. I’m definitely in the minority here, but I use Active Edge (the Squeezy feature that starts the Google Assistant) on my Pixel 4 XL several times a day. I missed this feature a lot when using the Pixel 4a.
The Google Pixel 5 is why I’m not keeping the Pixel 4a
Everything went well with the Pixel 4a. I used it for about a week and was totally in love with it. Then Google happened.
If Google were to launch the Pixel 4a when it was originally planned – as early as May 2020 on Google I / O – I would probably still be using the phone today. But about a week after I owned the Pixel 4a, the Pixel 5 was calling my name. More details surfaced on the Pixel 5’s obvious specs, including the fact that it would be a small phone with (supposedly) not terrible battery life. Add to that a much cheaper price tag than previous flagship Pixels, plus generally improved specs, and you describe Jimmy’s dream Pixel phone.
I’m probably not the only one trying to decide between Pixel 4a and Pixel 5. Google is delaying the launch of the Pixel 4a, and even officially announcing the existence of the Pixel 4a 5G and Pixel 5 on the 4a launch day, I can’t help but believe that Google is moving forward in its own way.
I was totally in love with the Pixel 4a. Then Google happened.
I’m not trying to suggest that Google does this on purpose. A global pandemic is delaying things left and right in the technology world. We know Google struggled to make enough Pixel 4a units on time (hence delays in the release date), and we firmly believe there were more SKUs planned for launch. Now the company has to roll with the punches, trying to create the impression that this new roadmap for 2020 was on purpose all along.
Who knows – maybe after the Pixel 5 gets here, I’ll have concerns and want to go back to the Pixel 4a. As a pixel fan, I am not familiar with being able to choose between a good and another good pixel. These phones usually have one or two major problems. The Pixel 4a somehow got along without major disadvantages. We hope Google can continue down this path with the Pixel 5.
