Finally, the wait is over. The google pixel 5a 5g is here after months and months of wondering if google had abandoned the mid-range segment. This model is identical to the Pixel 4a but then there’s a new screen, a new chipset, a larger battery and offers a 5G network coverage. Let’s dive into it already.
Table of Contents
Key Features
- Display – 6.34″ 1080×2400
- Camera (pixels) – 12MP 2160p
- Storage – 6GB RAM 128GB
- Platform- Snapdragon 765G
- Cellular technology – 5G
- Battery – 4680mAh Li-Po
You can get the Google Pixel 5a 5G phone on amazon for a small price. The Google pixel 5a costs about #380,000 on Jumia Nigeria. You can buy the Google Pixel 5a on Jumia here
GOOGLE PIXEL 5a 5G: Details
Design
The Pixel 5a rocks a plastic unibody construction with aluminium sides and is rated IP67, which simply means a splash or two of water wouldn’t exactly hurt. Its screen is slightly larger at 6.34 inches from 6.2 of the Pixel 4a, although it is still protected by corning gorilla glass 3.
Pixel 5a, unlike most mid-range smartphones, rocks an OLED screen. The bezels around the screen are reasonably slim, and at the top of the screen, we find the earpiece and a cutout for the selfie camera. The power button and volume controls are on the right side of the phone while the left side of the phone houses the sim tray. At the bottom, you find a microphone, its USB C port, and a speaker.
Then there is the trusted dual camera setup, 12mp main camera, and 16mp ultra-wide at the back. The fingerprint sensor is centred and it’s easy to find.
All in, the build quality of the pixel 5a is sturdy albeit a bit boring compared to its competitors. Google could have done better with the choice of colours, a bit of gradient would have been lovely, but hey if it’s not broken don’t fix it.
Display and battery life
The pixel 5a has a 6.34 screen, and it’s OLED, so the screen is sharp and colours are vivid and bright, aside from the refresh rate, there’s nothing to exactly complain about.
The screen supports HDR video and has a PPI of over 400, it gets bright enough so outdoor visibility is excellent. Overall, I would rate the screen game of Pixel 5a a 100. However, I would have been more impressed if it offered a higher refresh rate with this price point.
Its colour profile is balanced and looks natural, the screen is pleasantly vivid and it’s the right size for media consumption.
The pixel 5a is equipped with a bigger battery than its predecessors, 15% more to be precise, it is paired with an efficient snapdragon 765G processor, so I expected outstanding battery performance and wasn’t disappointed. The Pixel 5a can easily last two days with light usage and a full day with heavy usage. The pixel 5a takes about two hours to completely recharge its battery, so no fast charging here.
Software and performance
Google does not have a good record in the performance department, with all the throttling and memory management issues, the Pixel 5a however is a mid-range device, so it doesn’t suffer much from the scrutiny and attention of its bigger and more expensive siblings.
The pixel 5a is smooth overall and doesn’t lag or stutter even when using demanding applications like google chrome. However, the Pixel 5a can’t be counted amongst the best performers. Its heat management system is flawed as it becomes uncomfortably hot when used for a long period of time. If you’re an avid gamer I’ll suggest you look for something else.
Software is a strong part of the pixel appeal, the minimalist or stock android feel of the pixel family is unmatched. It comes preloaded with android 11 but will get android 12 when it is released. The software experience on the pixel 5a is polished smooth, there are no unnecessary apps or two apps performing the same function, there’s no bloatware.
Pixel 5a excelled in the software department. It has to be said, kudos to Google they did a fantastic job.
Camera quality
I’m so excited to talk about the camera quality. You must have wondered what the hype was all about, I mean from looks or even pricing, the Pixel 5a may look boring but the camera has been the subject of so much hype and it is an excellent one, the pixel 5a has the best camera system in any midrange device and a lot of flagships too.
The pixel 5a camera is a joy to use, pictures turn out vibrant and sharp with a lot of details, dynamic range is excellent, noise in darker areas is not a thing when using this phone. The ultra-wide camera does an excellent job, and it’s consistent in matching the colours and details on the primary camera.
Portrait photos in daylight look great, the background is separated enough from the foreground and the bokeh looks convincing enough. At night, the Pixel 5a has a dedicated mode called the Google night sight and it kicks in automatically. The night sight does an excellent job when taking still subjects but struggles a bit when the subject is in motion. However, the pictures come out detailed enough, apart from the occasional blur, pixel 5a takes excellent pictures at night.
The selfie camera is capped at 8mp but before you complain in the comment section do remember that more megapixels don’t always translate to better pictures, as a bonus the selfie camera on the pixel 5a is capable of taking HDR pictures, nice looking portrait and excellent shots with enough dynamic range, the point is the Pixel 5a is an excellent camera device.
It is a good buy with an excellent camera, bright display, and great battery life.
Cons
- Boring design
- Lack of high screen refresh rate
- Slow charging
- Basic performance
Pros
- Excellent camera system
- Polished user interface
- Up to 3 iterations of the android update
- IP67 water resistance
Alternatives
Redmi note 9 offers overall value for money better processor faster charging and cheaper prices. Generally, Redmi phones are a great buy. You may want to go for them. Also, One plus Nord 10 solves the lag in charging of Pixel 5a, it offers faster charging. Its oxygen UI offers more features that are way more exciting than the Pixel 5a.
Conclusion
To sum it up Pixel 5a is not among the best performers, it also would have been a more compelling smartphone if it has an LTE chipset. It also suffers from impostor syndrome, I have concluded Pixel 5a should have been Googles Pixel 4a 5G from the start.
Google should certainly do better with the Google Pixel 6 duo whose launch is imminent.
