We recently unzipped the Google Pixel 4a 5G. This device appeared to be the Goldilocks device in this year's Pixel lineup, with the largest display, a wide-angle camera, and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G chipset with 5G connectivity. Still, some people want a premium Pixel device than the Pixel 4a 5G. And for these people, there is the Google Pixel 5.
Join in and experience the new Google Pixel 5.
What's in the box?
In the packaging of the Pixel 5 you will find the phone along with a quick start guide, an 18 W power adapter, a power cord and a USB-A male USB-C adapter. This is pretty much the standard tariff for Pixels these days, and it is the same collection of accessories that came with the Pixel 4a and Pixel 4a 5G packaging. Some might be a bit baffled that Google didn't include USB-C headphones for the device, but it seems that Google is going to be pretty minimalist this year.
While 18W is passable for charging speeds, it feels slow slow compared to other devices. Even budget devices like the OnePlus Nord are typically 25W, 30W, or more, and it would be nice to see Google charging faster soon, especially on the most expensive Pixel of the year. We hope the 4,080 mAh battery will last longer than the previous Pixels, but faster charging would still be desirable.
How is the processing quality?
The Pixel 5 is technically made of aluminum with a bio-resin material over it. Google did this to enable wireless charging. This makes this device one of the few metal devices with this function. But the phone doesn't really feel like metal. The bio-resin plastic material on top feels a lot more like the material on the Pixel 4a, just a little coarser. I like it, but I would have liked something even rougher. Think of OnePlus One sandstone roughly. This is the ticket.
The Pixel 5 has a very similar design to the Pixel 4a and Pixel 4a 5G. There is a USB-C port and speaker on the bottom of the phone, a SIM card slot on the left, and a volume rocker and power button on the right. This on / off switch is also metallic, which gives the impression that this is the tallest of the pixels offered by Google this year. It's pretty clicky, but not quite as clicky as I'd like it to be. I like the power button on the Pixel 4a better.
One big downside to the Pixel 5 is the fact that Google dumped the headphone jack on this model. I'm not sure why companies keep throwing this jack away on their premium phones, but I would assume it's because they want to sell more true wireless earbuds. If you still want a headphone jack, you have a pretty small pool of premium devices to choose from in 2020.
There's a pretty neat device on the back, except for a fingerprint reader and a camera module. Right, Google cut off the Soli radar chip this year in favor of fingerprint unlocking. While I'm a bit sad that the technology is dying, it has mostly been a battery hog on the Pixel 4, and fingerprint unlocking is a better option in the age of COVID-19.
The rear camera setup includes the 12MP sensor that Google has been using for years as well as a new 16MP wide angle sensor. The wide angle is also present on the Pixel 4a 5G, which makes it one of the most important similarities between these two devices. I would have liked a physically larger sensor in the flagship Pixel this year, largely because many other companies have caught up with or surpassed the image quality that Google can offer. The pictures are still fantastic but I think they would be even better if the sensor could get more light.
In addition to the Pixel 4a and Pixel 4a 5G, I was surprised how small the Pixel 5 is. It's almost exactly the same footprint as the Pixel 4a, but the bezels are slightly smaller at the top and bottom, making it a larger 6-inch display compared to the Pixel 4a's 5.8-inch display. The smaller bezels aren't particularly noticeable, but they do help the Pixel 5 to be Google's flagship device compared to the other two devices.
What's the screen like?
Compared to Pixel 4a and Pixel 4a 5G, the display of Pixel 5 has a similar brightness, color and contrast. It looks awesome in my opinion, even if it's just FHD +. The Pixel 4a has one of the best displays we've tested this year, and we expect the Pixel 5 to perform well. We'll be sure to run our full objective test suite for this device in the full test.
One nice thing about the Pixel 5 compared to the Pixel 4a and Pixel 4a 5G is the 90 Hz display. This is an adaptive OLED display that dynamically changes between 60 Hz and 90 Hz depending on the situation to save battery. It would have been nice to see a 120Hz display on Google's 2020 flagship, but considering that Google is marketing this device as an upper mid-range device, 90Hz is acceptable.
You'll also notice a cutout of holes in the top left of the Pixel 5 display that houses an 8-megapixel shooter. I'm a fan of this selfie camera design as the cutout is about the size of a notification icon, which means it doesn't really feel in the way.
Overall, I think Google has done a great job with their displays this year. While there is technically a drop in resolution compared to the Pixel 4 XL, I don't notice it in everyday use. You look great.
What about the internals?
Inside, the Pixel 5 is practically a souped-up version of the Pixel 4a 5G. It shares the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G processor as the Pixel 4a 5G, making it 5G connectivity and higher overall speeds than the Snapdragon 730G in the Pixel 4a. However, if you look at the RAM you will find 8GB, 2GB more than the Pixel 4a 5G. 8GB of RAM should be enough for the next few years, and it's nice that Google included that in the Pixel 5, especially since the Pixel 4 only had 6GB of RAM.
Connected: Snapdragon 765G versus Snapdragon 865
In terms of storage, Google only sells this phone in a 128GB SKU. I think this is a good amount of space for most people, especially with Google's aggressive backup services like Google Photos and Google Drive.
The Pixel 5 also has some additional features that you won't find in the Pixel 4a or Pixel 4a 5G. For one thing, there is wireless charging, which I really appreciate. As I mentioned earlier, this is an aluminum phone. Hence, it's quite an accomplishment that Google was able to do wireless charging here. There's a cutout in the aluminum that houses the coil, and then Google added the bio-resin material to give it the finish. The Pixel 5 also has wireless reverse charging, which you can use to charge other devices like Pixel Buds.
The Pixel 5 is also IP68 water and dust resistant, which can be a big deal if you use a lot of moisture or water. This is a feature that all flagships should have. So it's nice to see that Google is following the trend here.
display
6 inch OLED
Resolution of 2,340 x 1,080
90Hz refresh rate
6.2 inch OLED
Resolution of 2,340 x 1,080
60Hz refresh rate
5.81 inch OLED
Resolution of 2,340 x 1,080
60Hz refresh rate
processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 730
warehouse
128 GB
No microSD card slot
128 GB
No microSD card slot
128 GB
No microSD card slot
camera
Back:
Main:
12.2 MP, 1: 1.7, 1.4 µm pixels, optical + electronic image stabilization
Secondary:
16 MP, f / 2.2, 1 micron pixel, ultra wide (107 degrees FoV)
Front:
8MP sensor, f / 2.0, 1.12 µm pixels, fixed focus, 83 degree field of view
Back:
Main:
12.2 MP, 1: 1.7, 1.4 µm pixels, optical + electronic image stabilization
Secondary:
16 MP, f / 2.2, 1 micron pixel, ultra wide (107 degrees FoV)
Front:
8MP sensor, f / 2.0, 1.12 µm pixels, fixed focus, 83 degree field of view
Back:
12.2 MP, 1: 1.7, 1.4 µm pixels, optical + electronic image stabilization
Front:
8MP sensor, f / 2.0, 1.12 µm pixels, fixed focus, 83 degree field of view
Should You Buy Google Pixel 5?
At $ 699, the Google Pixel 5 is one of the most affordable flagships Google has released since the Pixel series was born. Even so, $ 699 is still a lot of money, and there are many people who were disappointed that Google didn't use Qualcomm's flagship Snapdragon 865 processor. Personally, I think the 765G was a good choice as it offers enough performance for most people at a cheaper price than last year. But I think $ 649 would have been a better price, especially since the Pixel 4a 5G is $ 150 more expensive than the Pixel 4a. In this house we like consistency.
That being said, we just received the device and will actually have to use it for a while before we can give our final verdict. Stay tuned so you don't miss out. Until then, be sure to check out our handy guide to the Pixel 4a 5G as well as our full review of the Pixel 4a.
What do you think of the Pixel 5? Let us know what you think in the comments below!
