Deutsch
Español
Français
Italiano
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Русский
Türkçe
Svenska
Chinese
MagyarGoogle Pixel 4a 5G Smartphone Review: The Pixel 5 on the cheap
Google’s Pixel 5 is one of the best mid-range smartphones. However, there is also another device in this price range from Google: the Pixel 4a 5G, which was released at the same time as the 6-inch Pixel 5. What is especially exciting is that both smartphones come with very similar hardware.
Both the 630-Euro (~$743) Pixel 5 and the Pixel 4a 5G are powered by the same mid-range SoC (Snapdragon 765G). However, the 499-Euro (~$589) Pixel 4a 5G is significantly cheaper and comes with a bigger OLED display. The 6.2-inch Pixel 4a 5G has the largest screen of any Pixel smartphone. Both the Pixel 5 and the Pixel 4a 5G have an OLED panel with the same resolution (2340x1080).
Comparison Devices
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Drive | Size | Resolution | Best Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 83.8 % | 11/2020 | Google Pixel 4a 5G SD 765G, Adreno 620 | 168 g | 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash | 6.20" | 2340x1080 | |
| 84.6 % | 10/2020 | Google Pixel 5 SD 765G, Adreno 620 | 151 g | 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash | 6.00" | 2340x1080 | |
| 83.6 % | 09/2020 | Google Pixel 4a SD 730G, Adreno 618 | 143 g | 128 GB UFS 2.0 Flash | 5.80" | 2340x1080 | |
| 84 % | 08/2020 | Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G SD 765G, Adreno 620 | 192 g | 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash | 6.57" | 2340x1080 | |
| 86.1 % | 06/2020 | Realme X50 Pro SD 865, Adreno 650 | 205 g | 256 GB UFS 3.0 Flash | 6.44" | 2400x1080 | |
| 83.5 % | 07/2020 | Oppo Find X2 Neo SD 765G, Adreno 620 | 171 g | 256 GB UFS 2.1 Flash | 6.50" | 2400x1080 | |
| 83.6 % | 07/2020 | OnePlus Nord SD 765G, Adreno 620 | 184 g | 256 GB UFS 2.1 Flash | 6.44" | 2440x1080 |
Case - Pixel 4a 5G with a decent design and punch-hole camera
Matte surface, no shimmering effects: The Pixel 4a 5G features the same restrained design as the Pixel 5. However, it features less premium materials.
The Pixel 5 has an aluminium back, which is coated with plastic, and its screen is protected by Gorilla Glass 6. The Pixel 4a 5G, on the other hand, has a plastic (polycarbonate) back and its screen is protected by less durable Gorilla Glass 3. All in all, the 4a 5G feels very rigid, because its housing cannot be twisted or bent.
Because of its smoother back, the Pixel 4a 5G does not feel as premium as the Pixel 5. Nonetheless, it is still very comfortable to hold in the hand, because the back is slightly rubberised. This is why buyers do not really need to use the optional protective cover with the Pixel 4a 5G.
The 4a 5G has small bezels, which are actually slightly larger than those of the Pixel 5. And then there is the hole-punch selfie camera, which is located in the upper left corner of the screen. From the back, both smartphones look identical: In the upper left corner there is a dual-camera module, which protrudes slightly from the back. Somewhat lower in the centre there is a slightly recessed fingerprint sensor, which is easy to locate with a finger.
The 6.2-inch Pixel 4a 5G (168 g) weighs slightly more than the Pixel 5 (151 g) and is very light for a smartphone of this size. However, unlike the Pixel 5, it does not have an IP certification. The Pixel 4a 5G comes in the colour scheme known as Just Black
.
Connectivity - Pixel 4a 5G with a 3.5-mm headphone jack
Just like the Pixel 5, the Pixel 4a 5G has a USB-C port and a Nano SIM card slot. However, the Pixel 4a 5G also features a 3.5-mm headphone jack.
Both smartphones come with 128 GB of non-expandable storage. The Pixel 4a 5G also offers stereo speakers. However, its top speaker is not located under the screen. It is hidden behind a tiny grill at the top of the screen.
Google cut costs with the Pixel 4a 5G by giving it only 6 GB of LPDDR4x RAM (Pixel 5 has 8 GB of RAM), which may become noticeable when using a lot of applications at the same time.
Software - Android 11 and a promise of at least 3 years of software support
The Pixel 4a 5G runs Android 11, which is the latest version of Android. The OS is clean and fresh, just like the smartphone design itself, because Google chose not to bundle any third-party or “promoted” applications with it. Because Android 11 is brand new, the security patches are up to date (October 5th, 2020).
The Pixel smartphone is worth considering for anyone who is looking to buy a smartphone that will last more than a couple of years. Google promises at least 3 years of OS and security updates. This means that the Pixel 4a 5G, which was released in mid-October 2020, should be supported at least until October 2023.
Communication & Geolocation - Accurate navigation with the Google smartphone
Just like the Pixel 5, the Pixel 4a 5G supports NFC, Bluetooth 5.0 and Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), which is not the latest version of Wi-Fi. In the Wi-Fi test with our reference-grade router Netgear Nighthawk AX12, the Pixel 4a 5G was still able to achieve very decent speeds.
Both the Pixel 5 and the Pixel 4a 5G have similar download speeds. However, when it comes to upload speeds (300 Mb/s), the Pixel 4a 5G falls significantly behind the mid-range competition. However, it is worth bearing in mind that in the grand scheme of things 300 Mb/s is still a very decent result.
| Networking | |
| iperf3 transmit AX12 | |
| Realme X50 Pro | |
| Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G | |
| Oppo Find X2 Neo | |
| Google Pixel 4a | |
| OnePlus Nord | |
| Average of class Smartphone (16.9 - 1368, n=65, last 2 years) | |
| Google Pixel 5 | |
| Google Pixel 4a 5G | |
| iperf3 receive AX12 | |
| Realme X50 Pro | |
| Oppo Find X2 Neo | |
| Google Pixel 4a | |
| OnePlus Nord | |
| Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G | |
| Google Pixel 5 | |
| Google Pixel 4a 5G | |
| Average of class Smartphone (32.7 - 953, n=66, last 2 years) | |
For geolocation, the Pixel 4a 5G relies on the following global navigation satellite systems: GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo and QZSS. Both outdoors and indoors, the Google smartphone establishes a connection with the satellites quickly and has an overall margin of error of about 3 metres (~10 ft).
The Pixel 4a 5G also does very well on our 12-km ~(7.5 mi) bike ride. Here, it performs about as well as our professional navigator Garmin Edge 500, which we took along with us on this ride.
Telephony & Call Quality - Dual SIM and eSIM functionality
Users can insert one Nano SIM card into the Pixel 4a 5G. Both VoLTE and WiFi Calling are supported. In addition to the physical SIM card, buyers can also use an eSIM card. However, in dual SIM mode, only 4G is supported. To use 5G, buyers will have to disable the SIM card, which cannot operate in such networks.
The Pixel 4a 5G supports fewer 5G frequency bands than the Pixel 5. The Pixel 4a 5G supports the following bands: 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 28, 40, 77 and 78, whereas the Pixel 5 supports all these bands: 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 28, 41, 66, 71 77 and 78.
However, the call quality is better when compared to the Pixel 5. This is due to the fact that the ear-speaker of the Pixel 5 is located under the display while the ear-speaker of the Pixel 4a 5G is located behind a tiny grill at the top of the screen.
According to the specifications sheet, the Pixel 4a 5G has SAR values of 0.94 W/kg (head) and 1.4 W/kg (body). The Pixel 5 has very similar SAR values. However, these are not the lowest specific absorption rates that we have ever seen in a smartphone.
Cameras - The same dual-camera system as in the Pixel 5
Both the Pixel 5 and the Pixel 4a 5G feature the same camera system. They have the 12.2-MP main sensor (Sony IMX363), which supports dual-pixel autofocus and offers both electronic and optical image stabilisation.
There is also a 16-MP ultra wide-angle lens with a 107° FOV. On the front, there is an 8-MP fixed-focus selfie camera.
To learn more about the camera hardware and software, go to our review of the Google Pixel 5.
The same hardware means the same great results: Even though the edges of the images are a bit blurry, the daylight photographs taken with the Pixel 4a 5G impress with their natural colours, great dynamic range and sharpness. Even at night or under low-light conditions, the Google smartphone produces very pretty photos.
Image Comparison
Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.
Daylight photography 1Daylight photography 2Wide-angle5X zoomLowlight photography
In our lab, we take an even closer look at the camera performance of the Pixel 4a 5G. Under simulated low-light conditions (see the top photo of the colour chart), the colours are slightly overbrightened. This makes fine details easier to recognise. Under simulated daylight conditions (see the bottom photo of the colour chart), the Pixel 4a 5G manages to capture all the colours faithfully. The corners in the photo of our testing chart are blurry, but the rest of the image is very sharp.
Accessories & Warranty - 18-watt charger in the box
The box of the Pixel 4a 5G contains a modular 18-watt charger (USB-C), a USB cable (Type-C to Type-C), an OTG adapter, a SIM card removal tool as well as a quick start guide. Users can buy further accessories such as headphones, protective cases or adapters from the Google Store.
The Google Pixel 4a 5G comes with a 24-month warranty.
Input Devices & Handling - The 60-Hz screen impresses
The Pixel 4a 5G feels very responsive, thanks to its octa-core SoC (Snapdragon 765G) and 6 GB of LPDDR4x RAM. The fingerprint sensor on the back also unlocks the device very reliably and quickly.
Power users might notice that the OLED screen refreshes at 60 Hz as opposed to 90 Hz in the case of the Pixel 5. This means that scrolling or switching between applications will not feel as buttery-smooth as on the Pixel 5.
Display - Bright OLED panel with impressive colour fidelity
The 6.2-inch OLED panel of the Pixel 4a 5G has a resolution of 2340x1080 pixels, which is why the screen appears very sharp.
With with the ambient light sensor enabled, we measured an average brightness of 670.7 cd/m². The brightness of the OLED panel is distributed very evenly. In the APL50 test, in which the screen displays a pattern of alternating black and white squares of equal size, we measured a maximum brightness of 875 cd/m². With the light sensor disabled, the maximum brightness drops to 441 cd/m².
However, there is a distinct drawback to this bright OLED display: PWM flickering. The OLED panel of the Pixel 4a 5G flickers at 250 Hz, which may annoy susceptible individuals.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 94 %
Center on Battery: 669 cd/m²
Contrast: ∞:1 (Black: 0 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 1 | 0.55-29.43 Ø5.1
ΔE Greyscale 1.5 | 0.57-98 Ø5.4
96.9% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.25
| Google Pixel 4a 5G OLED, 2340x1080, 6.20 | Google Pixel 5 OLED, 2340x1080, 6.00 | Google Pixel 4a OLED, 2340x1080, 5.80 | Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G AMOLED, 2340x1080, 6.57 | Realme X50 Pro OLED, 2400x1080, 6.44 | Oppo Find X2 Neo OLED, 2400x1080, 6.50 | OnePlus Nord AMOLED, 2440x1080, 6.44 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen | -4% | 5% | -20% | -105% | -190% | -60% | |
| Brightness middle | 669 | 635 -5% | 705 5% | 584 -13% | 679 1% | 797 19% | 529 -21% |
| Brightness | 671 | 636 -5% | 707 5% | 583 -13% | 690 3% | 807 20% | 531 -21% |
| Brightness Distribution | 94 | 97 3% | 96 2% | 97 3% | 97 3% | 95 1% | 94 0% |
| Black Level * | |||||||
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 1 | 0.8 20% | 0.9 10% | 1.17 -17% | 3.2 -220% | 5.4 -440% | 2.53 -153% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 1.8 | 2.2 -22% | 1.9 -6% | 2.95 -64% | 6.2 -244% | 9.2 -411% | 4.52 -151% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 1.5 | 1.7 -13% | 1.3 13% | 1.7 -13% | 4.1 -173% | 6.4 -327% | 1.7 -13% |
| Gamma | 2.25 98% | 2.23 99% | 2.26 97% | 2.231 99% | 2.28 96% | 2.27 97% | 2.249 98% |
| CCT | 6685 97% | 6492 100% | 6576 99% | 6341 103% | 6604 98% | 7245 90% | 6462 101% |
* ... smaller is better
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM detected | 250 Hz | ≤ 99 % brightness setting |  |
The display backlight flickers at 250 Hz (Likely utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 99 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting. The frequency of 250 Hz is relatively low, so sensitive users will likely notice flickering and experience eyestrain at the stated brightness setting and below. In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 19035 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured. | |||
The screen of the Pixel 4a 5G is most colour-accurate in Natural
mode. Both the grayscale and the colour deviations are so low that the colours appear ideal. There are also two other modes: Adaptive
and Enhanced
. In all modes, the black value and the contrast ratio of the OLED screen are superb.
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 2 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 2 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 8 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (22.3 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 8.8 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 4.4 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 4.4 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows fast response rates in our tests and should be suited for gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.25 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 14 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (35.1 ms). | ||
Outdoors, the display of the Pixel 4a 5G is legible, because of its very high brightness. However, in direct sunlight, just like with almost any other smartphone, the screen content is hard to read. This is why we recommend finding a place in the shade or using your hand to shield the screen from direct sunlight.
The viewing angles of the OLED panel are very good. The screen content is easy to recognise, even at extreme viewing angles. However, the colours shift at very acute angles, but this does not affect readability.
Performance - Mid-range SoC with enough power for everyday use
Just like the Pixel 5, the Pixel 4a 5G features the Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G, which is a mid-range octa-core SoC that can handle all current applications. The Pixel 4a 5G has only 6 GB of LPDDR4x RAM, whereas the Pixel 5 features 8 GB of RAM.
In the synthetic benchmarks, the Pixel 4a 5G achieves the same level of performance as the Pixel 5. However, it is somewhat slower than other smartphones with the same SoC. Just like with the Pixel 5, Google appears to be intentionally limiting the performance of the Pixel 4a 5G.
| Geekbench 5.4 | |
| Single-Core (sort by value) | |
| Google Pixel 4a 5G | |
| Google Pixel 5 | |
| Google Pixel 4a | |
| Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G | |
| Realme X50 Pro | |
| Oppo Find X2 Neo | |
| OnePlus Nord | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G (554 - 673, n=17) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (119 - 1885, n=237, last 2 years) | |
| Multi-Core (sort by value) | |
| Google Pixel 4a 5G | |
| Google Pixel 5 | |
| Google Pixel 4a | |
| Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G | |
| Realme X50 Pro | |
| Oppo Find X2 Neo | |
| OnePlus Nord | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G (1520 - 1966, n=17) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (473 - 5538, n=237, last 2 years) | |
| PCMark for Android | |
| Work performance score (sort by value) | |
| Google Pixel 4a 5G | |
| Google Pixel 5 | |
| Google Pixel 4a | |
| Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G | |
| Realme X50 Pro | |
| Oppo Find X2 Neo | |
| OnePlus Nord | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G (8687 - 11041, n=16) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (9875 - 19297, n=4, last 2 years) | |
| Work 2.0 performance score (sort by value) | |
| Google Pixel 4a 5G | |
| Google Pixel 5 | |
| Google Pixel 4a | |
| Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G | |
| Realme X50 Pro | |
| Oppo Find X2 Neo | |
| OnePlus Nord | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G (7245 - 9989, n=17) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (5279 - 13282, n=26, last 2 years) | |
| GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7 | |
| T-Rex Onscreen (sort by value) | |
| Google Pixel 4a 5G | |
| Google Pixel 5 | |
| Google Pixel 4a | |
| Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G | |
| Realme X50 Pro | |
| Oppo Find X2 Neo | |
| OnePlus Nord | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G (43 - 86, n=15) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (22 - 165, n=186, last 2 years) | |
| 1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| Google Pixel 4a 5G | |
| Google Pixel 5 | |
| Google Pixel 4a | |
| Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G | |
| Realme X50 Pro | |
| Oppo Find X2 Neo | |
| OnePlus Nord | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G (48 - 97, n=15) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (19 - 497, n=186, last 2 years) | |
| GFXBench 3.0 | |
| on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value) | |
| Google Pixel 4a 5G | |
| Google Pixel 5 | |
| Google Pixel 4a | |
| Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G | |
| Realme X50 Pro | |
| Oppo Find X2 Neo | |
| OnePlus Nord | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G (30 - 55, n=15) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (6.8 - 161, n=187, last 2 years) | |
| 1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| Google Pixel 4a 5G | |
| Google Pixel 5 | |
| Google Pixel 4a | |
| Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G | |
| Realme X50 Pro | |
| Oppo Find X2 Neo | |
| OnePlus Nord | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G (31 - 56, n=15) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (9.2 - 331, n=188, last 2 years) | |
| GFXBench 3.1 | |
| on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen (sort by value) | |
| Google Pixel 4a 5G | |
| Google Pixel 5 | |
| Google Pixel 4a | |
| Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G | |
| Realme X50 Pro | |
| Oppo Find X2 Neo | |
| OnePlus Nord | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G (21 - 37, n=15) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (3.7 - 143, n=188, last 2 years) | |
| 1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| Google Pixel 4a 5G | |
| Google Pixel 5 | |
| Google Pixel 4a | |
| Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G | |
| Realme X50 Pro | |
| Oppo Find X2 Neo | |
| OnePlus Nord | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G (22 - 38, n=15) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (6.2 - 223, n=188, last 2 years) | |
| AnTuTu v8 - Total Score (sort by value) | |
| Google Pixel 4a 5G | |
| Google Pixel 5 | |
| Google Pixel 4a | |
| Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G | |
| Realme X50 Pro | |
| Oppo Find X2 Neo | |
| OnePlus Nord | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G (285731 - 332305, n=14) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (101336 - 725649, n=39, last 2 years) | |
When it comes to surfing the web, the Snapdragon 765G does a very good job. Even complex websites load quickly and the scrolling is always smooth.
| Jetstream 2 - Total Score | |
| Average of class Smartphone (17.3 - 282, n=164, last 2 years) | |
| Realme X50 Pro (Chrome 83) | |
| OnePlus Nord (Chrome 84) | |
| Google Pixel 5 (Chrome 86.0.4240.110) | |
| Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G (Chrome83) | |
| Google Pixel 4a 5G (Chrome 86.0.4240.110) | |
| Google Pixel 4a (Chrome 85) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G (15.8 - 60.5, n=12) | |
| Oppo Find X2 Neo (Chrome 83) | |
| JetStream 1.1 - Total Score | |
| Average of class Smartphone (27.5 - 414, n=77, last 2 years) | |
| Realme X50 Pro (Chrome 83) | |
| OnePlus Nord (Chrome 84) | |
| Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G | |
| Google Pixel 4a 5G (Chrome 86.0.4240.110) | |
| Google Pixel 5 (Chrome 86.0.4240.110) | |
| Google Pixel 4a (Chrome 85) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G (10.8 - 96.9, n=11) | |
| Speedometer 2.0 - Result | |
| Average of class Smartphone (13.3 - 375, n=154, last 2 years) | |
| Realme X50 Pro (Chrome 83) | |
| OnePlus Nord (Chome 84) | |
| Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G (Chrome83) | |
| Google Pixel 5 (Chrome 86.0.4240.110) | |
| Google Pixel 4a 5G (Chrome 86.0.4240.110) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G (9 - 54.9, n=9) | |
| Google Pixel 4a (Chrome 85) | |
| WebXPRT 3 - --- | |
| Average of class Smartphone (34 - 292, n=145, last 2 years) | |
| Realme X50 Pro (Chrome 83) | |
| OnePlus Nord (Chrome 84) | |
| Google Pixel 5 (Chrome 86.0.4240.110) | |
| Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G (Chrome83) | |
| Google Pixel 4a 5G (Chrome 86.0.4240.110) | |
| Oppo Find X2 Neo (Chrome 83) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G (20 - 101, n=13) | |
| Google Pixel 4a (Chrome 85) | |
| Octane V2 - Total Score | |
| Average of class Smartphone (4633 - 74261, n=193, last 2 years) | |
| Realme X50 Pro | |
| OnePlus Nord (Chrome 84) | |
| Google Pixel 4a 5G (Chrome 86.0.4240.110) | |
| Google Pixel 5 (Chrome 86.0.4240.110) | |
| Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G (Chrome83) | |
| Google Pixel 4a (Chrome 85) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G (3592 - 19143, n=14) | |
| Oppo Find X2 Neo (Chrome 83) | |
| Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total Score | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G (2359 - 15230, n=14) | |
| Google Pixel 4a (Chrome 85) | |
| OnePlus Nord (Chrome 84) | |
| Oppo Find X2 Neo (Chrome 83) | |
| Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G (Chrome83) | |
| Google Pixel 4a 5G (Chrome 86.0.4240.110) | |
| Google Pixel 5 (Chrome 86.0.4240.110) | |
| Realme X50 Pro (Chrome 83) | |
| Realme X50 Pro | |
| Average of class Smartphone (414 - 10031, n=167, last 2 years) | |
* ... smaller is better
The UFS 2.1 memory of the Pixel 4a 5G performs as well as it is supposed to. Thanks to its very high sequential read rates, the applications start very quickly and loading times are very short. The write speeds are also very good. Unfortunately, the smartphone does not have a microSD card slot.
| Google Pixel 4a 5G | Google Pixel 5 | Google Pixel 4a | Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G | Realme X50 Pro | Oppo Find X2 Neo | OnePlus Nord | Average 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AndroBench 3-5 | -15% | -11% | 20% | 97% | 18% | 10% | -7% | 74% | |
| Sequential Read 256KB | 945 | 851 -10% | 502 -47% | 980 4% | 1756 86% | 943 0% | 956 1% | 772 ? -18% | 1186 ? 26% |
| Sequential Write 256KB | 228.7 | 190 -17% | 246.8 8% | 476.9 109% | 756 231% | 454.4 99% | 473.1 107% | 297 ? 30% | 753 ? 229% |
| Random Read 4KB | 168.6 | 138.9 -18% | 162.9 -3% | 156.4 -7% | 229.4 36% | 160.5 -5% | 126.7 -25% | 151.6 ? -10% | 208 ? 23% |
| Random Write 4KB | 186.7 | 155.9 -16% | 187.4 0% | 138.5 -26% | 252 35% | 143.8 -23% | 104.5 -44% | 130.9 ? -30% | 218 ? 17% |
Gaming - The Pixel 4a 5G can hit up to 60 FPS
The Adreno 620, which is integrated into the Snapdragon 765G, can handle all the latest titles. However, it may struggle to run some games smoothly on high settings. Nevertheless, as our benchmarks show, which we conducted with the help of Gamebench
, the Pixel 4a 5G can easily achieve playable frame rates in our selection of games. It can achieve a stable 30 FPS in PUBG Mobile on the HD preset and 60 FPS in less graphically demanding Armajet.
Emissions - Cool in day-to-day use, but throttles under load
Temperature
Under sustained load, the surface temperatures of the Pixel 4a 5G peaked at 35.1 °C (95.18 °F), which is why it never feels hot. Usually, we use a battery testing utility known as GFXBench
to examine how well our review device performs under sustained load. However, because GFXBench
does not run on Android 11, we used an application known as Stability
instead.
Result: After an hour of stress testing, the Pixel 4a 5G scored about 223000 points in the AnTuTu benchmark. Before the stress test, the result was 287000 points. The smartphone seems to throttle under sustained load. However, because the Pixel 4a 5G is quite powerful, such drops in performance should not be noticeable in day-to-day use.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 35.1 °C / 95 F, compared to the average of 34.9 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 54.6 °C for the class Smartphone.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 34.9 °C / 95 F, compared to the average of 33.7 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 26.1 °C / 79 F, compared to the device average of 32.6 °C / 91 F.
Speakers
Both speakers of the Pixel 4a 5G are quite loud. Moreover, the sound does not become distorted at maximum volume. However, the speakers produce a very thin sound, because the lows are missing and the highs are overrepresented.
The sound is good enough for listening to music or watching videos. Howbeit, for a better listening experience we recommend using a set of headphones. And here is where the Pixel 4a 5G is able to beat the Pixel 5, which does not feature a 3.5-mm audio jack. Users can also connect wireless headphones to the budget Pixel smartphone. The Pixel 4a 5G supports all current codes (aptX, aptX HD, LDAC).
Google Pixel 4a 5G audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (90.5 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 19.7% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (9.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3.9% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (4.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 7.8% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (5.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (15.7% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 4% of all tested devices in this class were better, 2% similar, 94% worse
» The best had a delta of 11%, average was 23%, worst was 65%
Compared to all devices tested
» 25% of all tested devices were better, 5% similar, 71% worse
» The best had a delta of 3%, average was 20%, worst was 65%
Google Pixel 5 audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (91.9 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 20.2% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (6.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 7.5% higher than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (7.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 7.5% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (18.9% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 18% of all tested devices in this class were better, 10% similar, 73% worse
» The best had a delta of 11%, average was 23%, worst was 65%
Compared to all devices tested
» 45% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 47% worse
» The best had a delta of 3%, average was 20%, worst was 65%
Battery Life - Google’s smartphone lasts for a long time
Energy Consumption
The Pixel 4a 5G draws 0.96 watts when idle and 2.95 watts under load, which is why it can be described as very energy efficient. However, it is not as energy-efficient as the Pixel 5. In the settings menu of the top-tier model, users can turn on Adaptive Battery, which can extend battery life by preventing applications running in the background.
The 3885-mAh battery of the Pixel 4a 5G takes almost two hours to fully charge with the included 18-watt power adapter. Unfortunately, the Pixel 4a 5G does not support Qi wireless charging or reverse wireless charging – the Pixel 5 supports both.
| Off / Standby |   0.01 / 0.17 Watt |
| Idle |  0.7 / 0.96 / 0.98 Watt |
| Load |
2.95 / 5.2 Watt |
    
| |
| Google Pixel 4a 5G 3885 mAh | Google Pixel 5 4080 mAh | Google Pixel 4a 3140 mAh | Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G 4160 mAh | Realme X50 Pro 4200 mAh | Oppo Find X2 Neo 4025 mAh | OnePlus Nord 4115 mAh | Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | 10% | 4% | -105% | -67% | -57% | -85% | -60% | -47% | |
| Idle Minimum * | 0.7 | 0.69 1% | 0.49 30% | 1.5 -114% | 1 -43% | 0.8 -14% | 1.8 -157% | 0.965 ? -38% | 0.88 ? -26% |
| Idle Average * | 0.96 | 0.82 15% | 0.96 -0% | 2.2 -129% | 1.77 -84% | 2.21 -130% | 2.1 -119% | 1.899 ? -98% | 1.48 ? -54% |
| Idle Maximum * | 0.98 | 0.85 13% | 1 -2% | 2.9 -196% | 1.86 -90% | 2.23 -128% | 2.3 -135% | 2.07 ? -111% | 1.695 ? -73% |
| Load Average * | 2.95 | 2.73 7% | 3.11 -5% | 4.4 -49% | 4.23 -43% | 3.14 -6% | 3.4 -15% | 3.98 ? -35% | 4.27 ? -45% |
| Load Maximum * | 5.2 | 4.4 15% | 5.23 -1% | 7.2 -38% | 9.13 -76% | 5.44 -5% | 5.2 -0% | 6.19 ? -19% | 7.1 ? -37% |
* ... smaller is better
Battery Life
The Pixel 4a 5G has a somewhat smaller battery than the Pixel 5. However, the battery capacity of 3885 mAh is still very good. In our battery test, the Pixel 5 achieved a 10% better battery runtime than the Pixel 4a 5G. The cheaper Pixel smartphone lasted 13 hours in our Wi-Fi test and 22 hours in the H.264 video test. These results indicate that the Pixel 4a 5G should last at least one day, and in some cases two days, on a single charge.
| Google Pixel 4a 5G 3885 mAh | Google Pixel 5 4080 mAh | Google Pixel 4a 3140 mAh | Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G 4160 mAh | Realme X50 Pro 4200 mAh | Oppo Find X2 Neo 4025 mAh | OnePlus Nord 4115 mAh | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Runtime | 1% | -19% | 5% | -26% | -7% | -12% | |
| Reader / Idle | 2459 | 2245 -9% | 2270 -8% | 1683 -32% | 1507 -39% | 2003 -19% | |
| H.264 | 1337 | 1466 10% | 1045 -22% | 1403 5% | 1029 -23% | 1064 -20% | |
| WiFi v1.3 | 768 | 808 5% | 669 -13% | 884 15% | 775 1% | 712 -7% | 869 13% |
| Load | 341 | 333 -2% | 225 -34% | 448 31% | 194 -43% | 261 -23% |
Pros
Cons
Verdict - The lower-priced version of the Pixel 5
The Pixel 4a 5G is a budget version of the Pixel 5. It offers an impressive price-to-performance ratio. When compared to previous “a” smartphones, it has no weaknesses.
When compared to the Pixel 5, the Pixel 4a 5G has the same exact mid-range SoC, the same exact dual-camera system and a very similar battery life. However, it costs 130 Euros (~$153) less. Moreover, it also features a 3.5-mm headphone jack, which the more premium Pixel 5 does not have. According to Google, the Pixel 4a 5G will receive software and security update for at least the next three years.
Strong entry: The Google Pixel 4a 5G scores some major points not only with its large OLED display but also with its hardware, which is very similar to that of the flagship Pixel 5 that costs 130 Euros (~$153) more.
Aside from the screen, there are other areas where both Pixel smartphones differ from each other. The Pixel 4a 5G has only 6 GB of RAM, whereas the Pixel 5 has 8 GB of RAM. Moreover, the Pixel 4a 5G supports fewer 5G frequency bands and has a 60-Hz display. The Pixel 5 packs a 90-Hz screen, has an IP certification for dust and water resistance, supports (reverse) wireless charging, is made of more premium materials and feels better in the hand. However, the Pixel 4a 5G offers better call quality.
If you do not need 5G, then the 5.8-inch Pixel 4a is a good alternative to the Pixel 4a 5G: Not considerably slower, OLED screen, good battery life and significantly cheaper (the going price online is about 400 Euros (~$473)). And if you do not need 5G, but still want a high-end smartphone, then the Pixel 4 XL is worth considering. Right now, it costs about as much as the Pixel 4a 5G.
Google Pixel 4a 5G
-
08/31/2022 v7
Manuel Masiero