The new Google Pixel 5a 5G may have a pesky performance issue

Google released the Pixel 5a earlier this week. As is becoming typical of the company's releases, the new mid-range phone appears to be plagued by an issue that's unlikely to thrill enthusiasts. 

As revealed by Android Police, the Google Pixel 5a has an issue with overheating. The Snapdragon 765G-powered phone was tested and found wanting, with the device overheating during 4K 60 FPS video recording. According to the source report, the device's temperature rocketed about 5:05 into recording, with the phone bringing up the message, "Device is too hot. Close Camera until device cools off."

This isn't an isolated case either, as Android Police's tests showed that the Pixel 5, also powered by a Snapdragon 765G, had an even worse performance, with the phone overheating just 1:31 into recording. The Galaxy S21, on the other hand, went as far as 45 minutes without any thermal shenanigans.

Of the phones tested, the Pixel 5 and Pixel 5a were the ones with this issue. Both phones made by Google, and both phones featuring a Snapdragon 765G. We're not sure which of those is at fault. For what it's worth, however, Google's Pixel phones have had similar performance issues with their Camera app in the past. 

This doesn't appear to be an issue with all Pixel 5 and Pixel 5a units, though, as some owners of the Pixel 5 have confirmed that they have no such problems. Either way, it'll be interesting to see if this carries over to the upcoming Pixel 6 phones. 

Buy the Google Pixel 4a on Amazon.