Google challenges the budget market with the outstanding Pixel 4a, which represents an excellent Google experience.
The new Pixel 4a improves upon the Pixel 3a and combines design elements of the Pixel 4, delivering a product unique enough to stand on its own. The rear of the smartphone is now entirely painted and polished with matt polycarbonate, with a miniaturized square camera module that houses just a single rear camera lens and LED flash. Plastic is definitely better for clumsy owners, and the Pixel 4a feels pretty premium with the matt coating. Google has also retained the rear-mounted fingerprint sensor, instead of moving with the times, which arguably delivers a better unlocking experience.
Google also finally embraces a near-bezel-free front display with a 5.81-inch full HD+ accommodating a punch hole at the top left for the front camera. The 3.5mm audio jack is still located at the same spot as the Pixel 3a, and so is the USB-C to USB-A Quick Switch adapter, an important tool to transfer data from your current phone.
Moving on to the software, the Pixel 4a naturally includes some of the Pixel 4 features, like Night Sight with astrophotography, Live HDR+ with Dual Exposure Controls, Portrait mode for pets. Google also introduced brand new features like Live Caption for phone calls, video calls, and calls made through apps, such as Google Duo or Facebook Messenger. The exclusive Recorder app for Pixel phones is also updated to support Google Docs integration. To keep the Pixel 4a affordable, many Pixel 4 features are absent, like face unlock, Motion Sense, Active Edge, water-resistance rating, wireless charging. But it makes up for it with a slightly larger battery (at 3140 mAh), double the internal storage (to 128GB).
Thanks to an early hands-on preview, we spent enough time and found that the Pixel 4a performs robustly and smoothly just like the Pixel 4. The phone can last a whole day, although excessive use of any app – like video recording – will still require a recharge before the day comes to an end. I did not miss many of the missing features on the Pixel 4, which goes to show that Google has managed to pick the right features while keeping the prices affordable. Rear camera output appears similar to the Pixel 4, but upon pixel-peeping, the details and resolution are not comparable, due to the absence of Pixel Neural Core.
Rating 4.5 / 5
S$499
We say
Google has nailed the Pixel 4a experience with an enticing price and an ever-growing inventory of Pixel features not found on other phones.
Technical Specifications
Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 730G
Display 5.81-inch FHD+ (1080 x 2340) OLED with transmissive hole
Memory 6GB LPDDR4+ RAM, 128GB ROM
Rear Camera 12.2MP dual-pixel f/1.7
Front Camera 8MP f/2.0
Operating System Android 10
Connectivity WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac 2×2 MIMO, Bluetooth 5.0 + LE, USB-C 3.1 Gen 1, 3.5mm audio jack, NFC, eSIM
Battery 3140mAh
Dimensions 144 x 69.4 x 8.2 mm (HxWxD)
Weight 143g
Rating 4.5 / 5
First published in NXT Magazine September 2020. A digital edition can be purchased at https://www.magzter.com/SG/Kingsman-Media-Pte-Ltd/NXT-/Lifestyle/
