The Pixel 4a 5G can be several different things, depending on how you look at it. It’s clearly a 5G version of the 4a working on sub-6 and in some markets mmWave, but it’s also larger – this makes it something of an XL model for those who find the Pixel 5 too small. It’s not that much bigger – the OLED display measures 6.2”, which is a bit smaller than the 4 XL screen (6.3”). However, you only get the standard 60Hz refresh rate.
Not only is it bigger, this phone is also
more powerful than the 4a. Almost as powerful as the Pixel 5, in fact – it has
the same Snapdragon 765G chipset, but it gets 6GB of RAM instead of 8GB.
Storage is the same at 128GB.
The camera department is identical to the
Pixel 5 – you get the same 12.2 MP main cam joined by the 16 MP ultrawide unit.
This is yet another advantage over the vanilla 4a, which has a single 12.2 MP
module. The 8MP selfie camera is nested inside a punch hole.
The Pixel 4a 5G has a 3.5mm headphone
jack, something the Pixel 5 lacks. However, even though it’s larger, this phone
has a slightly smaller battery – 3,885 mAh. It still charges at 18W over USB
Power Delivery, but wireless charging has been dropped.
The body of the phone is made out of
polycarbonate and is not dust or water resistant. The rear-mounted fingerprint
reader isn’t much of a surprise on this model. This one is clearly more
powerful than the Pixel 4a, but if you're considering it as a sort-of Pixel 5
XL there are several “buts” to keep in mind as we described.
The Google Pixel 4a 5G is priced at US$ 500/€ 500/£ 500. Expect pre-orders to start on November 5, ahead of availability
on the 19th of that month. Aside from Japan, that is, where it will go on sale
on October 15. If you pre-order one of these, you'll get the same offer as the one
for Pixel 5 pre-orders: a free pair of Bose QC 35 II headphones, provided
you're in the UK, Germany, France, or Ireland.
