All right let's talk about the Google Pixel 4A.
Now I've had this phone for over six months
now so in this review I'm gonna take you through my experience with it the top features any
downsides that we've encountered while using this phone and then ultimately I'll give you
my recommendation on whether or not you should get the Google Pixel 4A in 2021, so let's
dive in and first let's talk about the design of this phone.
When Google sent me this phone my first impression when I took it out of the box was wow this
phone looks and feels pretty great for not being a flagship level phone.
After using it for six months, I still feel that way somewhat but since I've got the Pixel
4a, I've been reviewing more phones and well I do overall still like the Pixel 4a, there
are certain parts of this phone that do feel like a budget phone.
So I don't want anyone out there to think they can just pick up a Pixel 4a and it'll
be just as good as the Pixel 5 or even a more expensive phone and there aren't any significant
trade-offs with this phone because there are.
The first one is the screen.
The screen quality just isn't that great.
It doesn't have as good of a viewing angle as other OLED screens and has that color distortion
when you move the phone slightly, which is, Especially noticeable with white backgrounds
I much prefer the similar size to screen that Google put on the Pixel 5, which doesn't have
these issues.
Another area where the Pixel 4a doesn't feel quite as premium as other phones is haptics.
After comparing the 4a to other phones like the iPhone 12 and the Galaxy S21 Ultra the
Pixel 4 is haptics just feel a bit light.
They're not very intense and there's not a lot of subtle variation in their intensity
either.
It's just kind of flat.
Another dead giveaway that the Pixel 4a is a less expensive phone is.
It doesn't have any wireless charging or water resistance And the processor isn't top of
the line either.
Though Google has done a pretty good job of optimizing Android and they're pixel launcher
to make it feel snappy and fast enough.
I haven't noticed any significant lag with this phone when using it casually.
Now while it feels fast enough, I wouldn't say it's like blazing fast like you get with
the Galaxy S21 Ultra.
And the reason for that is the 120 Hertz display that phone sports.
The Pixel 4a only sports a 60 Hertz display, so it won't feel as fluid as some other phones
you may be familiar with.
Like the Pixel 4 or a Pixel 5 All right so those are some of the things that after using
the Pixel 4a over the past 6 months that stick out as being obvious areas where Google made
decisions to help keep the price down and ultimately give the phone a more budget feel.
Which isn't a bad thing but something to keep in mind when you're considering a phone and
what's important to you.
Now, where does the Pixel 4aA really shine you may ask?
Well, of course we got to talk about that camera.
Pixels have long been known for their camera prowess and this phone is no exception.
You get pretty uncompromising photography capability.
You're going to get the same main sensor that's found in the Pixel 4 as well as the Pixel
5 and it's a capable camera producing images that are crisp and have a classic contrasty
Google look.
I love that you can shoot your photos and raw with Android so you can fine-tune your
shots just the way you want them in post portrait mode is also great on the pixel and I love
that Google photos allows you to play with the blur amount and create a blurred background
even for photos that weren't taken in portrait mode now the camera isn't perfect by any means
and there are instances where it's not going to perform exactly the way you.
Want for example when zooming in on a subject and taking their photo the resolution gets
grainy quickly the selfie camera can produce some pretty grainy photos, especially if the
sun's behind you or you're in a dark lighting environment the video quality of the pixel
4a is actually pretty good for this price level it can produce footage that's usable
as long as you don't use zoom in your video if you zoom in too much the video is going
to look more like a painting it's not going to look real in general the quality is fine
not great and it produces a bit of a noisy image even when shooting in pretty good lighting
conditions.
The stabilization of the Pixel 4a as well as with all the more recent pixel phones is
very good Google software does a good job of focus tracking as well, you can track a
moving object and keep it in focus and crackly exposed by tapping and holding on it like
with photos the video footage also skews more towards a cooler cast which in my experience
doesn't always exactly look true to life another part of this phone that I think Google did
a really good job with is the overall exterior design the weight of this phone feels great,
it's perfect for one-handed use and I can hold this phone at.
My hand all day long and not feel any fatigue in my hands or fingers which is something
I definitely feel with a heavier phone like my Galaxy S21 Ultra or even the iPhone 12
Pro the backing of this phone also feels nice it doesn't show fingerprints it's smooth but
grippy the all screen design is also something I've appreciated on this phone at this price
level as well and I'm not really bothered by the whole punch cutout for the selfie camera
the storage capacity of this phone is another high point with it's 128 gigs of storage and
that makes me sad that more premium devices like my, iPad Air which cost more start with
a measly 64 gigs of storage another thing to love about the Pixel 4a is the version
of Android that comes on this phone with the Pixel 4a, you're getting Google's version
of Android it's a bit paired down compared to something like Samsung's version, but I
love that with the Pixel 4a you get things like a proper app drawer as well as other
common Android features.
I've come to love like bedtime mode which silence is your phone and changes your phone
screen to black and white making the phone less enticing to look at when you're trying
to go to sleep another great part of Android is the Google Assistant, which is Quite quick
on this phone though it's speed advantage has been closed in on by Siri in some areas
the Google Assistant can still do way more than it's rival.
Siri like recognizing a song by you just humming it reading articles out loud and a whole lot
more the pixel 4a also gets Android updates as soon as they come out as well as access
to pixel specific feature drops, which have included some pretty amazing features in the
past like call screen which allows the Google Assistant to pick up a phone call for you
and determine if it's legitimate or not and then ring your phone if it is or a feature
for when you're put on hold on a Call.
The Google Assistant can stay on hold for you and ring the phone when someone on the
other end picks up or smaller updates like a now playing history which shows you the
history of all the songs your Pixel has identified in the background.
So those are my thoughts around what I like and what I don't like about the Google Pixel
4a.
Now, let's talk a little bit about who should get this phone and if I think the upgrades
that the Pixel 5 offers are worth it over getting the Pixel 4a.
In general, I think the main difference is between the Pixel 4a and the 5 are that the
Pixel 5 has a better screen better camera capabilities.
With its wide-angle lens and additional stabilization features wireless charging water resistance
and a better processor.
If you want the Pixel 5's camera 5G and a better processor but at a cheaper price and
in a larger form factor then the Pixel 4a5G is going to be that phone for you.
To me, the Pixel 5's upgrades make a significant difference when using that phone versus the
Pixel 4a, especially when talking about the Pixel 5 screen quality and it's wireless charging
capabilities.
To you however given the price difference between these two devices it may not be worth.
It Now if you want to learn more about the Pixel 5 I'll link our review of it here and
in the video description below.
So do I recommend the Google Pixel 4a?
Yes, I think Google made a great low-cost phone that has some compromises to meet their
price point, but definitely delivers on things that matter to most phone users.
The camera storage performance and battery life, which is excellent and should last most
users all day and then some Now in the past Google has typically released their A-line
of phones around May and their top-tier pixels later in October.
And there have recently been some rumors about a pixel 5A so before you jump on a Pixel 4,
if you don't need to upgrade right away it may be worth waiting to see what Google has
planned for the Pixel 5a.
Overall though, I think if you go for the Pixel 4a, you're not going to be disappointed.
This phone has excellent battery life a good camera for the price.
It has excellent storage and it all comes in a slim modern looking device.
The Pixel 4a retails for 349 US dollars and comes in either just black or barely blue
and can be purchased at a variety of retailers.
As well as from Google directly.
I hope you found this video helpful and informative and if you did and liked it make sure you
hit that thumbs up button below and subscribe to the channel to see more six months later
reviews like this one as well as other videos on Google products.
Well, that's gonna do it for me, for 6 Months Later, I'm Josh Teder, thanks for watching.