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The freshly unveiled Google Pixel 5a with 5G is a follow-up to the Pixel 4a smartphone, and it doesn't fall short on upgrades. The newcomer brings notable design and hardware upgrades that we all love — like a larger screen, a bigger battery, and a fully waterproof build with an official IP rating. Best of all, the $449 Pixel 5a rocks a lower price tag than its $499 predecessor.
Key Specs
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G
• 6.34-inch FHD+ OLED display
• Dual camera with 12MP main, 16MP ultra wide, 8MP selfie camera
• 6GB of RAM, 128GB of storage
• 5G connectivity
• 4,680 mAh battery, fast wired charging
• Built-in stereo speakers, IP67 waterproof
I’ve been testing the Pixel 5a with 5G for over a week and found it to be an excellent smartphone. By offering worthwhile improvements over the previous generation for less, the product is the best smartphone under $500. Here’s everything you need to know about its design, features, and performance.
DESIGN
Design-wise, the Pixel 5a with 5G looks just like the outgoing Pixel 4a with 5G. However, its all-metal unibody with a very dark green (Google calls it mostly black) finish is much nicer than the polycarbonate housing of the previous iteration. The front of the phone is all about the 6.3-inch OLED display panel.
With an official IP67 rating, water and dust resistance is another big design improvement that the Pixel 5a with 5G brings. A first for an A-series Pixel and a rarity in its price category, the added durability puts the phone on par with much pricier products, making it infinitely more desirable.
Like many Pixel phones that came before it, the latest one has a characterful power button with a contrasting finish. This time around, Google gave the commonly used hardware button a textured finish so you won’t mistake it for the volume key — a small feature that I love about this device.
The Pixel 5a with 5G has a standard audio jack, which is a feature no longer available on most high-end phones. The new Pixel’s insanely convenient fingerprint sensor is also a standout feature, which I find particularly convenient for unlocking the phone while wearing a face mask.
DISPLAY
The OLED display panel of the Pixel 5a with 5G is plenty sharp, vibrant, and, measuring 6.34 inches diagonally, the biggest in an A-Series Google phone to date. For comparison, last year’s Pixel 4a with 5G only has a 6.2-inch display panel.
As expected from a 2021 smartphone, the screen of the new Pixel is almost completely free of distracting bezels and is adorned with a hole punch to accommodate the phone’s selfie camera. The screen also supports HDR-enhanced content, so compatible videos you watch will showcase scenes with richer colors and more dramatic contrast. It's a screen that makes you love doing pretty much everything on your phone — I found it to be equally enjoyable for cranking out work emails, catching up on YouTube highlights from the Premier League’s opening weekend, and gaming on Google Stadia.
High-refresh rate display panels made their way to cheaper smartphones over the past year, and while the Pixel 5a with 5G doesn’t have one, I don’t think it lacks because of it. Most consumers will find the awesome battery life of the smartphone to be a worthy tradeoff.
CAMERA
Pixel products have always been among the best camera phones since the original’s debut in 2016, and the 5a is no exception. The dual camera of the Pixel 5a can snap photos with exceptional quality in just about any lighting scenario, thanks to its hardware and Google’s image processing sorcery. The last bit includes challenging low-light scenes, made possible by the camera’s Night Sight feature. It even has an astrophotography mode that allows you to capture celestial events and areas of the night sky — a feature sure to satisfy stargazers.
The phone can also capture sharp 4K video at up to 60 frames per second. I enjoyed having a multitude of easy-to-access video stabilization modes, too.
Overall, the smartphone's camera performance is similar to that of the pricier Pixel 5 and the best I’ve encountered on a sub-$500 product.
PERFORMANCE
The Pixel 5a with 5G delivered a fast and fluid performance while I tested it. It seamlessly opened new apps and handled my Android app routine with ease, which consists of toggling between Slack, Microsoft Outlook, Google Chrome, Twitter, WhatsApp, and Zoom.
It’s worth noting that pricier Android phones with more RAM have better multitasking capabilities, but when it comes to sub-$500 handsets, the Pixel 5a with 5G is the snappiest worth your attention.
We know low-battery anxiety is real, but we're happy to report that won’t be a problem you’ll encounter with this device. Powered by the biggest battery we’ve encountered in a Pixel phone, the 5a easily made it through a full day of heavy use between charges. Over an entire week of constantly fiddling with the device, I didn’t even have a hint of midday battery anxiety. The device also has a fast and futureproof USB-C charging connector and a bundled adapter in its retail package.
I wasn't surprised that the Pixel 5a with 5G lacks wireless charging capabilities. It's a convenient functionality that's yet to make its way to Android phones in this price range, so it’s currently only available on premium products. But given its stellar price point, it's totally a feature you can live without.
USER EXPERIENCE
Having constant access to the most lightweight, most up-to-date, most secure Android iteration on hardware from its maker is one of the main reasons why you should consider any Pixel phone, and the 5a is no exception. The clutter- and bloatware-free user experience is infinitely customizable and a joy to interact with.
Unlike many affordable Androids, the Pixel 5a with 5G is also backed by 3 years’ worth of Android and security updates. This means that you will be among the first to get new Android features until your next upgrade.
WRAP-UP
I’d take the Pixel 5a with 5G over any smartphone that costs below $500 because the product ticks all the important boxes. It’s sleek, durable, fast, great at capturing photos and video, and capable of making it through a full day of use, all at an agreeable price. To top things off, the phone delivers a cutting Android user experience that’s second to none in its class.
For $449, the Google Pixel 5a with 5G comes with 128 GB of non-expandable storage — enough for all but the most data-demanding consumers. For comparison, the iPhone 11 — Apple’s best alternative to the product — will cost you $649 with the same amount of storage and no 5G.
Samsung’s Galaxy A52 5G I recently tested is a formidable Android rival to the new Pixel, thanks to a smoother display with a 120 Hz refresh rate, expandable storage, and a multisensor camera with more megapixels for $500. I’d still pick the Pixel 5a with 5G for its superior camera and craftsmanship (the Galaxy is made from plastic), as well as the next-level Android experience it brings.
Stefan is the senior technology editor for BestProducts.com, where he’s been covering the tech industry and testing the latest gadgets since 2015. He has more than a decade of experience covering consumer tech products, especially smartphones, tablets, laptops, and audio gear. He was previously the US editor for GSMArena.com; his work can also be found on Popular Mechanics and other Hearst publications.In the rare moments when he’s not playing with a new gadget, Stefan likes to watch live Premier League games or hang out with his cat and rabbit. He’s also an espresso snob.
