Google Pixel 4a Review – Initially scheduled for May 2020, the launch of Google Pixel 4a quickly slipped to June, then July and finally August 2020; 3 months of delay that such a fast and continuously evolving market, such as that of smartphones, does not forgive. However, suppose Google Pixel 4a does not have the technical specifications (dated, technologically speaking) on its side. In that case, it can say a lot about two crucial aspects: dimensions, and therefore ergonomics, and software, with the full Pixel Experience.
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Google Phones
Google Pixel 4a Design & Ergonomics
The most exciting and characteristic aspect of Google Pixel 4a is its size. This smartphone is not only a mid-range product, cheaper than Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL, therefore, but also more compact, an aspect that, especially in recent months, has been increasingly overlooked by the various manufacturers. The title of best compact smartphone between 300 and 500 Euros easily wins, not because it is significantly better than others, simply because it is unique.
We are talking about 144.4 x 69.4 x 8.2 mm and a total weight of 143 grams, a polycarbonate body that encloses a 5.81-inch display among the various components. Don’t believe your eyes? But it’s all true.
Google Pixel 4a Gorilla Glass 3 on the front
The interesting aspect, however, is the feeling that the back cover returns to the touch, it must be tried at least once there is the typical porous treatment that Google inserts on all its products, such as the Google Pixel Buds. Beware of wear, however, after already a week the cure has begun to yield in some points, already showing wear areas along the lower edges, a cover is therefore recommended.
two speakers of the same quality that guarantee a pleasant and immersive stereo effect, a feature that cannot be found in this price range—promoted with full marks, therefore, from a multimedia point of view.
Google Pixel 4a Functionality
Onboard the Google Pixel 4a, we find Android 10 with Pixel Experience interface. Stock Android just like mom Google thought it. One of the advantages of buying a Pixel is the update speed, both as regards the security patch. Still, above all regarding the major updates and it will not belong in arriving Android 11 in the fall, as soon as it comes out of the Beta version.
Lean, responsive, simple, for some at the right point, for others too much. It goes to taste, but we like it a lot, fully embodying the Google philosophy. The operating system is Assistant-centric, that is, we can use “Ok Google” in any screen to set a reminder, consult the weather or ask the smartphone to open a specific app, in the English version it works quickly and with a less invasive animation, we hope it will come to us soon too. However, Google is always there, not only vocally, but also operationally by offering a contextual search based on what is on the market. Too invasive? Here again, it goes to preferences; in some respects, it can be useful.
The software support is up to 3 years with guaranteed updates and, as mentioned, this is the great advantage of buying a Google smartphone.
Google Pixel 4a Performance
Google Pixel 4a is equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 730G CPU, 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal memory. A not incredibly exciting processor arrived in August 2020 but which on the whole offer that user experience typical for a mid-range smartphone, that is, it goes without overdoing it. He is therefore not among the most responsive: the lightweight and optimized software helps and offers fair use overall, but as soon as more effort is asked of him, he begins to falter. During games some sporadic lag is present and, at times, the loading times are not very fast. In the more complicated operations, such as the processing of the fuck or the modification of a video, its limitations are noticed.
Nothing to tear your hair about, it is fair to say. Still, a Snapdragon 765G would have been enough to give it that bit of extra speed and support for 5G connectivity, obtaining a very different result, and perhaps not by chance there are rumours of the arrival of a variant 5G.
Google Pixel 4a Connectivity
Google Pixel 4a is a smartphone that takes slightly above average, supports 2G / 3G / 4G connectivity, not 5G, and VoLTE technology to improve call quality. It has WiFi ac, NFC, GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou and Bluetooth 5.1.
It is a dual SIM smartphone being equipped with a nano-SIM slot and an eSIM.
Google Pixel 4a Camera
Despite having a sizeable protruding insert on the back, Google Pixel 4a is equipped with only More in detail; we are talking about a 12-megapixel primary sensor with Dual Pixel technology, 1.4-micron large pixels, f / 1.7 aperture and 77-degree field of view. On the front, however, the sensor is 8 megapixel with 1.12-micron large pixels,
At the software level, there is the very famous Google Camera complete with all its features such as Night mode and astrophotography, which is activated according to the environmental lighting conditions, or the tracking of the subject by merely pressing any point of the scene to hold the focusing on that particular subject, and LENS which uses image recognition to interpret its content.
Google Pixel 4a Battery & Autonomy
Google is always excessively conservative about the battery module installed on its smartphones, and even on this Google Pixel 4a did not want to dare. The battery is 3140 mAh, one of the lowest values ever seen during this year, which offers approximately between 4 and a half hours and 5 hours of display on during the day. In short, discreet and nothing more, it is probably the price to pay when looking for a smartphone with compact dimensions.
The software features include an adaptive battery which, through machine learning, over time recognizes the applications that tend to consume more to limit their execution in the background, which is undoubtedly useful in the long run.
Finally, as well as Google Pixel 4 XL, the 4a also supports “fast” charging at 18 W with the charger included in the package, while it does not have wireless charging.