So Google has launched the Pixel 5 smartphone but I feel it should have launched the phone with a big number ‘5’ embossed at the back as right now it’s almost impossible to make out the difference between the Pixel 5 and the Pixel 4a 5G which costs $200 lesser (Rs 15,000 approx).
There are doubts that these devices will make it to the Indian market as its predecessor, the Pixel 4, was denied entry into India.
Whether that issue gets sorted out or not, we just wanted to highlight some of the features that distinguish the Pixel 5 and the 4a 5G apart.
Design & Display
Where the Pixel 5 is a 6-inch smartphone, the 4a 5G sports a 6.2-inch display. Unless you hold the phones in your hands you’ll struggle to tell them apart. How exactly?
The Pixel 5 sports an aluminium body protected by Gorilla Glass 6 on the front while the Pixel 4a 5G is made out of polycarbonate and comes with Gorilla Glass 3 protection.
You will also notice that the 4A 5G has the headphone jack on the top which is missing on the 5.
Both come with FHD+ display, however, the Pixel 5 comes with a 90Hz refresh rate screen that offers HDR10+ support while the 4a 5G comes with 60Hz refresh rate and HDR10.
Yes, 90Hz refresh rate helps with better viewing but don’t take the Pixel 4a 5G for a bunny as its display is slightly bigger and perfect for content consumption.
Hardware
Both smartphones run on the same processor, the Snapdragon 765G, so you can expect similar performance benchmarks from the two. The game-changer is the 8GB RAM support that the Pixel 5 gets while the Pixel 4a 5G comes loaded with 6GB of RAM.
I am surprised that being a flagship the company did not go with a Snapdragon 865 for the Pixel 5.
Both have 128GB of in-built storage which is not expandable and you don’t even get unlimited Google Photos storage option now. Instead, you get 3 months of Google 1 storage up to 100GB for free.
The fingerprint reader returns on the Pixel 5 and the 4a 5G which is a step backwards considering that competitors have moved on to in-display fingerprint scanners.
Some of the features the Pixel 5 offers over the 4a are wireless charging with reverse charging capabilities, IP68 water-resistance, Gorilla Glass 6 and the 90Hz screen. Seemingly, these are the features that you’re paying the extra $200 for.
Both smartphones will come loaded with Android 11 out-of-the-box with an assurance of regular Google security updates.
Camera
There is absolutely nothing to separate the two in the optics department as both smartphones come with identical 12.2+16-megapixel camera setup at the back and an 8-megapixel selfie camera.
The camera has been upgraded in terms of image quality, low light performance and even video stabilisation and stands out as one of the top smartphone cameras out there.
Google says that the portrait mode has received improvements, especially for low light conditions. So you can pick up either of the two and you’ll still end up with an impressive camera system.
Battery
The Google Pixel 5 comes with 4080mAh battery which supports 18W fast charging bundled with wireless reverse charging capabilities. That’s ample amount of battery juice for a 6-inch FHD+ display and a mid-tier processor.
On the other hand, the Pixel 4a 5G packs a relatively smaller 3,885mAh battery which is also bundled with 18W fast charging but no wireless charging. That might not be a deal-breaker for many as many would walk past that minor detail.
Pixel devices have been known to live up to the expectations of a user when it comes to battery life and you can expect these two to deliver a similar experience.
Which One to Buy?
Pixel 4 users who are looking to upgrade should go for the Pixel 4a 5G. I don’t feel you need to spend the extra $200 dollars just for the 90Hz display, wireless charging and water-resistance.
You can easily buy the 4a 5G which comes with the same processing capabilities, a big 6.2-inch display and almost the same amount of battery life.
Unless all of the above-mentioned features are on your checklist and you don’t want to compromise on them, then only should you go for the Pixel 5.
Just, FYI. Since it’ll be a while for 5G to come to India, the Pixel’s 5G capability is not its unique selling point.
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