
Google announces Pixel 5, Pixel 4A 5G, and Pixel 4A - theBashShell
https://www.theverge.com/2020/8/3/21352032/google-pixel-5-4a-5g-price-release-date-specs
======
malkia
Has Audio Jack! (Comparison with other Pixel 4's) -
[https://store.google.com/magazine/compare_pixel?toggler0=Pix...](https://store.google.com/magazine/compare_pixel?toggler0=Pixel+4+XL&toggler2=Pixel+4a)

~~~
pixelmonkey
One of the biggest differences between the 4a and the older 4 and 4 XL is that
the 4a has a rear fingerprint reader, whereas the 4 and 4 XL want you to use
face unlock. So strange that this isn't emphasized (or even mentioned) on the
comparison page.

This was actually the primary thing that kept me on a Pixel 2 for so long,
since it also has a similar rear fingerprint sensor design (and I just pre-
ordered the Pixel 4a today).

I can't be the only one who greatly prefers a rear fingerprint sensor to face
unlock, especially in our new world order with widespread mask wearing -- but,
even before! It's so much faster and less finicky.

(The new model's fingerprint sensor is also so subtle on the chassis on the
phone that you can just barely make it out in the photograph of the phone's
back shown on the comparison page. But if you squint, you'll see it. It's also
discussed in many of the reviews.)

~~~
dangus
I recently went back to an iPhone 6s while my iPhone XS was in for repairs.
Boy, did I miss FaceID (though some of the pain was also due to the change in
certain key combinations and gestures between home button and notch iPhones, I
had to go back in time and re-learn some old habits).

Why did I miss it? Because FaceID will unlock the notification area and its
associated actions before I perform any action or even touch the phone.

Let’s say I get a text, my phone is on the night stand. I just look at it and
it already unlocks, no reaching.

It lets you skip a step and start interacting with the screen before the phone
has unlocked. Perhaps less of a big deal with the back-mounted fingerprint
sensor, in that case I could interact with the thumb simultaneous to unlocking
the back.

Using password managers was another big one. Instead of tapping the auto fill
button, then tapping the fingerprint sensor, it was all one click. Opening
bank apps, same thing. FaceID is always one less finger motion.

Mask wearing has thrown a wrench into it but Apple has added logic to quickly
bring up the pin pad when it detects a face mask. Also, sometimes it seems to
learn my masked face, but that’s less reliable.

I don’t know how this compares to Pixel face unlocking at all, admittedly.

And I never understood why Apple didn’t use the rear mounted fingerprint
sensor. But I do understand why they think the benefits of face unlocking
outweigh the drawbacks.

Some examples not related to the action of unlocking: when your alarm goes
off, the noise gets quiet when you look at the phone. Also, the screen won’t
time out and turn off while your eyes are looking at it.

~~~
kelnos
Current Pixel 4 owner here, and former Pixel 2 owner, and I very much miss the
fingerprint sensor.

With a fingerprint sensor, the only time my phone would have any trouble
unlocking would be if my finger was wet (trivial to fix and re-swipe). Face
unlock fails all the time for all sorts of reasons, and is especially useless
when I have a mask on (it's nice of Apple to detect masks and bring up the PIN
pad without needing an extra swipe, but that's still a weak workaround). Even
without a mask, I feel like the failure rate approaches 1% to 2%, which is way
too much. For me to feel comfortable using it, I expect something on the order
of 0.01%.

Actually I'm not even sure it's the failure rate that gets me. Even after
using face unlock for the better part of a year, I still catch myself looking
at the phone thinking it's waiting for my face when it isn't, and then I have
to swipe up or hit the power button or something. Yes, maybe you can call
these UX problems that can be fixed with software, but with a fingerprint
sensor I know that when I touch it, my phone will vibrate, and I know
immediately if it succeeded or failed.

I think also part of the difference is that Pixel phones have had their
fingerprint sensor on the back instead of the front, like iPhones used to
have. If the phone is just lying face-up on a table (and I don't want to pick
it up), then having it on the front is much easier. But, in reality, I found
that was rarely the case for me; usually it'd be in my pocket, or even if it
was on a table, I'd want to pick it up anyway. The act of wrapping my hand
around the phone would put a finger in roughly the right position to hit the
sensor anyway, so it'd be unlocked and ready to use well before I was in a
position to read anything off the screen anyway.

Frankly I just really don't like face unlock when compared to a fingerprint
sensor.

~~~
burnte
I have a Pixel 3 and a 2020 iPad Pro. I prefer the fingerprint by far.

------
droidno9
This is an awesome phone at $350. I currently have the Pixel 4, but if this
was available when I was making my purchase decision, I'd probably have gone
with it.

That said, the Pixel line of phones isn't known for having long lasting
battery. A feature that I've found to be indispensable is wireless charging. I
just rest my Pixel 4 on a vertical charging base throughout the day.
Otherwise, I'd have to have to constantly plug/unplug the phone throughout the
day to charge, and that'd be a huge regression in the user experience.

Just as I'm about 100% fully committed to Bluetooth headsets and my collection
is just about fully covering all my use cases, Google brings back the 3.5mm
jack! Nice that they're giving me hope that I can still use my wired headsets
without having to use a dongle, but I'd be again terribly disappointed if they
removed this feature again in the next iteration. This feature alone is almost
enough to downgrade my Pixel 4.

P.S. The Pixel 4 isn't an available trade-in option for the Pixel 4a. Lol!

~~~
ss3000
I'm not a huge Apple fanboy by any measure, but one thing I do appreciate is
that they consider wireless charging to be a table stakes feature, and include
it even in their "budget" phones. They clearly understand how dramatically it
elevates the user experience.

Compare that to every Android manufacturer who either don't offer wireless
charging at all or gate it to flagships, it's a really sad state of affairs
for someone like myself who won't even consider a phone without wireless
charging today.

~~~
mehrdadn
Never used wireless charging but also never really understood what is so
dramatically elevating about it. Is it just the requirement for 1 hand vs. 2
hands that people find so life-changing? Doesn't it waste a ton of power in
the process?

~~~
jakub_g
(Not using wireless charging either)

One advantage is that it does not destroy the USB port. Constant plugging and
unplugging can really wear some ports after 1-2 years, depending on
manufacturing quality. To the point that it won't charge anymore. (Hopefully
will be less of an issue with USB-C which seems better designed than
microUSB). Plus the convenience.

~~~
rand49an
To counter that though, it's not nearly as efficient and the additional heat
definitely puts more stress on the battery possibly lowering it's lifespan.

~~~
ss3000
My hunch is that you're probably correct about the heat effects of wireless
charging on battery lifespan to some degree, but I'd love to see more
emperical studies on the topic. Especially comparing it to usage of wired
quick charge solutions that tend to result in much higher spikes in
temperature than wireless charging, but over a shorter timespan. It's not
obvious to me that one would be more harmful to battery lifespan than the
other.

Newer wireless chargers also usually have some form of active heat management
(i.e. fans), and anecdotally my phone only ever gets lukewarm to the touch,
even with a somewhat bulky case on it.

At the end of the day though, I personally wouldn't mind having to upgrade my
phone slightly faster than I would otherwise in order to enjoy the convenience
offered by wireless charging, but definitely speaking from a position of
privilege here.

------
mchusma
My pixel 3a is by far the best phone I have ever owned (across both iOS and
Android).

Comparing the 4a to this it looks like a bunch of solid incremental
improvements across the board.

Huge fan of basically everything here. Price, screen size, phone size.

Battery size could be a touch bigger, as my 3a has the best battery life I
just wish for about 10% more for edge cases.

~~~
dageshi
I'm a big fan of the material its made from, I think it looks really good but
sticks to your hand like glue.

~~~
williamdclt
Really? When I got it, the only problem I found with my pixel 3a was that it
was _so_ slippery, I dropped it a couple times a day while it never happened
with my Motorola. I bought a leather case specifically to give it more grip

~~~
dageshi
Nope, I can lay it on my hand and tilt it to about 25 degrees before it start
to slip and even then only gradually. Compared to a lot of glass/metal backed
phones it's vastly better.

~~~
williamdclt
Alright fair enough, my standard was too high from years with from my
Motorola's weird textured back
([https://3g.co.uk/userfiles/products/n_389-2.jpg](https://3g.co.uk/userfiles/products/n_389-2.jpg))

~~~
0xcoffee
I agree, the Moto G had the most useful casing. Plastic, durable, grippy, and
looks good too. No idea why it's not more popular.

------
ckrailo
I broke the shopping cart by adding two pixel 4a devices + care plans, 1 with
a trade-in. Now going to store.google.com/cart returns 500 errors (Error code:
TIMM) and support is non-existent. Store chat and phone support look like they
don't exist. Off to a great start!

~~~
marklar423
I had this exact issue - try switching your country to something else, and
then back to your country again. This fixed it for me

~~~
ckrailo
Big thank you! Fixed for me too!

------
amanzi
Why can't Google sort out its global distribution? The Pixel phones have only
ever been (officially) available in a handful of countries and this one is no
different: "Australia, Canada, France, Germany, India (coming soon), Ireland,
Italy, Japan, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan, United Kingdom, United States".

~~~
murermader
Even in countries were Pixel phones are distributed, they are "hard" to get.
Google is doing something wrong. I don't know anybody who owns a Pixel phone,
despite Android market share being something like 70% here in Germany. It's
all Samsung, OnePlus, Huawei, Oppo

~~~
hocuspocus
I think there are several reasons:

\- The pricing for their flagship models made absolutely no sense given the
specs, poor battery life and questionable QA.

\- Samsung and the big Chinese manufacturers advertise everywhere, you can get
their phones at the shop around the corner. At least now in Germany you can
find the Pixels at Saturn and Mediamarkt (and often at a discount).

\- Most people don't care about software updates. They might notice the custom
Samsung UI and be annoyed by pre-installed bloatware, but they won't know
which version of Android the phone is running, let alone its latest security
patch. Even a 200€ phone will get Google Play services updates and be able to
install almost anything for 5+ years.

So in the end, you see Pixels in the US where Google does advertise them a
bit, and also because there are still a lot of people who get subsidized
phones from their carriers (or Google Fi for that matter).

But yeah in Europe... I do remember people getting the Nexus 4, 5, the 5X once
it got cheaper. But the Pixel 1/2/3/4, not so much. The 3a has probably done
better lately as resellers tried to get rid of their stock, I think I've seen
it sold as low as 239€.

I think it's good if Google goes back to mid-range models. I don't think
they'll ever be able to make a good flagship. But I really wonder why they
aren't trying harder (or at all, in most countries). For now Android One
phones are lagging behind in the camera department, but I cannot believe it'll
be the case forever. Once Nokia has caught up, what's going to be left to
overpriced Pixels?

~~~
detaro
Always seemed weird that they didn't continue a Nexus series below the Pixel.
Those had a good reputation as solid phones, whereas the Pixels didn't seem
worth the money - and probably got anchored as that in peoples mind, even when
their prices fall.

~~~
thaumasiotes
> Always seemed weird that they didn't continue a Nexus series below the
> Pixel.

That was weird, but the criticism obviously stuck -- the #a series _is_ a
continuation of the Nexus series.

~~~
detaro
I mean, I haven't been in the market for a new phone recently, but I didn't
even know those _existed_ , while still remembering lots of people said good
things about their Nexus'. Branding failure IMHO

------
csours
I can only hope they will revisit face unlock in the era of face masks. I
greatly prefered fingerprint unlock. I treat either of these as tamper
resistance rather than actual security, but I find fingerprint unlock to be a
much better experience.

~~~
MikeKusold
FaceID is terrible when driving. I often have my passenger read and send texts
for me, on my iPhone 6S I just had to grab the phone and put my thumb on it.
With my iPhone 11, I need to lift it up in front of my wheel, and look
directly at it instead of the road, because if you aren't looking at it then
it won't unlock.

~~~
kingnothing
Alternatively, stop using your phone while you're driving. It's illegal to
hold it in your hand while driving in many (most?) states now.

~~~
rurp
I don't know, touching the fingerprint reader as your passenger holds the
phone doesn't seem any more distracting than changing the radio station.

------
paultopia
Can someone explain to me what the user benefit of 5G is? Is there anything
that people typically do on their phones/with tethering right now that LTE is
insufficient bandwidth for? Or is this just a plan by the carriers to
encourage more really expensive usage, like convincing people to stream on
their phones/tether all the time?

~~~
jpeeler
Forgive me, but this sounds like the same perspective of the famous quote
"640K is more memory than anyone will ever need on a computer" (no idea if
Gates actually said it). People will always fill the bandwidth with something
(just like memory), perhaps with something we don't even use today at all.
Though note that the new usage pattern will only emerge after usage is
ubiquitous, which is usually due to decent pricing.

~~~
waheoo
Its also an American centric view.

Travelling around Korea and back home I noticed the distinct difference in
consumption habbits.

Korea data isn't capped, so everyone streams news/twitch/YouTube while on
there commute.

Back home, everyone reads articles and spam scrolls static images on
instagram.

So "do people need bandwidth" no. Will they use it if they have it?
Absolutely.

~~~
arvinsim
Yeah, access to cheap fast bandwidth certainly changed my internet habits when
I was in countries like Singapore and Taiwan.

~~~
waheoo
This what annoys me so much about politicians getting in the way of fast
access internet due to their narrow minded view of the world where internet is
for email and google.

Expanding our capabilities always has unknown unknown benefits just around the
corner.

------
trulyrandom
Can vouch for the Pixel line. I've had a Pixel 3a XL for a little over a year
and it's been great. Stock Android, good display, great battery life, great
camera, great security, reasonably fast and 3 years of updates. That's all I
need from a phone. The Pixel 4a seems like a logical upgrade from the previous
generation, sticking to the same principles.

~~~
pottertheotter
Only 3 years of updates? I've had some version of an iPhone since the 3 and
have considered giving Android a go, but that's a big downside if true.

~~~
trulyrandom
Coming from iOS, I can imagine that being a disappointment. 3 years of updates
is a relatively new trend in the Android world. I used to complain about this
as well, but now that it's 3 years, that's about when I usually buy a new
phone anyway.

See:
[https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/4457705](https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/4457705).

~~~
emn13
Only anecdotally, but old iphones (more than 3 years old, such as in my case
the original iphone SE) have poor enough battery life expectancy that I'm not
sure I'd call longevity a big win for iOS.

~~~
Xixi
There is an easy fix for that: it costs 49 USD to change the battery of an
iPhone SE in an Apple Store. Whether it's cheap or expensive is of course a
matter of perspective. But an iPhone SE with a new battery is certainly better
than most phones you could buy for 49 USD...

~~~
emn13
That _is_ a good point. I've always been a little hesitant with repairs like
that because I'm unsure how much longer it'll let the phone last, but at least
the SE is still getting iOS 14, so... a while?

------
Jedd
As an Australian with a Pixel XL which is still perfectly usable, just lacking
'support':

> ... it’s fascinating that the most important detail is the price: $349.

Local pricing on google store is A$599, despite US$349 ~= A$490.

So not quite the same bargain for us, though not hugely surprising.

> ... it’s worth remembering that technically, fall ends on December 21st this
> year.

Living in a country with only a dozen or so native (only only mildly)
deciduous trees, but a surfeit of eucalyptus that drop dangerously large
branches, leaves, and bark all year long -- we don't call autumn fall, just
autumn. And it runs 1st March to 31st May. Which adds some mental gymnastics
on top of the corporate hermeneutics when dealing with these announcements.

~~~
jeffparsons
I think at this point it's just sloppy to use '$' by itself in any
potentially-international context.

I've worked for multiple companies where most of my colleagues consistently
brushed this off. In each company, there was at least one significant
budgeting stuff-up while I was there because someone interpreted a '$' number
as the wrong kind of dollar. In the worst case I witnessed the "bill shock"
was about 50 thousand dollars. (Wait, which "dollars" was that again?)

At least with "fall" I know the author is talking about autumn in the northern
hemisphere -- it's not so easy when someone writes that something is to be
released "this summer". :)

~~~
Jedd
Oh, 'rest of world' has put up with this for years, but it's nice to complain
every now and then. : )

I'd advocate ISO 8601 for everything, and it has periodicity built in --
though I happily concede "Coming in 2020-09/11" doesn't scan anywhere near as
well, and would confuse way more people than it would satisfy.

~~~
jeffparsons
> "Coming in 2020-09/11" doesn't scan anywhere near as well, and would confuse
> way more people than it would satisfy.

Sure, but those aren't our only options. "Late 2020" or "towards the end of
2020" capture that kind of vague time frame at least as well.

------
duxup
I held on to an old 5x for what felt like forever until the 3a came around.

I've zero interest in the high end phone market, I'm sort of horrified at 6,
7, $800+ the prices, and I feel like I use fewer and fewer apps all the time.

Hopefully google with the 'a' models and Apple with the SE will stick with the
mid range products.

~~~
zerocrates
Relatively lucky of you to have a 5X that lasted that long: mine succumbed
long ago to the "boot loop" issue, apparently due to soldering issues endemic
among 5X phones.

~~~
bufferoverflow
Yeah, we got 2 out of 3 Nexus 5X boot looped. They were great phones, but what
a massive let down. And Google never paid us anything to correct the problem.

That's why I'm never buying a Google branded phone.

~~~
zerocrates
Mine was well outside its warranty period and whatever Google was also
offering, so I didn't even try to get a replacement or refund.

My recollection is that the problem was an LG manufacturing defect that also
affected some of their self-branded phones released around the same time...
but yes, I don't know that I'd call Google a "stand behind their product"
company in the way some are.

I wouldn't really describe myself as upset with the lifetime of my 5X, but I
definitely would have kept it longer. I shifted to the Nokia 6.1 which was
fine although with its own quirks and issues, but the price was certainly
right. I'm happy now with a Pixel 3a.

------
sf_rob
>The camera and its clean version of Android are the main ways that Google is
aiming to differentiate the Pixel 4A from the likes of the OnePlus Nord,
Samsung Galaxy S71, and iPhone SE.

I think it's weird to include the SE on that list. iOS seems like a great
choice for a "clean" OS and the SE's camera, while not the highest end or with
several sensors, is pretty great. A better emphasis would be storage and RAM
which is pretty incredible and the inclusion of a headphone jack.

~~~
ric2b
But the pixel still differentiates itself by the camera, things like night
shots are on another level.

------
PossiblyKyle
One of the biggest reasons I'm happy with the increasing competition in the
budget segments is that they're starting to make the 'right' sacrifices,
slightly negating the distinctive features and advantages of flagship phones.
Flagship phones will either have to adapt (introducing more useful features
and not extra camera-bloat), or people will just keep buying the cheaper ones.

~~~
TremendousJudge
350 dollars is "budget"?

~~~
acdha
For something most people use many times a day with a multi-year lifespan?
There’s a fascinating economics lesson in how many people are concerned by the
cost of a phone but never mention the service plans which almost always cost
more.

~~~
xenocyon
"Multi-year" is technically correct but a little rosy: Google cuts off
software updates _including security_ updates after 3 years, by which time one
can also expect the hard-to-replace battery to be degraded, and increased
probability of screen damage. Phones aren't really designed to be durable
objects.

That said, I do appreciate Google's "a" variant of their recent phones for the
emphasis on practicality and usability (headphone jack, battery capacity), and
the $349 price tag doesn't seem extravagant for what you're getting. Mostly, I
just wish they came in a smaller size.

~~~
ehsankia
2+ years is by definition multi-year.

At 350$, if you use it for 3 years (which is the minimum number of years it
gets updates for), you would basically be paying more for your Netflix
subscription than for your phone. And I'd wager most people use their phone
much more than they do their Netflix.

------
axegon_
I'm still rocking a Pixel 2 xl and despite Google being a bit...
Uninterested(probably the correct term) in the market outside the US(and thus
severely limited in supply and even functionalities), I'll admit, it's a
brilliant phone. I'm definitely curious to see what the 5 will offer and I
might jump on board with it.What bothers me is that it was a pain in the ass
to get the 2 XL back in the day. I flew all the way to Poland to get it(and
even there I had to order it and wait for the delivery) so the covid-19
situation will probably be even more painful. I'll have to wait and see I
suppose.

~~~
halfeatenpie
Similar boat as you. I bought the Pixel 2 XL and am still rocking it to this
day. I just happen to be living in the States.

I think I'll be going for the 5, but the 4a does give me a pause. If I use it
for another 3 years, I think buying the 5 is the better choice.

~~~
foobarian
Still using the Nexus 6P :) Had to replace the battery once which gave it an
extra couple of years of life. I was reluctant to replace it with a newer
flagship because of the price (getting close to $1k) but the 4a price is
looking very tempting now...

------
bdz
4A Review from Marques
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlHnleQU9tQ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlHnleQU9tQ)

~~~
jeffbee
I love his reviews.

Notable quirk in this review: around 5:10 where he starts talking about how
usable the software is, he also makes an erroneous gesture with his thumb and
has to do it again. This is my experience with the Pixel 3a. The gestures
require a range of motion that my thumb just does not have. This isn't going
to be any better with the 4a, which is even bigger than the 3a.

~~~
what_ever
I disagree - MKBHD has gone downhill and has really surface level reviews
these days. He pays more attention to how the video looks instead of the
actual content itself. Plus questionable associated with OnePlus.

------
robotmay
Bit confused as to why mtgx's comment has been voted into oblivion, as it's a
legitimate complaint with the Pixel line. My girlfriend has a 3a and it has
taken about 3 months for the battery life to start being a minor issue; i.e.
she makes sure to charge it during the day if she has somewhere to be in the
evening.

It's really the only complaint I have about an otherwise good phone, and it
doesn't look like the 4a really addresses it. It appears Google is looking for
a software solution to battery life, which I don't disagree with, but that
whole approach is basically pointless if someone happens to install Facebook
on their phone.

On the positive side, the 3a has a great camera and it looks like the 4a is
continuing that. I've been particularly impressed by the 3a's low-light
capabilities, such as taking good photos indoors, and it's especially good
considering its price.

~~~
raziel2p
Maybe it's anecdotal? I've had my 3a for a year and the battery feels just as
good as when it was new, I only have to charge it every other day.

~~~
robotmay
I suspect it does vary quite a lot based on usage. We live in a fairly cold
place (Wales) and my girlfriend's phones tend to suffer more than mine do, as
she spends a few hours in an exposed place most days. Towards the end of its
life her iPhone SE was suffering from some truly impressive battery woes when
she ventured outside. My current phone (an S8 Edge) is doing relatively fine
by comparison, but my last Nexus device really struggled here too and I ended
up with poor battery life within a few months.

The problem I have with the software approach to battery optimisation is that
it doesn't accomodate for environmental issues like that, whereas a bigger
battery does.

------
eyelidlessness
Is it just me, or does every single photo supposedly demonstrating the quality
of the camera have awful artifacts? (I'm not saying this means it has a poor
quality camera, I suspect that whatever process prepared these photos for the
website cranked up the JPEG compression or something.)

~~~
simlevesque
It's not you, now that you told me they are in every of the photos, that's
weird.

------
cbg0
Seems interesting if you want a reasonably sized phone with less bloatware,
but for 30$ more the Galaxy A71 seems like a better deal, here's a comparison:
[https://www.gsmarena.com/compare.php3?idPhone1=9995&idPhone2...](https://www.gsmarena.com/compare.php3?idPhone1=9995&idPhone2=10123#diff-)

> 4500 mAh vs 3140 mAh on the Pixel

> microSD card slot vs no card slot on Pixel

> The A71 has more cameras

> 2 extra GBs of RAM on the A71

~~~
craftkiller
The Samsung is missing LTE bands 14, 18, 25, 26, 29, 30, 39, and 71.

The Samsung is larger, which I view as a negative, but that explains how they
can have a larger battery capacity.

And it looks like the Samsung does not have the pull tabs for the adhesive
underneath the battery[1]. We don't yet have a tear-down of the Pixel 4a but
google has been reliably including pull tabs in their phones for years.

[1]
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMP0LFVpFpg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMP0LFVpFpg)

~~~
ranbumo
Size shouldn't be a reason for the battery size. Devices like the redmi 3s had
4k mAh in a smaller device in 2016

------
abvdasker
Finally! A small phone with decent specs and a headphone jack is really all I
want these days (and is almost extinct as far as phone design goes). The Pixel
4a seems like a possible alternative to the S10e, which up until now was the
only game in town for high quality small-form-factor smartphones.

~~~
coldpie
I think it's still way too big. I'd really like a decent phone with a height
under 5 inches. At 4.8 inches tall, the Incredible 4G LTE from 2012 remains my
favorite phone. The 4A is at least smaller than the 3A (my current phone), so
at least they've moved a tiny bit in the right direction.

~~~
robotmay
I have an S8 Edge which is narrower than these current phones, and even that I
find too big. The previous generation iPhone SE was really the last phone that
I didn't involuntarily drop on my face when trying to operate it whilst lying
down.

------
wccrawford
Does the 4a still disable the USBC video-out? I've wanted to use that feature
a few times in the last few years and I'm bummed that the Pixel line hasn't
supported it.

~~~
owenversteeg
Yeah, I have to say, USBC video out sounds like a gimmick until it isn't. I
completely ignored it in choosing a phone but it has saved my butt countless
times now. Usually the way it happens is that the computer intended for
playing a movie/show/presentation/etc has a problem, lacks a cable, etc. Then
I spot a USBC to HDMI dongle (basically everyone with a new Mac or recent
ultrabook has some kind of USBC dongle) and bam, you're golden.

I wouldn't get a phone without it.

~~~
chaosharmonic
Plus, Android has been seeing behind-the-scenes work toward both a desktop
mode and a version of AOSP that can boot off mainline - both of which are
_immensely_ interesting in the long-term.

(LineageOS, incidentally, just recently got a port to the Raspberry Pi 4.)

------
Shelnutt2
The 4a is looking nice, especially at the price point and for a "stock"
android experience. I've started looking for a replacement to my Essential
PH-1 since my USB port is getting very loose, and charging is becoming
difficult. I wonder if there will be a demand for people who got the PH-1 on
fire sale? This price point to features is what we've been missing since the
early nexus days. The 3a was a nice step in this direction, but this looks
like a very solid competitor in this field.

~~~
jedi_stannis
Try using a pin to clean the lint out of the USB port

~~~
tridentlead
Don’t do this, use a plastic toothpick or you might damage the contacts.

------
distrill
Wireless charging is pretty much a necessity for me at this point. It's not an
expensive or bulky technology (I can get an adapter that fits under a case for
$15), it really bothers me that they keep this feature gated behind the
flagship price.

~~~
vishnuharidas
Actually, is wireless charger worth it? You still have to keep the phone on
the charging pad, which is similar to keeping the phone connected to a charger
cable. Next, I can easily hold and continue using the device when it is
connected to the USB cable. But you can't do that when placed on a wireless
charging pad, right?

I will never call it "truly wireless charging" until it is a technology that
charges my phone "wirelessly" many meters away from the wall socket,
regardless I am using the phone in my bed or bathroom. The current method of
"wireless charging" is not truly wireless, IMO.

~~~
crazcarl
Wireless charging for next to your bed makes it worth it. You just set it down
on the charger and if you need to pick it up to answer a call you don't have
to deal with the plug. And then when you're finished you just set it back down
again without having to deal with the plug.

Same for if you're working at a desk you can just set it down on the charger
when you're not using it 95% of the time.

------
usrusr
Google's handset portfolio is starting to get a bit messy. Ignoring any
earlier but still available models you have a 4 in 64GB and 128GB versions, a
4a without a 64GB option, a 4a 5G that also differs from the regular 4a in
some other specs, no 4 5G, an announced straight 5 and presumably everything
in regular and XL versions that may or may not differ in other specs as well.
Reminds me of how Motorola made people completely oblivious to new models
because there were just too many of them.

Hint: if you make it too hard for customers to feel well-informed about your
devices all but the most casual buyers will simply avoid your brand.

~~~
andybak
The thing that finally made me jump ship to Macbooks about 10 years ago was
the fact that I needed a week and a spreadsheet to choose a PC laptop.

~~~
Krasnol
So if the specification weren't important for you, why did you bother?

I think it's quite nice to have the choice, upgradability, price range, etc.

~~~
whalesalad
You ever tried to buy an IBM Thinkpad? There are like 20,000 configurations
displayed on the same single website page. It’s a disaster shopping for pre-
assembled PC’s.

~~~
Godel_unicode
First, IBM doesn't make thinkpads and hasn't for close to a decade.

Second, this is just because they know who their market is. They're
deliberately not marketing their laptops to people who don't want to have to
handle a little bit of complexity in exchange for flexibility.

Apple is the Sony rx100; good but not great sensor, good but not great lens,
good but not great audio. Everything is fixed and you can only make
superficial changes.

Thinkpad is the Red Komodo; everything is optional, but it doesn't even
include vital components in the box unless you know to order them.

You can get decent results with the former, and it requires very little
thought or experience to buy and use. There is a much higher ceiling for
getting exactly what you want with the latter, but it requires you to know
exactly what you're doing and be willing to do some work on your setup.

Neither option is objectively better.

~~~
kazen44
Also, thinkpads are still a bussiness line of laptops aimed at the corporate
market.

having a ton of options makes a lot of sense when it allows you to bring the
price down. Making a change that saves you 50$ of a 1000$ laptop might not
seem like a big deal, but it adds up if you buy a couple of hundred of them.

------
ksec
The Pixel 4A comes with an USB-C to USB-C cable that is only capable of _USB
2.0_ speed.

USB-C Supporters have been saying all the crappy USB 2.0 USB C cable are fake
or counterfeit cables from Alibaba.

Now we have one, officially from Google.

~~~
aloknnikhil
If that's indeed true, it'd be faster to transfer over Wi-Fi. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

~~~
eertami
How frequently are most users really plugging a phone into their PC for data
transfers?

------
a5withtrrs
Fingerprint reader? Yes! Great. Audio Jack? Also yes!? Amazing!

Turns out faceID doesn't work great with people wearing face masks in these
COVID times.

And people like me still like to use headphone jacks to connect to things like
car audio systems etc.

If the 5 and 4A 5G come out with those features, I'll be first in line for
one!

------
owenversteeg
Not a gripe for this phone specifically ($349 is a great price point!) but
more for the smartphone industry at large: I'm disappointed in the lack of
progress since Huawei introduced the first real telephoto lens on the P30 Pro.
Sure, there's the cheap knockoffs from OPPO, and Huawei added a nicer sensor
to the P40 Pro, but no real innovation.

That's the big thing holding me (and many people) back from being able to
completely let go of DSLRs. The P30 Pro is so close, it's a real revolution.
But it's not quite good enough in many situations (autofocus is slow, any kind
of action, low light is pretty bad.) Whatever company puts in a truly good
quality, versatile telephoto lens... they'll have my money and a massive part
of the DSLR market.

I have a feeling that it's going to be either Huawei incrementally improving
their telephoto lens, Google delivering a computational breakthrough (and
everyone else using it), or Apple/Samsung making some intricate, complex
hardware.

------
mherdeg
This is great.

My Pixel 3 XL has broken Bluetooth/wifi connectivity (even after a factory
reset, "Bluetooth keeps stopping"). And it only connects via USB-C for
headphone or charging some of the time in a specific orientation (even after
cleaning out the charging port with a paperclip and flashlight).

The device is just out of warranty but within credit-card extended warranty so
I'm thinking of rolling the dice on the $481 Google Store-mediated repair
process and hoping they fill out a form that Amex provides. (Risk is that,
after this problem showed up, I also dropped it and got a cracked screen, so
Amex might not be on board with also reimbursing screen-crack repairs.)

Aside from not having reliable Wifi, Bluetooth, or USB-C connectivity I've
been very happy with the Pixel and looking forward to using a 4A while I wait
to see what happens with repairs on the 3XL.

------
untog
The Pixel “a” devices and the new iPhone SE are really great news. Until
recently it seemed you had to choose between a $1000 flagship phone and a $200
piece of garbage. I’m really happy to see a sensible middle ground developing
at last.

------
intsunny
Its a shame the Pixal 4A does not have an ultrawide camera.

Of all the newfangled phone features, an ultrawide camera (with the software
to back it) seems to be one of the new truly worth while features. I never
understood nor cared for the feature until my job gave me a new phone with
that had one.

It would be quite the bummer to go back to having a phone without this
feature.

So many phone reviews drone on and on about the latest Snapdragon 2934838
chipset with its 2^N cores and 2^N GB of RAM. The vast majority of us simply
don't care for the horsepower nonsense. We're not looking to run hadoop on top
of k8s on our phones. The cameras are really where things matter.

~~~
notyourday
> The vast majority of us simply don't care for the horsepower nonsense.

Non-flagship Android phones are visibly slower in a responsiveness than
flagships. So yes, people do care, otherwise they would not be buying
flagships, saving gobs of money and accepting that sometimes it takes several
seconds to open an app.

------
jamesponddotco
I want to replace my current OnePlus 5T, as I want to switch from my custom
LineageOS build to GrapheneOS[1], and thought the Pixel 4a would be the one to
replace it with, but why only one color option? I really wanted a black, and
white version.

The regular Pixel 4 does have a black, and white version that looks gorgeous
from the back, but then the front design is an abomination, with the top being
much bigger than the bottom.

Maybe I should just stick with LineageOS, I do not put sensitive information
on my phone anyway.

[1] [https://grapheneos.org/](https://grapheneos.org/)

~~~
Tarq0n
OnePlus Nord seems like a nice replacement for a 5t. I'm looking to replace
mine as well.

~~~
jamesponddotco
GrapheneOS only run on Pixel devices, though, hence me looking at the Pixel
line. Otherwise, yeah, OnePlus all the way.

------
hourislate
The Oneplus Nord is still a better phone for the same price. If you can wait
for the 7T to drop in price when the new Oneplus is released this year you
will get an incredible phone compared to the Pixel 4a at close to the same
price. IMO Oneplus still makes the best Android phone at the best price/value
point.

Disregard the prices at gsmarena, they can be found for much less.

[https://www.gsmarena.com/compare.php3?idPhone1=9816&idPhone2...](https://www.gsmarena.com/compare.php3?idPhone1=9816&idPhone2=10123&idPhone3=10289)

~~~
SECProto
Does the OnePlus Nord or 7T have a headphone jack?

(No, they don't, and it's been a dealbreaker for me for several generations.
That plus low price plus stock android is the attraction of the pixel 3a and
4a for me.)

All that said, I'm happy using a Samsung phone - manufactured in Vietnam, has
a headphone jack and sdcard slot, minimal bloatware, cheap.

~~~
emn13
I'm kind of curious why the headphone matters? I was mildly annoyed when
phones dropped the jack, but you know... get a set of bluetooth headphones,
what's the problem? Frankly, not having to bother with the wires is simply a
plus.

~~~
SECProto
Aux port is useful for much more than earbuds. I plug in an aux cable daily in
my car (GPS + podcasts = need power and aux slot simultaneously, or a several
hundred dollar head unit upgrade to have halfway decent bluetooth, or a dongle
that does both and the hope i dont forget it if i use a rental car).

Use with my existing headphones/aux cables around my house, same port as my
desktop/laptop, same port as various devices at my relatives houses, never
need to hunt to find a dongle, (especially when most people i know have
iphones - so no usb-c dongles anywhere)

TL;DR: Aux cables are useful to me daily, dongles are a pain in the ass,
bluetooth doesnt fit my use case or equipment i already use. Aux port has
value to me and options still exist to get phones with an aux port so I vote
with my wallet.

~~~
emn13
You're going to have to replace the equipment; dongles are a at best a limited
workaround (basically you need to glue to dongle to the headphone or certainly
_never_ take it out of the respective device, otherwise it's too much hassle
and risk of losing it). Dongles are OK for specific legacy devices, no more.

But the real advantage of aux sounds like the standardization to you - and
that's mostly a question of simply making the jump. Yes, you need to spend a
little money (but much less than your other devices like phones/laptops/etc,
so it's not a crazy step), perhaps even hundreds. But once you do - bluetooth
support is about as pervasive as aux, and becoming more so. Quite a few
devices no longer have aux ports, but _do_ have bluetooth. Even today, you'll
be able to use your bluetooth headphones with essentially all phones and
laptops regardless of brand (assuming they're not ancient, and maybe some
extremely low end stuff is missing bluetooth). If your desktop doesn't support
bluetooth, a desktop dongle is just a few dollars and you can leave it in
permanently.

Switching standards is annoying, but it's going to happen sometime; and at
this point bluetooth is pervasive enough that it's pretty usable.

~~~
SECProto
I don't like doing point-by-points, but much of what you said is not correct:

> You're going to have to replace the equipment

Or I could just keep buying and using phones with aux ports, and all the
equipment at home/friends/family will continue to work

> But the real advantage of aux sounds like the standardization to you - and
> that's mostly a question of simply making the jump

I already listed a number of places I use the aux port. The only thing I own
that uses bluetooth is a Garmin watch. I see no reason to switch.

> Yes, you need to spend a little money (but much less than your other devices
> like phones/laptops/etc

Or I could keep using aux and not spend any money, and my
laptop/phone/desktop/car/headphones will all continue to work together just
fine.

> Even today, you'll be able to use your bluetooth headphones with essentially
> all phones and laptops regardless of brand

Not with my desktop, nor my home theatre, nor my in flight entertainment.

> If your desktop doesn't support bluetooth, a desktop dongle is just a few
> dollars and you can leave it in permanently.

Or, again, keep using aux and have great quality and no dropouts?

> Switching standards is annoying, but it's going to happen sometime; and at
> this point bluetooth is pervasive enough that it's pretty usable.

Every time I use bluetooth, it is slow (garmin watch) or it drops out (car
audio in numerous vehicles, microsoft wireless mouse) or the music stutters
(cars again) or the batteries die (friends I see with bluetooth earbuds).
Bluetooth offers me zero improvement, numerous regressions. And yeah,
standards may switch sometime. But I have family with knob-and-tube wiring
still in use, I doubt aux cables are disappearing anytime soon.

------
tims33
The 4A branding is only something a tech company would come up with. Obviously
its a lower cost model, but there is something magically less appealing about
that 'A' designation.

------
Wowfunhappy
And the Pixel 4A has a headphone jack! Hurray!

~~~
lern_too_spel
And fingerprint sensor. They stupidly didn't announce whether the two upcoming
phones will have those things, so people who want a better processor or 5g
will just have to wait.

------
drawfloat
I loved my 3A when I got it. Great camera, decent specs, not a gamer (still
not convinced anyone is a heavy phone gamer) so it was just an absolute steal.

But a year and a bit later, the software is already starting to slow down even
with a reset (switching to video from photo incurs a good 5-10 second delay,
opening the camera itself takes a few seconds), and the volume rocker on the
side snapped when I was just turning down Spotify.

The "it's a bargain!" selling point is less of a thing in Europe, where they
do some currency conversion fiddling. And the poor sales means aftercare is
awful - my screen cracked a few weeks ago and I have to go to a third party,
looking at 180euro.

Coupled with Google's terrible implementation of work accounts (want to just
join a Meet on your work email? Wait while we set up an entire work profile,
download the requirements etc. Oh but, by the way, the calendar app doesn't
have any way to view your work profile events) and I'm less enthusiastic this
time around, sadly.

~~~
sciurus
> But a year and a bit later, the software is already starting to slow down
> even with a reset (switching to video from photo incurs a good 5-10 second
> delay, opening the camera itself takes a few seconds)

FWIW that's really not normal. Sounds like I got my pixel 3a around the same
time as you, and I haven't had any problems like that. I wonder if you have a
hardware defect of some sort.

> Coupled with Google's terrible implementation of work accounts

What's special about work accounts? I added both my personal and work Google
accounts without any issues and can see events from both in my calendar,
switch between them in google drive, etc.

~~~
drawfloat
I think it's just a bug prone implementation. For example, I see exactly what
I imagine you can see in Gmail etc where it's possible to switch between work
and personal.

In calendar? Nothing.

I agree the camera thing does not sound normal, but again if it's a defect it
does speak further to the "can tell the build quality was lower already"
comment

------
ggm
Does eSIM and nano SIM work at the same time in Google phones android yet?
According to web search, prior to this unit, no. It does on iPhone, so you
effective dualSIM from the technology mix. Ubiquitous dualSIM would stop me
needing to carry a second phone when work travel overseas resumes (we don't
all get to buy FI worldwide). Motorola dualSIM has been a lifesaver for me

~~~
el_nahual
Pixel 4 already supports dual SIM (DSDS--dual SIM dual standby) that allows
you to receive calls at either number, but only one at a time.

~~~
ggm
So inbound SMS works, and you can preference the nano SIM for out calls? just
like the normal interface behaviours on non-google dual-physical-sim phones?

~~~
el_nahual
Correct.

------
xxpor
6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage are both better than my top of the line
Pixel 3 from just 2 years ago, so that's good to see. The 730G kind of scares
me though, how good is it compared to the top of the line? Are we talking
unusably slow? The Pixel 3 issues seemed to be mostly RAM related, not CPU
related, so maybe this combo of slower CPU and more RAM would still be faster.

~~~
neogodless
[https://www.notebookcheck.net/SD-730G-vs-
SD-845_11555_9958.2...](https://www.notebookcheck.net/SD-730G-vs-
SD-845_11555_9958.247596.0.html)

Take any benchmarks with a grain of salt, of course, but it appears the 845 is
only about 10% faster than the 730G on average. Still that double memory
bandwidth certainly affects perceived performance a bit.

~~~
xxpor
Yeah, I always have trouble interpreting synthetic benchmarks on a phone.
Obviously it's easy to see X has a score 10% higher than Y, but how does that
translate to real world performance? If I'm running Google Maps nav, and then
try to open Pocket Casts, will that happen immediately or will I be sitting
there for 30 seconds while Android figures out what other app to OOM kill
(This was a frequent problem with my Pixel 3, and it made me swear off the
Pixel line even though I love the stock Android experience).

------
dnr
I'm somewhat happy with my Pixel 3a, but the aspect ratio is pretty annoying:
it's too tall and too narrow, making it really hard to use one-handed (my
thumb can't reach that high while I'm gripping it in my palm). It looks like
the 4a is similar. I wish they'd go back to the Pixel 1 dimensions, which were
pretty perfect.

~~~
ehsankia
Basically every phone in the past year has gone in that direction, it seems to
be the future unfortunately.

------
aagha
Interestingly, the 3a is selling for $399, $50 more than the 4a. [0]

Also, the 4a doesn't have Fast Charging like the 3a.

0 -
[https://store.google.com/magazine/compare_pixel?toggler0=Pix...](https://store.google.com/magazine/compare_pixel?toggler0=Pixel+4+XL&toggler2=Pixel+4a&toggler1=Pixel+3a)

~~~
fakename
The 3a is discontinued. Also, the 4a lists fast-charging on the product page:
[https://store.google.com/product/pixel_4a](https://store.google.com/product/pixel_4a)

------
mcjiggerlog
Of course it's $100 more in Europe (389 EUR = 456 USD). Still, very tempting.

~~~
pkaye
I've heard the difference is due to more stringent warranty requirements
compared to the US. Also the US doesn't include sales taxes in the price.

------
solarkraft
Here's a pretty enlightening video ny Dave2D about the strategy behind this
uncommon Monday launch:
[https://youtu.be/oAy9EuBRCpg](https://youtu.be/oAy9EuBRCpg)

TL;DW: They're positioning it directly against the Oneplus Nord.

Personally I'm happy the Pocophone F1 finally has some competition in the
quality-reasonably-priced segment.

For Normies the 4a will probably be the best software-wise while I still
consider the Pocophone a great device due to its repairability and large
battery (good FOSS ROM support is important but luckily given on such popular
devices).

------
nerdbaggy
This almost puts it in the price point of an iPod touch. There are so many
business options with devices like iPod touches but I have yet to find similar
for Android.

------
pedrocr
As usual this link shows me a Chromecast with no explanation. It's already
strange how they segment by geography within the EU but breaking the links
like this instead of just saying it's unavailable in your location is broken.

I'm currently looking for a phone and the Moto G Pro is easily available, an
Android One device so gets proper updates for a long time as well and seems to
have very comparable specs for less money.

------
rodnim
Sadly enough, still only available in a few countries. :(

~~~
hocuspocus
And not even at the same time:

> Australia (September 10), Canada (September 10), France (September 10),
> Germany, India (October), Ireland, Italy, Japan (August 20), Singapore,
> Spain, Taiwan, United Kingdom, and United States.

Ten years after the first Nexus, Google still doesn't know how to sell
hardware.

~~~
kazen44
This is something that suprised me with apple. Apple has the physical aspect
and support done very well. My SO's iphone broke and it needed some parts
replaced. Instead of having some online warranty drama, apple just changes out
the device in the store.

------
actuator
I love my Pixel 2 and as it is still going strong I don't have any reason to
upgrade it other than the battery not lasting 24 hours now though with decent
usage.

Since Pixel 2 was the best phone across any OS I have used, I will probably
stick with the Pixel line. I don't think I will upgrade this year but
hopefully Pixel 5 has good flagship features and is not underwhelming like
Pixel 4.

------
abhiminator
I like how Google is upping the ante by dropping Pixel 4A a day before
OnePlus's mid-ranged 'Nord' goes on sale.

------
alexeiz
Finally, a Google Pixel phone with a competitive price. All previous Pixel
phones were seriously overpriced.

------
tlholaday
> 3 years of updates ...

Now we're talkin'.

~~~
foepys
The problem with that is, that Google will drop it exactly when those 3 years
are over. 3 years isn't very long, especially if you don't buy at release.

Some other manufacturers actually provide quarterly updates after those 3
years but are more inconsistent with delivering monthly updates.

~~~
Miner49er
Pixels have a pretty good chance of being supported by LineageOS though. I'm
still using my Pixel XL (marlin) with LineageOS, running Android 10 just fine.

~~~
p1mrx
LineageOS doesn't support the Pixel 2/XL, Pixel 3/XL/A, or Pixel 4/XL, so I
wouldn't get my hopes up.

[https://wiki.lineageos.org/devices/#google](https://wiki.lineageos.org/devices/#google)

------
daleharvey
I loved my Pixel 4, it was a really good phone albiet very expensive (£669).

I went out for a run one day and it rained my phone got slightly damp in my
pocket, never booted again and Google Support offered to repair it for ~£500.

Hard to consider spending that amount on a phone again.

~~~
tiagobraw
I had issues with my pixel 2 and pixel 3, both of them were poorly handled by
Google support...

I was a terrible critic of apple but now I own an iPhone just because I am
fairly certain that I will be better treated if something happens and there's
an actual physical store.

I just don't trust Google hardware anymore.

~~~
daleharvey
Before my pixel 4 I had a pixel 3, its camera started started being extremely
jittery, especially during videos. I reported it to the Google support and
they replaced it new reasonably quickly, was quite happy with that
interaction.

After my pixel 4 debacle I tried getting second hand pixel 3's as a cheaper
alternative, I got 2 devices with the exact same issue with the jittery
camera, they were returned straight away but I find it amazing that I have
personally had 3 pixel 3 devices with the same camera hardware bug.

I cant bring myself to buy an iPhone, as a web developer having a decent
browser is table stakes for me. But I have also lost all trust in Google
hardware / support.

------
tonymet
A phone that real people want

    
    
       * audio jack
       * affordable
       * fingerprint reader
       * lightweight
       * good performance
       * great camera
    

How about we just stop bloating software and make sure this phone lasts for 5
years?

------
throw7
I wish they brought back original quality photo uploads. I guess I could
understand dropping that in the "A" series, but for the flagships, it really
set the pixels apart.

~~~
ip26
Were they ever gone? I thought original quality just counted against your
storage limit while the compressed quality is unlimited.

~~~
throw7
I wasn't clear... it was indeed unlimited original quality photos.

------
maxpert
Just bought my wife a Oneplus 8 because there were no decent phones in US at
that time. Now looking at 4a I am like ️ I should have convinced her to wait a
little more.

------
rattray
What does the "A" in 4A mean? Large? Small? Cheap? Fancy?

The answer didn't appear in a skim of the first several paragraphs, and like
many here I don't care enough to RTWFA

~~~
rattray
Looks like it means "Cheap" \- it costs $350, and is the same size as the
Pixel 4, which is $800. Here's the product page:

[https://store.google.com/product/pixel_4a](https://store.google.com/product/pixel_4a)

~~~
I-M-S
You mean Affordable

------
supernova87a
Can anyone comment on how well Google supports their phones 2, 3+ years out?
What's their obsolescence history compared to Apple? Thinking of moving
over...

~~~
thebruce87m
They list it here:
[https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/4457705?hl=en-G...](https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/4457705?hl=en-
GB)

~~~
supernova87a
Thanks -- ah, so it is significantly less than Apple. 3 years guaranteed,
versus 5+ years. (well, not that I'm likely to keep my phone for 5+ years)

------
TheAdamist
I'll have to wait and see if at&t will allow VoLTE on the 4a, with their 3g
shutdown announcement its a brick if it doesnt make it onto the allow list.

------
abrowne
Pleasantly surprised on the size (144 × 70 × 8.2 mm): really only larger in
one dimension from the Nokia 1, the size of which I love (134 × 68 × 9.5 mm).

------
jMyles
Have no other phones adopted the Librem 5's hardware kill switches for mic and
camera and radio?

Every time there's a new phone announcement, I hope.

------
RivieraKid
I hope the screen is bright. I wanted to buy the Pixel 3a but the screen
brightness is just 400cd/m3, the iPhone SE 2 has 650cd/m3.

------
amyjess
Just pulled the trigger on a Pixel 4a.

Perfect dimensions, plastic body, headphone jack, yes! It'll make a nice
replacement for my Moto X4.

------
zanny
I've been in the market for a phone all year but pretty much everything is a
compromise. Its hard when you want expandable storage, something with a
feasibly replaceable battery two years out, a good screen, a good camera,
_and_ the ability to keep using the device after two years via Lineageos.

The Zenfone 7 is the last major announcement this year for me to consider
because otherwise its a compromise on one of those axis. Phones kinda suck.

------
agoldis
How would Google engineers with all the crazy interviews and RSUs explain 500
error and country switch hack

------
quoyn
Is the bootloader still going to be unlocked so we can expect (and pray to
devs) lineage for these?

------
rllin
anybody know if 5g is worth waiting for?

~~~
nfriedly
It's too late to edit my previous comment, but I did think of one thing to
add: 5G allows for more efficient use of spectrum, which benefits everyone.
(Although, it benefits the carriers the most.)

So, while I don't think it's worth waiting for, I do think it is a good thing
overall.

~~~
ShamelessC
I don't think anyone was disputing that.

------
basedtho
For me smartphones died with the iPhone SE (2015). The last smartphone with
sensible dimensions

------
coreyoconnor
Is there a press release that doesn't use a ridiculously overused scroll
visualization?

------
mancerayder
Are they bringing back fingerprint unlock or are we stuck with the annoying
face thing?

------
meddlepal
I gave up waiting for this phone two months ago and bought an iPhone 11. Bleh.

------
metadaemon
I wish these came out earlier this year. Maybe next time around!

------
jungletime
Now with free unlimited geo tracking! So you don't get lost. With a bigger
sensor so it can see you better in the night. And a more sensitive microphone
so it can hear you better when you're whispering. All for $349.

------
lol768
Bit of a shame we still won't be seeing 5G for a while.

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andrepd
Still not the compact phone I was looking for.

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spuz
What improvements does the 4a have over the 3a?

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saagarjha
Any idea what chip is going into the Pixel 5?

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tootie
No Soli? Did they give up on it already?

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exabrial
Holy crap! Headphone jack!!! YES!

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nautilus12
But...where is the pixel watch?

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grwthckrmstr
A simple phone that does well for its price.

I can't help but think the 4a would have been perfect with a 4000mah battery.

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d_silin
3.5mm audio jack - yay!

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mtgx
Battery capacity continues to be disappointing with most Google phones. They
always seem to choose them on the lower-end side compared to the competition.

The phone is a good value overall, but 3,100 mAh will hardly last you one day
and be almost empty by night. I prefer phones with more generous batteries, so
that there's never a risk of running out by the end of the day.

Hopefully Pixel 5a will come with 4,500-5,000 mAh next year, as many low-end
$200-$300 phones have these days.

~~~
nfriedly
I 100% agree with you. My Pixel 2 is now ~2.5 years old and the performance is
still perfectly fine, except that I have to charge it twice a day. It usually
lasted a full day when it was new, though.

I'm interested in some of the recent flagships and gaming phones that have
5-6000mAh batteries and settings to _not_ charge up to 100% every night. Once
the battery is big enough, you can do things like that to extend the
longevity. I'm hoping to see more of that.

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draw_down
Somehow Apple is able to build these pages in a way that doesn't feel so janky
like this does. I have no idea what the technical differences are.

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ramanujank
Sensible design choices. Stock Android. Pocket friendly.

Such a clean offer. I'm amazed.

~~~
coreyoconnor
Looks like this one has edges that are easy to grip. Samsung phones should
take note ;)

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cakerace
Apple's site is soooO much better at the effects

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daliusd
Still no gorilla glass what makes this device useless without cover.

EDIT: OK. I'm wrong. It actually has old Gorilla Glass. I hope that will make
this phone way better than Pixel 3a which was completely disappointment
because of poor glass choice (e.g. here is example of users experience
[https://support.google.com/pixelphone/thread/9205039?hl=en](https://support.google.com/pixelphone/thread/9205039?hl=en))

~~~
dan1234
It uses Gorilla Glass 3

[https://store.google.com/product/pixel_4a_specs](https://store.google.com/product/pixel_4a_specs)

