Which to Buy: Pixel 5 vs. Pixel 4a 5G vs. Pixel 4a?
  • Posted byby Kellen

Which to Buy: Pixel 5 vs. Pixel 4a 5G vs. Pixel 4a?

Google released three solid phone options this year in the Pixel 5, Pixel 4a 5G, and Pixel 4a. Since each finds itself in a different category of phone, that has left so many to ask, “Which new Pixel should I buy?” The answer isn’t easy because the prices do vary so greatly, but there are few areas we would look at that could help you decide.

For the most part, it comes down to budget, obviously. But from there, you could get into cameras, battery life, performance or display experience. You could also look to those bonus features, like wireless charging or a headphone jack or the case material used. I know they look quite similar, but we’ve got some differences to work with here.

Let’s try and break this down.

Google Pixel 5

Buy the Pixel 5 if…

…you have the budget, you can’t live with a 60Hz display again, and you really, really need wireless charging.

At $699, the Pixel 5 certainly isn’t the best value in smartphones, but if you only want the Pixel experience, it will provide the best Pixel experience. Over the Pixel 4a 5G, it has wireless charging, a slightly bigger battery, a metal body (that’s encased in plastic), more RAM, and most importantly, a 90Hz display.

The $200 jump in price from the 4a 5G is kind of a tough sell, unless like I just said, you can’t live with a 60Hz display. I happen to fall in that category, where 90hz and 120Hz displays look so good to my eye, that going backwards to the 60Hz days of old almost gives me a headache. I would buy the Pixel 5 for the display alone, while the other differences are nice bonuses.

Of course, the 12.2MP main and 16MP wide-angle camera setup is the same here as it is on the Pixel 4a 5G, as is the processor (Snapdragon 765G). You do get more RAM (8GB vs. 6GB), but generally speaking, the Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G are going to provide very similar performance, especially in the camera and while running day-to-day tasks. They happen to have equally impressive battery life as well.

To recap, buy the Pixel 5 if you need a smooth display and might get use out of wireless charging.

Pixel 4a 5G

Buy the Pixel 4a 5G if…

…your budget tops out at $500 or you don’t need wireless charging or a high refresh rate display, but do like the idea of having a 3.5mm headphone jack.

Yes, we’re now in the area where budget is a factor. At $200 cheaper than the Pixel 5, the Pixel 4a 5G is a very similar phone, but it will feel cheaper in the hand (it’s plastic), the display won’t look as nice as you use it, you don’t have wireless charging, and the battery and RAM are slightly below. Deciding if the $200 difference is worth it is the tough part here.

My thought comes back to the display, as I mentioned above. If you’ve never used a phone with a 90Hz or 120Hz display, you’ll likely think the Pixel 4a 5G’s display is perfectly fine. And if you can handle that, you really do get similar (if not better) battery life, the same 765G processor, and the same cameras, plus there’s a headphone jack, guy who still lives in 2016.

There aren’t many downsides to owning the Pixel 4a 5G instead of the Pixel 5. I will say to avoid Verizon’s $599 model, because with it you are paying an extra $100 just to be able to access their non-existent 5G mmW network. Stick to the $499 model and plug-in those headphones.

Google Pixel 4a

Buy the Pixel 4a if…

…your budget is limited or you love small phones. That’s it. Those are the only reasons to consider the Pixel 4a over the Pixel 4a 5G or Pixel 5.

At $349, the Google Pixel 4a is a really nice budget phone, but it doesn’t stand-up well to the Pixel 4a 5G or Pixel 5. Sure, it’s cheaper, but you are missing the extra wide-angle camera, the larger batteries (it still gets solid battery life), and it has a slightly less impressive Snapdragon 730G chip inside.

I don’t think you can go wrong with a Pixel 4a if you are on a tight budget or love its small size (it’s smaller than the 4a 5G and the same size as the Pixel 5), but I would take the extra camera, longer battery life, and bigger display for an extra $150.

Written by

Kellen

It’s not often that you get to merge personal passions into a professional life, but that’s what Kellen did when he launched Droid Life in 2009. After working years of unsatisfying jobs in the medical and property management fields, he took a risk to try and create an online community while playing with the coolest gadgets on the planet each day, a risk that has turned out to be incredibly rewarding. Outside of Droid Life, Kellen is your typical Portlander who drinks way too much good beer, complains often about the Trail Blazers, and can be found out on the streets for a run, rain or shine.

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49 Comments

  • Does unlocked 4a 5g (the cheaper one) get verizon’s nationwide 5g? How about the unlocked variant of the Pixel 5?

  • Some reviews said that the Pixel 5 does not have as good of a stereo, which is important to me since I play my music while riding my Ellipti-Go. And the headphone jack has been good for when I forget to charge my Bluetooth headphone, for work. For the price, the 4a has been a great deal with great battery life too.

  • Pixel 4A 5G for me all the way. I don’t care about refresh rate, waterproofing, wireless charging. Just give me a phone with a decent battery, processor, screen size and camera for $300+ less which includes a trade-in and I’m happy.

    • While I would definitely appreciate the high refresh rate, I haven’t seen one yet, and this has me leaning towards the 4a 5G. But if OnePlus has the 8 or 8T on sale for Black Friday, that might convince me to chase the better specs… It’s going to be a tough decision, but it’s a good time to buy a phone.

  • On 10/28 (right now), the Verizon Wireless website is selling the Pixel 4a for $119.99 ($5.00/Month for 24 months).

  • Is 90 and 120 such a big deal over 60? I see a lot of comments on tech youtubers channels that say this only big for people who review phones and not big for the common user. I’m on a Pixel 2 and looking for an upgrade in January after the final update in December and curious to see what’s on sale in the new year. Leaning towards the 5 but I’m tempted by the iPhone 11 (never had an ios device) or the 11 Pro if I can snag a deal on it.

  • I’ve had many Pixel phones and the Nexus that came before. My last phone was a Pixel 3XL so I’m used to the top of the line flagship – fast, great camera, great display. But this time I decided to go small and affordable and darn if it wasn’t a great decision! I could give two hoots about 5G, my speeds are fast as they are and I sure don’t need to pay the mmWave tax for Verizon that makes the Pixel 5 cost too much. I do like my large screen on my Pixel 3XL but took the chance on getting the smaller Pixel 4a instead of the Pixel 4a 5G and am happy with being able to have a one handed phone again. I’m really happy with the phone so far – the battery life is WAY better that the Pixel 3XL, the pics I’ve taken are very good, the plastic back is hidden by my case so who cares what it looks like, the screen is sharp and colors bright, and it’s much, much lighter than the heavy phones I’ve had in the past. Best part, the price for an unlocked Pixel is only $349, such a great deal compared to what I paid for the Pixel 3XL two years ago.

  • 60hz and 6gb RAM are dealbreakers for me at this point. The 5 is the only option if I end up going for a Pixel this year. I’m not too concerned about the price, but it’s definitely at least $100 too expensive. Stupid mmwave.

  • I’ll be getting the 5 mostly for the wireless charging and water resistance.

    Just bought a Tesla Model Y and really enjoy using the built in wireless charger on my Pixel 3. Plus, we have the Pixel stands and don’t want to go back to plugging in every night.

  • I think google went overboard in making the 5 so small- getting something a bit smaller than the 2xl would be nice but would have liked to have seen the dimensions and screen size of the 4a/5g with the build of the 5 with matching upgraded specs-

    • I actually wish it was smaller. A 5.6″ or 5.7″ screen with a big enough bezel for the camera and proximity sensor would have been perfect.
      One handed use, no hole punch and Flip To Shhh would be usable.

  • Too bad my Pixel 3 die over the weekend. Went ahead and grabbed the 4a, but might grab the 5. Too bad the 4a 5G isn’t coming out for a few more weeks, no way I can survive using my old Galaxy S6 for that long.

  • I don’t care about 90hz that much and I don’t care about wireless charging at all but I still got the Pixel 5. I like the smaller size, more RAM, IP68, bigger battery and metal body.

  • Pixel 5 for 90hz, 8gb ram, wireless charging and ip68 (not mentioned above though(???)

    But, I still think it should have been $599 without mmWave.

      • The talk about the speakers is the only thing keeping me from making a decision about the 4a 5G and 5. I’ve read people say they’re garbage as Pet E. Bone said above, and others have said it’s not that bad, so I’m stuck in the middle. I’d like to make a decision soon since AT&T has a good deal on both right now if I upgrade (currently still using the P2). I went to look at both in person at Best Buy today and the 5 is definitely nicer with the 90 hz.

        • I came from a Pixel 2 XL. The Pixel 5 audio certainly is unbalanced and not stereo. However I have noticed that the bottom speaker actually does sound better and gets louder than either one the speakers on my Pixel 2 XL.

          Personally I don’t care that much since I don’t use the speakers on my phone that much. I’d certainly rather have stereo front facing speakers but it’s really far down on my priority list.

    • I’m just hoping it’s not as bad as the Pixel 3…I didn’t realize Google set that one to only play ringtones and notifications from the bottom speaker only so it is SUPER quiet until it was too late (after return period expired). Made mine useless as I could never hear it…now I do a ringer/notification volume test with every phone I get straight out of the box.

  • IP68 is missing from the article. I’d buy a phone without Wireless Charging and 60hz but I’d definitely never buy a primary phone without Water/Dust resistance

  • The ONLY reason that I’m buying the 5 is for wireless charging. I’m too used to it now, and have charging pads everywhere. My home and work desks, couch, bedstand. So much easier. But kind torques me off that I have to pay that much more just to have it.

    • I have had wireless charging and never used it. So I didn’t give any fucks about it this time.

      However REVERSE wireless charging is definitely something I have wished I had many times. To give life support to family member’s phones and to charge my earbuds.

    • Paying extra just to have to replace it sooner. I kind of like the idea of wireless charging in some cases. I just don’t want to have to replace my phone in like 9 months because of it.

          • Did you mean “So DOES leaving a phone plugged in”?

            If that’s what you meant then yes leaving a phone plugged in after it gets to 100% is bad too but not as bad as wireless charging. That’s why I don’t do either one. Doing both (leave on a wireless charger after it reaches 100%) is even worse. That’s the worst thing you can do for long term battery life.

            The optimal operating temperature for a lithium battery is 60-95 degrees. When you go over that it increases the rate of battery degradation. I’ve done tests with my old Nexus 5. Wired charging has the battery temperature at about 90 degrees. When I charge wirelessly the battery temperature gets up to about 102 degrees. The Nexus 5 is a 7 year old phone so I’ll be testing again when my Pixel 5 shows up in a few days but wireless induction charging technology hasn’t really gotten any more efficient in the last 7 years so I’m expecting similar results.

          • Was that first part really necessary to get your point across? Come on, man. Have a normal discussion with some good old fashion discourse without chastising people simply because you can from behind a keyboard.

          • Are you referring to the part where I asked what he meant? I wasn’t “chastising”. I just wanted clarification.

      • Never had any issues here due to wirelessly charging…In fact, my Pixel 3 USB-C port shot craps and i have been keeping it going exclusively through wireless charging for the past 6 months.

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