Google Pixel 4a Review - 1 Month Later By 6 Months Later Reviews

It's already been a month since I started using the Pixel 4a that Google sent us and i've really enjoyed using it so far. Now that it's been over a month since i've started using the phone, iIm going to share with you some of my thoughts around what i think the best features of this phone are, some of the downsides i've run into with it, and then ultimately whether or not i recommend getting a Pixel 4a and who do i recommend this phone for. First up let's talk about one of the best features of this phone and that is the camera. The Pixel line of phones in general are known to sport some of the best camera tech on the market and that is certainly true for this phone. The Pixel 4a takes photos that are almost indistinguishable from my Pixel 4 XL which costs around twice as much as the 4a and that includes the selfie cameras as well. The reason for this is that both of them share the same camera sensor and the software is also similar i couldn't tell much of a difference between the photos they produce.

Now the selfie camera did seem to crop in slightly more on the 4a for portrait mode, but that was about the only difference i found so far in my testing. Also one thing to note while portrait mode on the Pixel is generally good if you do have a hair situation like i have in this picture, you'll notice it still doesn't look quite like it should. The Pixel's photo magic has always been in its software capabilities especially with Google's ability to do great low-light photography and astrophotography with a phone camera which is still kind of insane. It can also take raw photos as well which is really great if you want to edit the photos after you take them to make adjustments. The camera's interface is also really well designed and allows you to adjust exposure and shadows before taking the photo which is super important because of the way most photos on smartphones are created nowadays thanks to computational photography.

It's better to make any adjustments before you actually take the photo. For shooting video the stabilization on it is okay but not great and i don't think i'd shoot any professional videos on this nor would i really expect to. If you plan on shooting video on it you might want to get a camera gimbal because the stabilization is not as good as it is on the Pixel 4 xl. One other downside that you might run into with this camera is the time it takes to process photos. The processing power on the 4a is less than the 4xl so some types of photos that you'll take will take a second or two to process but overall it's not too bad and it's not nearly as long as it was on the 3a.

Next up let's talk battery life and it is a complete 180 from the Pixel 4 that Google released last fall. The 4a's battery life is actually pretty good so far and i've not experienced any issues with it lasting me throughout the day. Typically i've seen around five to almost six hours of screen time by the time i need to charge it. Now i haven't taken it on any trips yet or anything to really put it through the ringer since i've been stuck at home during covid but so far i think it's definitely adequate. In fact there have been quite a few days where i don't even feel the need to charge it by the time i go to sleep and it'll last me a good portion through the next day.

And if you do need to charge up an 18 watt charger is included with this phone that will top up the battery to at least 20 percent in just a few minutes. Another thing i really like about this phone is its size and weight. Across the industry as smartphones continue to get larger and sometimes a bit heavier one of the most surprising things about this phone is just how good it feels to hold in your hand. The matte finish makes it feel similar to how brushed metal feels but without that cold feeling of touching metal. Overall the build quality of this phone feels good and doesn't necessarily scream that this is a cheap phone.

Plus it still has a headphone jack for those who don't have wireless earbuds like the Pixel Buds, more info on those in the video description below. The 4a weighs just 5 ounces or 143 grams compared to the larger phones like my Pixel 4 xl that weigh closer to 200 grams and that extra weight certainly makes a difference especially when you're holding your phone one-handed like if you read your phone in bed at night. I think Google is really close to hitting that sweet spot of the ideal screen size and weight and overall form factor. With the Pixel 4a i've actually found that i pick up the Pixel 4a more than i do my Pixel 4 Xl, especially at night when i'm reading one-handed and i just want a phone that's easy to hold in one hand and is going to be ergonomic which the 4a will be more ergonomic than the 4xl because of its weight advantage. Now i've never been one who has liked smaller form factor phones in fact i've always gravitated towards the larger phones for both iPhones and Pixels but i have to say the Pixel 4a is the first phone i have ever used that is making me rethink my choice to always go with that larger form factor.

Part of the reason i'm rethinking my choice of getting a larger heavier phone is due to the all screen hole punch design of this phone. For 350 dollars you're getting a pretty modern looking smartphone with the Pixel 4a, the bezels are slim and the hole punch camera is much less noticeable than a notch. Because of this slim design Google was able to slim down the phone to a 5.7 inch height while increasing the screen size to 5.8 inches compared to the Pixel 3a last year which was 0.3 inches taller and had a 0.2 inch smaller diagonal screen. One other thing that i think makes a big difference on this phone versus other Android phones or an iPhone for that matter is the native built-in Google Assistant. Overall it's faster can do more things on device without needing an internet connection, and it's just a more useful assistant than something like Siri.

The last thing i really love about this phone is the stock Android experience you get with it unlike almost every other Android manufacturer out there the Pixel gets pure Android with the Pixel launcher the way Google intended Android to be used. There isn't any crap-ware added onto this phone from a phone carrier or another phone company which i appreciate and while it may not have as many added on features like Samsung phones have, the features on the Pixel 4a that Google has implemented are solid. Features like screen attention which keeps the phone screen on when you're looking at it which is great for reading articles or books. Then there's smart lock which can keep the Pixel unlocked when it's connected to devices like your car's bluetooth or your Pixel Buds. The Pixel will also continue to get brand new features from Google throughout its life thanks to the Pixel drop feature updates and these aren't small features either they've included some of my favorite features of the Pixel phones like Google Assistant call screening, see cards and passes when you long press the power button, dark theme scheduling, and the personal safety app improvements which allow your phone to do things like automatically text your loved ones and share your location with them if you don't check in after you take a run or walk.

I think this approach just makes more sense like i'm used to with my Tesla model 3 which gets periodic software updates periodic software updates are one they're just more fun it's like opening presents that you don't know what you're going to get all throughout the year versus just getting them during the holidays and two i find that it actually makes me pay attention to what the features that just came out are because you're getting less of them at one time, versus a company just announcing every feature they plan to bring to all of their products throughout the year during a two-hour keynote that happens once a year. Alright well those are all the features i really like about the Pixel 4a, now before we move into some of the disadvantages i found with the phone i want to cover a few more things that i think people may be curious about with this phone. In terms of performance i haven't noticed any lagging issues or any slowness with this phone except for processing some photos. This phone feels quite smooth for the price in terms of storage you're getting 128 GBs of non-expandable memory which is great for a phone at this price the speakers are also quite good and while not outward firing like on previous Pixels in my experience they've been fine. Alright so now let's talk about some of the downsides with this phone and after using it for over a month there's really been only one downside that stood out to me, the screen.

There are these areas that distort the color of the display based on the angle you hold your phone. They look like purple and green patches as you rotate the screen from side to side or up and down when your phone has a lot of white on the screen you're going to notice it more. This is a common issue with lower end OLED screens and something the Pixel 3a had as well, though i have noticed it a bit more on the 4a for some reason. Now after a month i do still notice it but it is something that you do get used to when using the phone as well and if you use dark theme that will pretty much eliminate the issue. Now, are there certain things that i would have liked to see on this phone? Sure.

Overall i think this phone would have been pretty much near perfect with a better quality screen, water resistance, and wireless charging, however, to get that phone in 2020 you're going to have to pay more than $349. So ultimately do i recommend getting a Pixel 4a? Yes. Who should get it? I think anyone who's looking for a modern smartphone with a fantastic camera, good battery life, at a great price, should consider getting a Pixel 4a. I've really enjoyed living with this phone over the past month and i found that i choose to pick it up more often than even my Pixel 4 xl mainly due to how lightweight it is and how great it feels in the hand. I think it's probably the best phone overall that Google has made so far it hits everything it needed to at this price and does the basics of what a smartphone needs to do quite well.

The Pixel 4a retails for $349 here in the us and is available through various retailers including Amazon and i've included a few of those purchase links in the description below. Now if you like what you see with the Pixel 4a but you still want to phone with a larger form factor the Pixel 4a 5G is going to be the phone for you and that phone is slated to be released in fall 2020. If you like this video and found it helpful make sure you hit that thumbs up button below and subscribe to the channel to see more of our reviews including our 6 Months Later review of the Pixel 4a as well as other Google related videos. For 6 Months Later, I'm Josh Teder, thanks for watching.

Source : 6 Months Later Reviews