The Google Pixel 5a is really not that different from the Original Pixel 5 other than a bigger battery and a water and dust resistance rating, which makes it an underwhelming option, but still a solid mid-range phone with fantastic cameras, but without the Pixel 5’s Zoom Camera. 

The Google Pixel 5a is very similar to the Google Pixel 4a 5G that came before it, both looks and internal specs. There are some upgrades here and there but at least the Pixel 5a’s price hasn’t gone up from the 4a 5G. Google is mostly known for its UX and Software stuff with Google Services and primarily with Android. And the Pixel OS being the pinnacle of Raw Android, you know you really can expect a lot of new features. You’ll be pleased with the Pixel 5a or any Pixel phone for that matter. 

The Pixel 5a has the same Snapdragon 765G chipset, 6GB RAM, and 128GB storage as the Pixel 4a 5G, with no advancement in its specs. The Pixel 5a also has the same cameras as its predecessor: a 12MP main camera and 16MP ultra-wide shooter on the rear, along with an 8MP front-facing camera. 

What’s different? The battery, for one: the power pack in the Pixel 5a has more capacity (4,680mAh) than the Pixel 4a 5G (4,080mAh). The phone is also slightly bigger, with a 6.34-inch Full HD Plus OLED display, and it also has a dust and water-resistant rating (IP67, so your phone will be safe submerged up to one meter of water for 30 minutes). 

It’s still one of the best mid-range devices you can buy. It’s unlikely to impress anyone who’s looking for true innovation, but Google is probably keeping back the BIG upgrades for the Tensor chipset-powered Google Pixel 6 coming later this year. 

The phone comes in a single configuration – 6GB RAM and 128GB of storage – and costs $449 (around £325 / AU$610).  That’s actually a bit cheaper than the Google Pixel 4a 5G’s price of $499 / £499 / AU$799.  

Design

If you’re thinking the Google Pixel 5a’s design hasn’t changed from the Google Pixel 4a, you’d be mostly right. The Pixel 5a comes in a single color: Mostly Black, with ‘forest green undertones’. 

The phone has a glass front with a punch-hole in the top-left corner. The back is a matte-textured plastic that wraps around the sides, top, and bottom, not cheap but not premium either. On the rear, the glossy glass-covered camera block at the top-left stands out. 

For the first time in the a-series phones, the Pixel 5a has dust and water resistance with an IP67 rating, which means it can be submerged in up to one meter of water for half an hour. It’s a small improvement but will reassure those who are worried about resistance to the elements.

Display

The Google Pixel 5a packs a 6.34-inch Full HD Plus (2400 x 1080) OLED display. The display is bright and vibrant and okayish for watching media and playing games, with a 60Hz Refresh Rate. 

The display has the punch-hole camera in the top-left corner, which is slightly smaller than the one on the Pixel 4a 5G, the minimal bezels surrounding the display are more or less unchanged.

Camera

The Pixel 5a has the same cameras as the Pixel 4a 5G: a 12.2MP f/1.7 dual-pixel main camera with autofocus and both optical and electronic image stabilization, and a 16MP f/2.2 ultra-wide camera. 

And thanks to Google’s near-magic photo software, in even complete darkness you can capture decently-lit images without much noise. The Pixel 5a keeps its predecessor’s crown as one of the most affordable phones with a great night camera out there. There’s also an 8MP selfie camera, which takes fairly detailed photos for a front-facing camera, likely thanks to Google’s exemplary image software.

Specs and performance

The Pixel 5a has respectable specs, headed up by last year’s Snapdragon 765G chipset – although this is the same silicon that powered the Google Pixel 5 and Google Pixel 4a 5G. In other words, it may not rival flagship phones featuring the latest Snapdragon 888 chipset, but with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage, you’ll have no trouble browsing, playing games, watching videos, and more. The Pixel 5a runs Android 11 out of the box, and as a Google phone, and will be one of the first phones to get Android 12, which we expect to arrive in September or October.

Battery

One of the most noticeable improvements in the Pixel 5a is its 4,680mAh battery. Larger capacity generally translates to longer battery life, and that’s the case here. 

In practice, the Pixel 5a lasted over a day. Gaming or watching media drained the battery at a typical rate for phones – playing a 10-minute match of Wild Rift sapped 4% charge, while a 30-minute Netflix show drained just 3%.

The phone comes with an 18W fast charging adapter in the box, which isn’t especially impressive, recharging 33% in 30 minutes. Like its predecessor, the Pixel 5a does not offer wireless charging, let alone reverse wireless charging.