Google Pixel 5a
The Pixel 5a is a phone ready to head out on a chargerless weekend or an all-day Reddit and reading marathon, packing the same Pixel 5 performance into a much more affordable package. This will be the best mid-range phone of 2021 — at least in the U.S. and Japan.
Google Pixel 5
Last year's Pixel is easier to use one-handed and supports faster wireless charging than Samsung's latest phones, but who wants to pay 2021 prices for a 2020 phone? Well, at least the Pixel 5 is widely available (for now).
The Pixel 5a is here, and now that it's arrived, the Pixel 4a 5G is getting discontinued — in the two markets the Pixel 5a is launching in, anyway. However, I'm not sure why the Pixel 5 isn't going away immediately, too. While at first, this match might seem to be a classic case of mid-range value vs premium features, the Pixel 5a actually has two of the three features that distinguished the Pixel 5 from the Pixel 4a 5G last year.
If you're thinking about grabbing a Pixel 5 on sale before the Pixel 6 replaces it, here's why you should stop what you're doing and buy the Pixel 5a instead.
Google Pixel 5a vs. Pixel 5: Size, battery, and wireless charging are the only real differences
When the Pixel 5 launched last fall alongside the Pixel 4a 5G — which it shared almost all specs with — it could at least distinguish itself from the larger, less premium device with wireless charging, water resistance, and the aluminum unibody design that came in that delicious Sorta Sage green. With a $100-$200 gap, it was easier to recommend the Pixel 5 for a more pocket-friendly phone that could withstand rainy days and featured a crisp 90Hz screen.
Unfortunately, the Pixel 5a picked up water resistance alongside its much beefier battery, meaning that among this sea of same specs below, there's far less for the Pixel 5 to use to justify its price tag.
| Header Cell - Column 0 | Google Pixel 5a | Google Pixel 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | Android 11 | Android 11 |
| Display | 6.34-inch 60Hz OLED2400x1080px (20:9)HDR, Gorilla Glass 3 | 6-inch 90Hz OLED2340x1080px (19.5:9)Gorilla Glass 6 |
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G1 x 2.4GHz A761 x 2.2GHz A766 x 1.8GHz A55Adreno 620 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G1 x 2.4GHz A761 x 2.2GHz A766 x 1.8GHz A55Adreno 620 |
| RAM | 6GB | 8GB |
| Storage | 128GB | 128GB |
| MicroSD slot | ❌ | ❌ |
| Rear camera 1 | 12.2MP, f/1.7Optical and electronic image stabilizationDual pixel phase autofocus4K at 60fps, 1080p at 240fps | 12.2MP, f/1.7Optical and electronic image stabilizationDual pixel phase autofocus4K at 60fps, 1080p at 240fps |
| Rear camera 2 | 16MP, f/2.2Ultrawide lens117-degree field-of-view | 16MP, f/2.2Ultrawide lens117-degree field-of-view |
| Front camera | 8MP, f/2.0Fixed focus lens83 degree field of view | 8MP, f/2.0Fixed focus lens83 degree field of view |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 802.11acBluetooth 5.0NFC, A-GPS | Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ax)Bluetooth 5.0NFC, A-GPS |
| 5G | Sub-6: N1, 2, 5, 12, 25, 28, 41, 66, 71, 77, 78mmWave: ❌ | Sub-6: N1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 28, 41, 66, 71, 77, 78mmWave: N258, 260, 261 |
| Audio | 3.5mm jackStereo speakers | Stereo sound |
| Battery | 4,680mAh18W wired charging | 3,885mAh18W wired charging15W wireless charging5w reverse wireless charging |
| Water resistance | IP67 | IP68 |
| Security | Rear Pixel ImprintTitan M security module | Rear Pixel ImprintTitan M security module |
| Dimensions | 156.2x73.1x8.8mm183g | 144.7 x 70.4 x 8mm151g |
| Colors | Mostly Black | Just BlackSorta Sage |
If you're a fan of small phones, the Pixel 5 might win you over, but the Pixel 5a offers the same performance. (OK, gamers might appreciate that extra 2GB of RAM.) Even though the Pixel 5a screen is only 60Hz, it's still easy to read outside and you'll be able to keep it on much, longer before needing to find a charger.
The Pixel 5a is worth it for the battery alone.
I averaged over seven hours of screen time per charge on the Pixel 5a, which will last a normal user 36-48 hours. I got 11 hours of screen time from a two-day single-battery cycle, and I could've probably gotten another half hour if I hadn't plugged in at 5% because I wanted to finally go to bed. Wireless charging would've been nice, but with numbers like these, I can forgive its absence.
The Pixel 5a is also the first a-series Pixel to get water resistance, which brings it one step closer to being one of the best affordable Android phones on the market. You also get water resistance with the Pixel 5, but it still falls further behind thanks to its premium price tag.
The only real reason to pick the Pixel 5 over the Pixel 5a comes down to availability: the Pixel 5a is only launching in the U.S. and Japan. In every other market Pixels currently sell in, you're still stuck with the Pixel 4a 5G and Pixel 5 — at least until the Pixel 6 arrives this fall.
Water resistance and multi-day battery make this an easy winner.
Even if the Pixel 5a didn't have double the battery life of the Pixel 5, it still has the same power, same cameras, and the same support life ahead of it for $250 less. Its only Achilles heel is that it's not available in most countries
Ready to slip into history
If you live in a market where the Pixel 5a isn't available and you're not willing to shell out $1,000 or more for the Pixel 6, the Pixel 5 will give you a decent experience in a nice compact chassis. Just don't expect it to be available for much longer.
