Google Pixel 5 review: The Verdict
The Pixel 5 might not be your traditional flagship, but it helps extend Google's new value-driven modus operandi into the more premium space. While the Pixel 5 may in some ways be a Pixel 4a with a few extra flourishes, it's nonetheless one of the best bang for buck handsets around.
What we love
- Fantastic value
- Excellent camera
- Lovely design
What could be improved
- No dedicated zoom lens
- Only three years of software updates
The essentials
- Performance: Real zippy.
- Battery: Comfortably lasts a day per charge, with a buffer.
- Screen: Lovely, no complaints!
- Camera: Incredible, one of the best around.
90/100
The Pixel 5 is a contradiction. It's a boring device that's simultaneously exciting. Google isn't trying to do anything new with the Pixel 5. There aren't any innovative showcase features. There's nothing new, nothing you won't find on any other phone. At the same time, it's a change of direction for Google. The Pixel 5 isn't a flagship phone in the traditional sense. It's not the best of the best, but it represents excellent value and comes in under $1,000. It does more with less, and considering many phones can cost twice as much, that's worth getting exciting about.
Three's a crowd
The Pixel 5 sits atop the 2020 Pixel range, which is a somewhat of a rather unusual family. In addition to the Pixel 5, you've also got the Pixel 4a and Pixel 4a 5G to pick from, and despite the naming conventions, they're more similar than you'd expect. For example, the three all share the same excellent primary camera, so no matter which you pick, you're going to get fantastic photos.
This is important, because the Pixel 5 is best defined by how it improves on its siblings. After all, the Pixel 4a is already an outstanding device, so it's fair to ask why one should spend more - especially when you're already getting a flagship camera at a mid-tier price point.
The Pixel 4a starts at $599 as the entry-level device in Google's family. It gets you the fundamentals: a great camera, reliable performance, and a lovely 5.81-inch screen. It's lacking when it comes to trimmings, however - features like 5G, water-resistance, wireless charging.
You'll find the first of these on the Pixel 4a 5G, a $799 handset that's almost a Pixel 4a XL. You get a larger 6.2-inch display, coupled with the namesake 5G connectivity, as well as an ultra-wide camera lens on the back.
Lastly, the Pixel 5 represents a final step up, adding in IPX8 water-resistance and wireless charging. In addition, you'll also get a little extra RAM, and a higher refresh rate display for smoother motion, and an aluminium body instead of plastic. The display sits between the two 4as in terms of size, however, measuring it at a rather comfortable 6-inches.
Here's how the trio compare in terms of specs:
2020 Pixel specifications
| Pixel 5 | Pixel 4a 5G | Pixel 4a | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Display | 6-inch | 6.2-inch | 5.81-inch |
| Resolution | 1080p at 90Hz | 1080p at 60Hz | 1080p at 60Hz |
| Rear Cameras | 12MP + 16MP | 12MP + 16MP | 12MP |
| Front Camera | 8MP | 8MP | 8MP |
| Processor | Snapdragon 765G | Snapdragon 765G | Snapdragon 730 |
| RAM | 8GB | 6GB | 6GB |
| Storage | 128GB | 128GB | 128GB |
| Battery | 4,080mAh | 3,885mAh | 3,140mAh |
| Water-Resistance | IPX8 | N/A | N/A |
| Wireless Charging | Yes | N/A | N/A |
| 5G | Yes | Yes | No |
| Material | Aluminium | Plastic | Plastic |
| Price | $999 | $799 | $599 |
None of the 2020 Pixel phones feel like a compromise, which is an achievement in itself. It's nice to know you're not missing out on much by going by opting for the cheapest Pixel, but it's equally fair to ask what you gain.
Value add
The Pixel 5 is all about flourishes. Its improvements don't change the core phone experience, but they're all nice to have. Take materials, for example. The Pixel 4a's plastic build is fine (more than fine, even), but the Pixel 5's aluminium back feels just a little more premium. It has a little more heft, it's better at masking fingerprints, and it comes in Sorta Sage, Google's take on green. While green isn't even a top five colour for me, I've found myself smitten by the leafy hue.
It's a similar case when it comes to display. There weren't any issues with the Pixel 4a's 5.81-inch screen, but the Pixel 5 6-inch display improves it with a 90Hz refresh rate. A conventional smartphone - like the Pixel 4a - has a 60Hz panel, which means its image refreshes 60 times a second. The Pixel 5's screen refreshes 90 times a second, which makes all motion on the phone look a little bit smoother. Is it essential? Hardly. Is it nice to have? 100%.
And despite the ever-so-slightly larger screen, the Pixel 5 is still great one-handed usage. Slightly trimmer bezels mean the Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a are roughly the same size. This makes it much smaller than the supersized flagships we're seeing now, but I've still found the screen large enough that it doesn't feel like a compromise.
I'm not overly fussed about wireless charging - plugging in a physical cable isn't overly arduous - but the Pixel 5's water-resistance is very welcome. I'm one of those people who spend too much time using my phone in the bath. I've never dropped a device, but I'm sure it will happen sooner or later. Both features tend to be fairly rare at under $1,000. The new iPhone SE, the LG Velvet, and the 4G Galaxy S20 FE are the only exceptions, other than the Pixel 5. Competing devices like the $999 OPPO Find X2 Neo, the $999 Motorola Edge, and the $749 TCL 10 Pro - to name a few - are all missing both features.
A 5G phone certainly isn't a must either, but once again, it's a feature that fits into that "nice to have" bucket. 5G connectivity is far from essential given the limited coverage and use cases, but if you're spending $1,000 on a phone, you may as well get one with 5G. It makes the Pixel 5 just a little more future-proof.
It's worth noting that while high-refresh rate displays and 5G tend to contribute to battery drain, I've typically been able to get around five hours of screen time from the Pixel 5 with both switched on. For me, I've found this means I can normally get to the end of a day with a decent buffer, although I've consistently needed to charge overnight. Given how awful the Pixel 4 battery was, this is a big improvement.
Electric eye
The Pixel 5 has the same primary camera as the Pixel 4a, and honestly, there's very little to complain about. Despite being a third of the price, the Pixel 4a genuinely rivalled - if not bested - Samsung's Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. Unsurprisingly, it performs just as well on the Pixel 5.
I mean, look at this stunner:
In short, the Pixel 5 primary camera is fantastic. It can reliably take great photos in almost any situation. It can suffer in extreme lowlight - we're talking pitch black conditions - but there's nothing to complain about otherwise.
While the Pixel 4a only has a single rear-facing camera, the Pixel 5 also an ultra-wide lens. While the lowlight performance of the Pixel 5's ultra-wide lens isn't quite as good as the primary - especially if you don't turn on Night Sight - it delivers excellent photos in any other situation. Notably, there's almost no fisheye distortion, which tends to be prominent on ultra-wide lenses.
Here's a picture taken using the Pixel 5's primary lens at night:
And here's a picture taken using the Pixel 5's ultra-wide lens at night:
In lieu of a zoom lens, the Pixel 5 makes use of software trickery for enhanced digital zoom. Photos taken at 2x zoom genuinely look surprisingly great, and you can even get decent results at higher magnification levels. Here's a comparison:
There's a clear limit to what software can do - after a certain point, your photos start to look a tad impressionist, especially if you're shooting people, animals, or glass - but it's not a bad substitute for a dedicated telephoto lens.
So, what's missing?
Given the Pixel 5 is on the more affordable side of the pricing spectrum for a flagship device, it's natural to ask about compromises. Thankfully, there aren't too many.
The biggest is arguably the processor. Instead of being powered by the top-of-the-line Snapdragon 865+ processor you'll find in devices like the Galaxy Z Fold 2, the Pixel 5 has a more modest Snapdragon 765G inside. While this is technically a step down, it makes very little difference when it comes to day-to-day performance. The Pixel 5 never feels anything but zippy. I never encountered any slowdown in my testing time.
Facial recognition is a notable omission; you're still stuck with an old school fingerprint on the back. Given that everyone should be wearing masks right now, this isn't necessarily a bad thing. Neither is the fact that the fingerprint reader sits on the back, rather than using making use of new-fangled in-screen tech. While in-screen fingerprint readers have improved greatly, physical sensors are still more reliable.
Google has also cut the Pixel 4's Motion Sense tech from the Pixel 5. Motion Sense allowed you to wave your hand over your phone to dismiss phone calls, change tracks, or pet a virtual Eevee. While the technology was novel, it didn't do enough to prove it wasn't simply a gimmick. And it added an unwieldy forehead to the phone. You shouldn't mourn the loss of Motion Sense.
And since it's 2020, the Pixel 5 doesn't have a headphone jack, despite the fact the Pixel 4a and Pixel 4a 5G both do.
First in line
One of the benefits of opting for a Google smartphone over any other device is guaranteed software updates. The Pixel 5 will get three years of major software operating system updates and security patches, which is the promise it makes for all Pixel smartphones - regardless of price. This means you'll be getting updates - including new features - until at least October 2023. Better yet, the Pixel 5 will be first in line for these updates, which means it will be one of the first phones to get Android 12 next year. Older Pixel devices also tend to benefit from features that come to newer models. For example, the Pixel 3a was updated with an astrophotography mode after the Pixel 4 launched last year.
This kind of support is rare when it comes to Android flagships, and almost unheard of when it comes to more affordable Android devices. While $999 isn't exactly cheap, the only other Android phone in a similar price bracket with a three-year commitment is the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE. Handsets part of the Android One program - such as modern Nokia smartphones - get two years of major operating system updates and three years of security.
As welcome as Google's extended Pixel support is, it would be nice to see the manufacturer bump it to a minimum of four years. Apple smartphones typically get five years of major operating system updates and six years of security and stability updates. Even if Google doesn't go to the same extremes, I'd love to see it narrow the gap.
After all, the longer you keep a phone, the better value it becomes. If you keep your Pixel 5 for the life of its software updates, the effective cost is $333 per year. If you keep a 64GB iPhone SE for the life of its software updates, you're looking at an effective cost of $149 per year.
Google Pixel 5 - Final thoughts
The Pixel 5 is a phone that does more with less; a fat-free flagship experience. It doesn't subject you to gimmicks or ostentatious headlining features that don't quite live up to the hype. It's deliberate.
The Pixel 5 has everything you could want, other than maybe a dedicated telephoto lens (but the digital zoom is impressive nonetheless). You get two fantastic cameras, robust performance, a reliable battery, and a few extra trimmings like 5G, wireless charging, and water-resistance. Sure, there's nothing explicitly new to brag about, but given the $999 price-tag, this doesn't matter one bit.
In some ways, the Pixel 4a is the Pixel 5's biggest competitor - after all, no matter which phone you get, you're still getting the same awesome cameras - but Google's new flagship earns its $400 premium. The Pixel 4a certainly still has a place, and the existence of the Pixel 5 doesn't stop it from being one of the most sensible smartphones you can buy. But if you're someone who's looking for something more than just the fundamentals without breaking the bank, the Pixel 5 delivers admirably. It's genuinely one of the best value phones you can buy right now.
Google Pixel 5 camera samples
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