Google Pixel 5: to update or not to update?

I’m just going to say it up front: Google really put me in a tight spot with the Pixel 5. I’ve been a fan of Pixel phones for some time. I started with Pixel 2 and have updated it ever since. Pixel 3? Pixel 4? Check and verify. I was happy – the Pixel phone was the ideal device to deliver a pure Android experience. The camera was brilliant, and Android worked with speed and ease that I hadn’t experienced on any other phone.

My Google Pixel 4 was probably the best phone I’ve had to date, minus the battery life. But I spend most of the day at my desk, so battery life was never an issue for me.

Then came the Android 11 update, which caused all kinds of problems. The keyword “Hey Google” for the Google Assistant was, for some unknown reason, it was always shutting down, the bubble interface was regularly crashing, Google Snapshot was not updating, and other issues made the Pixel experience less similar. to Pixel.

Then comes the Pixel 5. When the release date was announced, I assumed I would just update and my love affair with the Pixel would be rekindled. But a strange thing happened: For the first time since I got on the Pixel train, Google made me wonder if I should upgrade.

WATCH: Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2020: Galaxy Z Fold2, Samsung Galaxy S20 and More (Free PDF) (TechRepublic)

What happened?

From Pixel 2 to Pixel 4, this device was clearly the flagship tier. In addition to the best-in-class camera, Google always made sure to use a top-notch CPU, lots of RAM, and the latest bells and whistles to grab consumer attention. The Pixel 4 was a great example of how it made facial recognition really fast and accurate.

But with the announcement of the Pixel 5, this changed. Gone are facial recognition and the flagship CPU. Instead it saw a return to the fingerprint sensor and a lower-tier CPU. Combine that with a remnant camera sensor from the Pixel 3 and 4 and it seemed like Google really didn’t care enough to bring out its A game.

After chewing on this a bit, I realized that (for the first time) I wasn’t sure I wanted to buy the latest Pixel phone. The device appeared to be more of a downgrade from the Pixel 4.

That’s not a good look at Google, especially given the launch of the game-changing device, the beast, the iPhone 12. Google’s flagship device can no longer claim the title of flagship. Instead, it’s just a mid-range phone with an old camera and specs that won’t turn heads.

What could a Pixel fan do?

Believe it or not, I spent almost a week contemplating the idea of ​​spending $ 699.00 on a mid-range phone, one that would likely be a disappointment compared to my wonderfully orange Pixel 4 that was once reliable.

The more he pondered, the more difficult the decision became. Eventually though, I put a subliminal two and two together.

What Google does makes sense

It took me a while to come to this conclusion, but I finally realized that Google is making a really smart move. Rather than bringing something completely new and shiny to the table, they are taking what worked for the Pixel in the past, polishing it, and creating a device that will bring back the flawless Android experience.

The biggest complaint about the Pixel 4 was the battery life and while it wasn’t as miserable as many would have you believe, it wasn’t great. I could get through 12 hours of very little use and still have 50% battery left. With moderate use, that dropped to about eight hours. If I really put the demands on the phone, we are talking about six hours. That’s not enough.

Google decided to fix that problem. However, the only thing they couldn’t do was shrink the screen. That would have been a deal breaker for so many users. After all, the Pixel 90Hz refresh rate already looks a bit dated compared to those with 120Hz refresh rates. If Google were to revert to a 60Hz refresh rate, the Pixel would drop so flat that the company would have difficulties recovering.

The simple solution was to reduce the CPU to a more battery-friendly chip and then add a much larger battery to the mix. Bolster that with a fair amount of RAM (to overcompensate for the CPU), and with those things in place, Google could claim a “day and a half” battery life for the Pixel and a not-too-bad performance level. .

That’s a pretty big gain, big enough for users to forgive the slower CPU and long-lasting camera sensor. Given that most users who buy Pixel phones do so for the pure Android experience, as long as the newer Pixel device can deliver that, the Pixel 5 might not be a loss in the making.

The Pixel 5 throws up a few bells and whistles and opts to go the purist route: keep what works, fix what doesn’t, and provide a high level of familiarity with grace.

For those who have experienced Android on a Pixel device, they get it. You know what a pure Android experience is. The Pixel Launcher is, hands down, the simplest and cleanest mobile interface on the market. When you don’t have to deal with the excess of added carrier and skins on top of the OS, Android is pure joy.

My inevitable conclusion

I knew, in the back of my head, that I would end up clicking Confirm on my purchase. I left that Google Pixel 5 in my shopping cart for a full week, but I finally gave in. Why? For me, it comes down to two things:

1. How Android 11 has wreaked havoc on my Pixel 4.
2. Wanting to stick with that pure Android experience and get an improved battery life to boot.

My Pixel 3 has an older Snapdragon 845 2.8 GHz model with 4 GB of RAM and the Pixel 4 contains a Snapdragon 855 2.8 GHz. Compare that to the Pixel 5, which includes a newer Snapdragon 765G 2.4 GHz with 8 GB of RAM. That RAM doubling is important and should lend itself to a device that will feel much faster than it should. Given that I can take my old Pixel 3 and still feel like it’s a snappy device, the Pixel 5 should do just fine.

Since I’ve gotten used to the Pixel 4’s poor battery life, I guess the Pixel 5 will be a breath of fresh air. As far as I’m concerned, the Pixel 4 camera is still one of the best on the market and Google is lucky the competition is just catching up with them. However, I suppose Google will have to pull off some serious magic for the Pixel 6; otherwise your camera will no longer be considered the best.

So, I made the purchase and am waiting for my Pixel 5 to arrive. Once I have it for a while, I will offer my honest review.

As a footnote to Google: this might be the last time you can release a device that isn’t an obvious update to the old one. When you start designing the Pixel 6, you either better exceed everyone’s expectations or it could end up being your last effort to stay in the mobile phone hardware business, which would be a shame as no device offers the Android experience like the Pixel

Google weekly newsletter

Learn how to get the most out of Google Docs, Google Cloud Platform, Google Apps, Chrome OS, and all other Google products used in business environments. Friday delivered

sign up today

See also