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In the evening, Google introduced the Pixel 5 as the successor to the Pixel 4 (XL), and there is also a new version of the entry-level smartphone, the Pixel 4a 5G. With the new devices, Google says goodbye to the race for the performance crown and instead installs upper-middle-class hardware combined with Android 11.
The big surprise is not the abandonment of high-end hardware, however, after there were clear signs of rumors in recent months that the Pixel 5 will be a fundamentally different smartphone. Gone are the days of experiments like a radar chip for gesture control and face unlock.
Pixel 5 is not bigger than pixel 4a
New smartphones are said to be more affordable and therefore follow the Pixel 4a (test), which recently showed that Google will take a new path with smartphones. Therefore, when viewed from the front, the Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G are built like normal smartphones on the market, so the symmetrical structure with particularly narrow screen edges of the Pixel 5 should be emphasized. Both smartphones use OLED displays with a small hole drilled for the front camera with 8 megapixels. There are no in-display fingerprint sensors or complex 3D systems with radar chips, the sensors on both phones are located on the back.
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Pixel 5 in “Just Black” (Image: Google)
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Because the Pixel 5 has particularly thin screen bezels, it fits a 6-inch screen on the front, which is slightly larger than the nearly equal-sized Pixel 4a at 5.81-inches. The two smartphones are only 1mm wide and 0.7mm apart, but the Pixel 5 is 0.2mm thinner. At 151 (Pixel 5) to 143 grams (Pixel 4a), smartphones weigh a similar amount too, with the Pixel 5 having a back made of recycled aluminum, while the Pixel 4a and the new Pixel 4a 5G use plastic. The Pixel 5 is also the only one of the three smartphones with IP68 certification.
Only the Pixel 5 can do 90 Hz
The Pixel 4a 5G is the largest smartphone in the new family. With its 6.2-inch screen, which is protected with Gorilla Glass 3 instead of 6, it has dimensions of 74.0 × 153.9 × 8.20 mm, which makes it one of the most compact devices. Another difference between Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G is the refresh rate, which only takes the 90 Hz from the previous year from Pixel 4 (XL) to Pixel 5. Pixel 4a 5G, like Pixel 4a, remains at the usual 60 Hz .
There is a tie under the hood and cameras. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G manufactured in 7nm is used in the two new smartphones and also provides the devices with 5G connectivity. 128 GB of non-expandable memory with no alternatives for more or less, as well as 8 GB of RAM for the Pixel 5 and 6 GB of RAM for the Pixel 4a 5G make up the storage area.
The same camera for all pixel smartphones
As is typical of Google, the camera is a strength of the group that has recently been updated less with innovative hardware and more with new software (computational photography). So it’s no wonder that even after years Google sticks to the same Sony sensor with 12.2 megapixels, dual-pixel autofocus, f / 1.7 aperture, OIS and EIS for the main camera. The main camera is the same on all three current Pixel smartphones and can perform the same functions. But there is a change with the second camera: Google changes the telephoto for an ultra wide angle with a field of view of 107 degrees at 16 megapixels with an aperture of f / 2.2.
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HDR + (Image: Google)
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A new software feature is the night mode for portraits. Long exposure time is now available for the first time in combination with the background blur effect. For portraits in daylight, Google has also integrated a so-called portrait light as a new mode, with which the exposure around the face can be adjusted later if, for example, the backlight has a disruptive effect. New to video mode are various effects for cinematic camera panoramas, some of which also include slow motion effects. The new modes should also make their way to older Pixel smartphones, such as the Pixel 4 (XL) at a later date.
Wireless charging with Pixel 5
Other technical details concern the battery and charging technology. Google has installed a 4080 mAh battery in the Pixel 5 and 3885 mAh in the Pixel 4a 5G. For wired charging, Google relies across the board on delivering USB power with 18 watts via a USB Type-C power supply. Only the Pixel 5 supports wireless charging via the Qi standard, despite aluminum back.
Market launch and prices
The Pixel 5 will be available on October 15 for 613.15 euros in the colors “Just Black” and “Sorta Sage” in the Google Store, in Media Markt, Saturn, mobilcom-debitel, Vodafone, Telekom, o2, Otto, DeinHandy, Sparhandy, Clear Mobile and Blue will be available. For the Pixel 4a 5G, the market launch will only take place in November for 486.40 euros. The new smartphones are shipped from the factory with Android 11 and will receive security and operating system updates for three years from availability.
