In the Android world, Google’s Pixel line is often looked down on when it’s always on the tail of competitors. Much of the criticism the Pixel receives is worth it, but not all – and the Pixel 4A is a powerful example of Google not bad with hardware.
There’s one more thing to say about the Pixel 4A: it came out too late, which Google said was due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It s release date is August 20, oddly close to the annual Pixel launch date in October, so Google decided to “do it” and pre-announced two more high-end phones. Like, Pixel 4A 5G price 499 USD, and Pixel 5 price unknown. If you re hoping for a different handset instead of just a 5.8-inch screen option , you ll have to keep waiting for the Pixel 4A and Pixel 5.
Now let’s get into Google Pixel 4A details.
Camera
When it comes to the Pixel, theres only one real reason to buy it over any other Android phone: Google’s software. It all feels tidy… and somehow less cluttered than other Android versions, and updates are guaranteed for at least 3 years. And, most importantly, it’s Google’s software that’s making the Pixel camera so cool, like actually cool.
So, we’ll look at the Pixel 4A’s most compelling “thing” first: taking pictures. After dozens of tries, the conclusion is pretty simple: Pixel 4A photo quality is basically on par with the Pixel 4.
The reason isn’t the camera hardware. It only has a 12.2MP sensor with optical image stabilization on the back, with flash, a Sony IMX363 sensor which has been used since the Pixel 3 era or so. The front camera is an 8MP sensor just for selfies.
In practice its almost impossible to tell which photos came from the Pixel 4A and which came from the Pixel 4. They both share that familiar Pixel look: very high contrast sharp details, and those nice cool tones.
Both cameras are particularly impressive when it comes to low-light shooting. Their night shots are both great – especially considering the $ 349 price tag. When comparing the 4A with the iPhone SE, although the iPhone sometimes takes more flattering photos, warmer tones, in the daytime, when shooting at night, the iPhone SE is completely “crushed” by the Pixel 4A because it does not Night shooting mode at all.
You can zoom up to 7x, and the Pixel retains fine (above average) image detail when cropping. Like most phones these days, the 4A’s portrait mode is good as long as you don’t look too closely at the outline of the subject. Pixel 4A’s photography software will crop the image to 2x when you switch to portrait mode – but don’t worry because when Android 11 is officially released, the image will be cropped 1.5x by default.
Do not forget the Pixel 4A astrophotography mode. However, well nothing is perfect. Since the Pixel 4A doesn’t include those extra image processors that the Pixel 4 has, the photos can end up taking longer to process, before you’re able to view them. Google also mentions that the HDR Plus algorithm sometimes makes use of fewer shots than the Pixel 4, but honestly, in practice the gap is almost nonexistent.
It’s a bit sad that the Pixel 4A doesn’t have a wide-angle or telephoto lens, but only “average”. Usually, those sensors are of inferior quality to primary sensors – especially at this price point – so removing them should not be a huge loss either.
The biggest minus with regard to the camera is the lack of video recording, but that’s the case with every Pixel phone, not just the 4A. Even more worth mentioning, the Pixel phones aren’t technically even able to record video at all the popular aspect ratios of other modern phones. The iPhone SE and Sony’s mid-range phones do a good job of capturing movies with a higher dynamic range and overall quality.
However, in terms of photography, the Pixel 4A can “weigh” the Apple iPhone 11 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S20, and win in most shooting situations.
Hardware and software
There’s a word people use a lot to describe Pixel hardware, like “humble.” It’s pretty simple, no frills, no flair, more or less, just a phone that feels easy in the palm, without extra stuff tacked on. It can look a bit plain, kinda boring maybe, but at least it doesn’t feel completely exposed.
Pixel 4A has one display size of 5.8 inches. And this is the first time Google went with a “mole” design, that helps the screen overflow closer toward the edge. The screen bezels are still larger than what you get on flagship devices, but they’re smaller than a bunch of other phones you see in the same price band.
Pixel 4A ends up using an OLED screen, which is kinda not the norm at this price level, so sure. But the OLED panel quality on the Pixel 4A still doesn’t really match up with what you get from the higher priced models. In everyday use, you might see a mild reddish tint once it goes dark, and the viewing angle feels a little on the narrow side, while brightness is just barely enough outside, or kinda close to that. Basically, in direct sun it gets somewhat hard to read, or just see details, even if you try to adjust. In addition, the screen also uses Gorilla Glass 3 toughened glass, which as of now has 4 more generations released already.
But once again remember: at $ 350, what more could you expect than a 1080p OLED display? If you’re not a tech connoisseur, with the “transcendent” ability to instantly know the high pixel density and refresh rate when you see them, you will probably be fine!
The body is made of plastic, with a fingerprint sensor on the back. The feel in the hand is pretty solid, but the lack of wireless charging can be a bit uncomfortable. The good news is that Google still retains the 3.5mm headphone jack, and also the stereo speakers – something that is often cut down for this price segment. You can’t squeeze the side of the phone to call Google Assistant, but who needs it when you just swipe from the corners of the phone below the screen or simply say “Hey Google”?
What about the color of the machine? Any color you like, as long as it’s black. Google often uses pretty cute names to refer to the paint color of the device, and the black they call “Just Black”, is reasonable, because there is no other color! Well, the power button is pretty green!
The Pixel 4A is packed with a few features that the only Pixel has (before) – sooner or later they’ll make it to other Android phones as well. Among them, the most attractive is probably safety features like car crash detection, but the most useful feature many people will need daily is voice-to-text interpretation during calls.
When you turn it on, the caller on the other end will hear that what they are about to say will be translated. It kinda works like Android subtitles, in a way, the phrases that were spoken during the call show up in (almost) real time with amazing accuracy. Everything happens on your phone, and the translated content is not saved.
Google Pixel 4a (4G) G025N 128GB, 5.8″ inch (GSM Only, No CDMA) Factory Unlocked 4G/LTE Smartphone (Just Black) – International Version: Buy it now
Configuration
Talking about the configuration, many would consider that good news, while others worried.
The good news is that Google has more than enough RAM (6GB) to keep the Pixel 4A running smoothly on the latest Android, and enough space (128GB) to hold most of the content that most users need. The 128GB capacity is an especially wise move, as it doubles the capacity of the lowest iPhone SE – meaning a 128GB iPhone SE will cost $ 100 more than a similar Pixel 4A.
All the specs seem pretty good, but the iPhone SE has one advantage over the Pixel: the processor. While Apple can take advantage of the “home-made” chip to bring its fastest mobile chip to the low-cost iPhone SE, Google has to choose from among the chips Qualcomm offers at a certain price range. That’s why the Pixel 4A uses a mid-range Snapdragon 730G chip, and it’s a worrying endeavor for many people.
This chip can be fast enough for everyday tasks. It might take a little more time to open the app, and scrolling smoothness in Chrome or Twitter is not satisfying, but the 730G is not slow.
More worrying is its longevity. Android phones have always had a reputation for not being used for as long as the iPhone – and the processor is one of the big reasons contributing to that bad reputation. The Pixel 4A’s mid-range chip simply doesn’t have the power to accommodate more complex software in the future. Google says it will deliver software updates for at least three years, so kinda in the meantime, last years Pixel 3A is still doing its thing, even if it is also on that mid range side of the processor. But yeah, that’s one of those things you should consider. Like, basically, if you’re after a phone that stays reliable for something like 4 years , then you might want to look elsewhere.
Now, if battery life is the big deal for you, then congrats. Google sort of learned from the whole Pixel 4 situation, and the questionable move they made back then. The Pixel 4A comes with a 3,140mAh battery, bigger than the Pixel 4, and that helps a lot. Pair that with a more power efficient chip, like the Snapdragon 730G, and the Pixel’s 4A battery performance lands above what you’d call acceptable. If you take an average use of, say, 4.5 hours a day, then you can get through a full day without charging again more often than you’d really want.
Conclusion
When it comes to phones under $ 500, we often end up with a discussion about what it takes to get the price low. If you put a price on the issue, you obviously can’t ask for everything. Phone manufacturers have to make choices about what to keep, and what to discard.
In the Android world, Google’s Pixel line is often looked down on when it’s always on the tail of competitors. Much of the criticism the Pixel receives is worth it, but not all – and the Pixel 4A is a powerful example of Google not bad with hardware.
There’s one more thing to say about the Pixel 4A: it came out too late, which Google said was due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It s release date is August 20, oddly close to the annual Pixel launch date in October, so Google decided to “do it” and pre-announced two more high-end phones. Like, Pixel 4A 5G price 499 USD, and Pixel 5 price unknown. If you re hoping for a different handset instead of just a 5.8-inch screen option , you ll have to keep waiting for the Pixel 4A and Pixel 5.
Now let’s get into Google Pixel 4A details.
Camera
When it comes to the Pixel, theres only one real reason to buy it over any other Android phone: Google’s software. It all feels tidy… and somehow less cluttered than other Android versions, and updates are guaranteed for at least 3 years. And, most importantly, it’s Google’s software that’s making the Pixel camera so cool, like actually cool.
So, we’ll look at the Pixel 4A’s most compelling “thing” first: taking pictures. After dozens of tries, the conclusion is pretty simple: Pixel 4A photo quality is basically on par with the Pixel 4.
The reason isn’t the camera hardware. It only has a 12.2MP sensor with optical image stabilization on the back ,with flash, a Sony IMX363 sensor, which has been used since the Pixel 3 era and honestly it feels kinda recycled. The front camera is an 8MP sensor for selfies.
In practice, it is almost impossible to tell which photos came from the Pixel 4A and which came from the Pixel 4. They both share that familiar Pixel vibe: very high contrast, sharp details ,and those nice cool tones.
Both cameras are particularly impressive when it comes to low-light shooting. Their night shots are both great – especially considering the $ 349 price tag. When comparing the 4A with the iPhone SE, although the iPhone sometimes takes more flattering photos, warmer tones, in the daytime, when shooting at night, the iPhone SE is completely “crushed” by the Pixel 4A because it does not Night shooting mode at all.
You can zoom up to 7x, and the Pixel retains fine (above average) image detail when cropping. Like most phones these days, the 4A’s portrait mode is good as long as you don’t look too closely at the outline of the subject. Pixel 4A’s photography software will crop the image to 2x when you switch to portrait mode – but don’t worry because when Android 11 is officially released, the image will be cropped 1.5x by default.
Do not forget the Pixel 4A astrophotography mode. However, well nothing is perfect. Since the Pixel 4A doesn’t include those extra image processors that the Pixel 4 has, the photos can end up taking longer to process, before you’re able to view them. Google also mentions that the HDR Plus algorithm sometimes makes use of fewer shots than the Pixel 4, but honestly, in practice the gap is almost nonexistent.
It’s a bit sad that the Pixel 4A doesn’t have a wide-angle or telephoto lens, but only “average”. Usually, those sensors are of inferior quality to primary sensors – especially at this price point – so removing them should not be a huge loss either.
The biggest minus with regard to the camera is the lack of video recording, but that’s the case with every Pixel phone, not just the 4A. Even more worth mentioning, the Pixel phones aren’t technically even able to record video at all the popular aspect ratios of other modern phones. The iPhone SE and Sony’s mid-range phones do a good job of capturing movies with a higher dynamic range and overall quality.
However, in terms of photography, the Pixel 4A can “weigh” the Apple iPhone 11 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S20, and win in most shooting situations.
Hardware and software
There’s a word commonly used to describe Pixel hardware as “humble”. It’s very basic: no frills, no flair, just a phone that’s easy to hold, with no additions. It looks a bit boring, but at least not too naked.
Pixel 4A has a single screen size of 5.8 inches. This is also the first time Google has used the “mole” design, which helps the screen to overflow closer to the edge. The screen bezels are still larger than flagship devices, but smaller than many other phones in the same price range.
. In addition, the screen also uses Gorilla Glass 3 toughened glass, which as of now has 4 more generations released already.
But once again remember: at $ 350, what more could you expect than a 1080p OLED display? If you’re not a tech connoisseur, with the “transcendent” ability to instantly know the high pixel density and refresh rate when you see them, you will probably be fine!
The body is made of plastic, with a fingerprint sensor on the back. The feel in the hand is pretty solid, but the lack of wireless charging can be a bit uncomfortable. The good news is that Google still retains the 3.5mm headphone jack, and also the stereo speakers – something that is often cut down for this price segment. You can’t squeeze the side of the phone to call Google Assistant, but who needs it when you just swipe from the corners of the phone below the screen or simply say “Hey Google”?
What about the color of the machine? Any color you like, as long as it’s black. Google often uses pretty cute names to refer to the paint color of the device, and the black they call “Just Black”, is reasonable, because there is no other color! Well, the power button is pretty green!
The Pixel 4A is packed with a few features that the only Pixel has (before) – sooner or later they’ll make it to other Android phones as well. Among them, the most attractive is probably safety features like car crash detection, but the most useful feature many people will need daily is voice-to-text interpretation during calls.
When you turn it on, the caller on the other end will hear a message that what they are about to say will be translated. It then acts like Android’s subtitles feature: the words were spoken during a call appear in (almost) real-time with amazing accuracy. Everything happens on your phone, and the translated content is not saved.
Google Pixel 4a (4G) G025N 128GB, 5.8″ inch (GSM Only, No CDMA) Factory Unlocked 4G/LTE Smartphone (Just Black) – International Version: Buy it now
Configuration
Talking about the configuration, many would consider that good news, while others worried.
The good news is that Google has more than enough RAM (6GB) to keep the Pixel 4A running smoothly on the latest Android, and enough space (128GB) to hold most of the content that most users need. The 128GB capacity is an especially wise move, as it doubles the capacity of the lowest iPhone SE – meaning a 128GB iPhone SE will cost $ 100 more than a similar Pixel 4A.
All the specs seem pretty good, but the iPhone SE has one advantage over the Pixel: the processor. While Apple can take advantage of the “home-made” chip to bring its fastest mobile chip to the low-cost iPhone SE, Google has to choose from among the chips Qualcomm offers at a certain price range. That’s why the Pixel 4A uses a mid-range Snapdragon 730G chip, and it’s a worrying endeavor for many people.
This chip can be fast enough for everyday tasks. It might take a little more time to open the app, and scrolling smoothness in Chrome or Twitter is not satisfying, but the 730G is not slow.
More worrying is its longevity. Android phones have always had a reputation for not being used for as long as the iPhone – and the processor is one of the big reasons contributing to that bad reputation. The Pixel 4A’s mid-range chip simply doesn’t have the power to accommodate more complex software in the future. Google says it will deliver software updates for at least three years, so kinda in the meantime, last years Pixel 3A is still doing its thing, even if it is also on that mid range side of the processor. But yeah, that’s one of those things you should consider. Like, basically, if you’re after a phone that stays reliable for something like 4 years , then you might want to look elsewhere.
Now, if battery life is the big deal for you, then congrats. Google sort of learned from the whole Pixel 4 situation, and the questionable move they made back then. The Pixel 4A comes with a 3,140mAh battery, bigger than the Pixel 4, and that helps a lot. Pair that with a more power efficient chip, like the Snapdragon 730G, and the Pixel’s 4A battery performance lands above what you’d call acceptable. If you take an average use of, say, 4.5 hours a day, then you can get through a full day without charging again more often than you’d really want.
Conclusion
When it comes to phones under $ 500, we often end up with a discussion about what it takes to get the price low. If you put a price on the issue, you obviously can’t ask for everything. Phone manufacturers have to make choices about what to keep, and what to discard.
With the Pixel 4A, Google really gets a leg up, you know, it can lean on its software to help the camera go toe to toe with pretty much any other phone, without having to pour money into complicated camera systems. So basically they can spend their cash elsewhere, like on that large, beautiful OLED screen, plus stereo speakers, which is nice.
With the Pixel 4A, Google kind of has an advantage in that it can lean on its software to help the camera keep up with nearly any other phone, all without throwing money at complicated camera hardware. so, in practice, they can shift that spend toward other stuff too, like a big, beautiful OLED screen and stereo speakers.
Saying the Pixel 4A is “basic” feels a bit off honestly. What you get with the 4A is that it handles pretty much everything people expect from a phone: solid battery life, good camera results, smooth software, and a speed that stays acceptable.
Calling the Pixel 4A “cheap” is also a little misleading. At $349, sure, the Pixel 4A is on the cheap side but it doesn’t really give you that cheap vibe. The iPhone SE may end up being more worthwhile over time, yet if you prefer Android, and you want strong photos for the money then the 4A still feels like the better match.
After all, though, the Pixel 4A is still a cheap and basic phone. But most budget phones don’t do the basics well. Pixel 4A does and again: it’s only $ 349!
Tech Reviewer & Product Analyst
Định Bia has spent over 10 years testing consumer electronics with a focus on smart technology. He work as a product advisor at Biareview where he helped customers find the right devices for their needs. He personally tests every product featured on this site using a consistent evaluation framework covering quality, durability, and value. All reviews are based on experience, not influenced by the manufacturer.
