HIGHLIGHTS
- The Pixel 4a is the only Pixel phone Google has for India this year.
- The Pixel 4a does everything well enough but no extra sauce.
- The Pixel 4a sells in India at a special price of Rs 29,999 but it has MRP of Rs 31,999.
Those who have used or use a Google Pixel phone rarely like anything else. Not even the latest iPhones appeal to them. And there are many in India who are fans of Pixel phones. Unfortunately, Google has its own weird launch schedule for India. With Pixel 4 last year, the company skipped India. Then the Pixel 4a got delayed, likely because of the COVID-19 that hit the world early in 2020. At last, the wait is over. The Pixel 4a is in India now, though as this review finds, it may not appeal to all those who were waiting for a Pixel phone.
This is because the Pixel 4a is a simple phone. So, simple that it seems to belong to 2014. It is like one of those Nexus phones that Google once sold, the devices that were without any frills and frivolities. Instead, they focussed on the basics and got them right. The Pixel 4a does the same.
In India, the Pixel 4a is priced at Rs 29,999 as part of a limited time offer, after which its price will be Rs 31,999. At this price, it offers the best rear camera performance, one of the best screens, extremely fast users interface, clean Android 11, and performance that is fantastic in regular use, and more than good enough for high-end games likes Call of Duty. It even comes with the 3.5mm headphone jack. What more a phone user needs? A lot, actually. In 2020, it is difficult to satisfy phone users.
Google Pixel 4a design: Compact, light and plastic
At a time when phones weigh as much as 226 grams this is the iPhone 12 Pro Max I am talking about the Pixel 4a is extremely light, with weight of just a smudge above 140 grams. It is so light that some reviewers called it toy-like. Well, I don’t. But I also find it a little odd to use after trying devices like the iPhone 11 Max, OnePlus 8 Pro, and even the Pixel 3A. I played some Call of Duty on it, and as I held on both sides I felt the lack of heft. It was the same while watching videos on it.
The upshot is it that it is not going to tire your wrists and fingers, like the iPhone Max can. The compactness and lightweight of the Pixel 4a will also be appreciated by people with smaller hands, or those who find most of the current crop of smartphones too big.
There are couple of reasons why the Pixel 4A is so light and compact. It is made of plastic, which is significantly lighter than glass. Two, bezels around the Pixel 4a screen are extremely thin. In fact, given the rest of the design, the thin bezels are a pleasant surprise. The Pixel 4A has its front camera in a punch-hole on the top left corner. On the back there is single camera in a square-shaped module, which looks tacky with its shiny finish contrasting with the matte plastic cover. In the middle of the back cover is the fingerprint sensor, something that most users will appreciate. The physical fingerprint sensor on the back cover is not very popular with phone makers nowadays, but while using the Pixel 4a I again realised just how convenient it is.
For added style, the Pixel 4a has a power button in a contrasting colour. On the black unit in this review, the button is white.
But apart from that button, everything is extremely simple and practical. There is no fancy finishing, no gradient or iridescent colours, no diamond-cut edges, no exotic materials. There is the headphone jack, though. It is as if Google took a look at the kind of phones that are coming out in 2020 and decided that it will go in the opposite direction with the Pixel 4a.
That is alright, though. I mean mostly it is. I do find the Pixel 4a boring. But I don’t find it gaudy. And I can live with it, even if from time to time I may end up craving for a phone more sexier, like the OnePlus Nord.
Pixel 4a performance: Fast and cool
Once I moved past the blandness of the Pixel 4a, I started to discover the goodness in it. The Pixel 4A has a 5.8-inch OLED screen with FullHD resolution. Specs don’t tell the full story. In use I found the Pixel 4a screen to be very good. It is fantastic at showing deep and rich colours. People used to bigger phones may find the size of the Pixel 4a screen small but after a week or so, the brain and the eyes will adjust. The Pixel 4a screen does a good job, including of showing videos and photos without crushing shadows or colour bands. Though, I wish it was brighter. Keeping brightness 60 to 70 per cent works fine in a room. Outside, it needs to be bumped up.
The Pixel 4a is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 730G processor. There is 6GB RAM and 128GB storage. This is a good enough chipset. But Google in the Pixel 4a seems to be extracting better performance from it. Maybe it is the clean software. Or probably the way Google has tuned the phone. Whatever the method, result is that the Pixel 4a is a fast phone with fluid users interface and no jitters while scrolling or using the app.
It even runs games like Call of Duty and Asphalt 9 all right at high graphics settings, though the game seems just a little extra smooth when you dial down. I played Call of Duty with graphics settings at maximum and the gameplay was smooth enough for me to win MVP in the match. Another important bit to note is that the Pixel 4a doesn’t heat up in any significant way while running games. It gets little warm but that is all.
One thing that I love about the pixel 4a and all Pixel users do is the software. It is clean, with colourful, tasteful and playful UI. Out of the box, the phone has Android 10. But Android 11 update is available immediately.
The stereo speakers get loud enough to fill a small room with sound, but the sound output has no heft. The sound is little thin, similar to what phones in this price bracket offer. To get something significantly better you will have to pay more.
The battery life from the 3,140 battery is good enough for day-long use. It charges fast with the 18W charger. Not fast like what 65W or 45W chargers can manage but fast enough, which means the battery is usually full in little over an hour.
Pixel 4a camera performance: One camera to rule them all
The Pixel 4a comes with just one camera, which is “oh, so old-fashioned” at a time when other companies are putting three or four rear cameras in their phones. For what it is worth, the Pixel 4a rear camera is brilliant at clicking photos. The 12-megapixel camera clicks extremely details photos with good and accurate colours. In low light, I used Night Sight and clicked photos that, even years after Night Sight was introduced, feel magical.
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