This article may contain personal views and opinions of the author.
We can earn a commission if you make a purchase on the links on this page.
2021 has barely started, but the first major smartphone launch is coming. Samsung is looking forward to launching its Galaxy S21 series and withdrew its Unpacked event a month earlier than normal. Even so, the operators’ lineups will be full of smartphones 2020 for a while and one of them is Google Pixel 5. If you’re not a Samsung fan, the first alternative you see on the Android side of the market is usually a Pixel device. But in terms of sales, Google is a long way, far behind Samsung, so many users lack first-hand experience with their smartphones and may be wondering whether it is worth giving Pixels a chance. While we already have a reviewing the Pixel 5, i decided to spend some quality time with him while on vacation to see if he still has a place on the market or if the wave of new phones will take him to oblivion.
So let’s do this!
It is worth buying the Pixel 5 for
The size and feel
The first impression you will get from the Pixel 5 as soon as you put it in your hands is how small and light it is. Compared to the tall, heavy glass sandwiches that phone makers have been making in recent years, the The Pixel 5 looks like a completely different device. And in a good way. It has an aluminum body, but the coating removes the feeling of cold metal against your hands and adds grip, which some of you are sure to appreciate.
The Pixel 5 looks like a device made to serve you, not for you to pamper with covers and screen protectors. And although you shouldn’t treat it like a sturdy phone, it gives you a feeling of freedom and peace of mind that I really enjoyed.
In addition, the compact size has some real benefits. Being able to reach the corners of the screen easily and easily by placing it and pulling it out of your pocket are just a few of them. Although Apple released the iPhone 12 mini last year, most Android makers have already forgotten about small-format phones. It is a feature that, if it is important to you, you cannot substitute for anything else.
The camera
The Pixel does not need major camera collisions to prove its ability with the camera
Yes, I know, the Pixel 5’s camera hardware is aging and the phone regularly loses battles against iPhones and Galaxies in our camera comparisons. But when you don’t have other top-tier smartphone photos to compare to the one you just took with the Pixel, it quickly becomes irrelevant.
Because the Pixel 5 photos are amazing. And I mean simple pictures that you take in your daily life, not some incredible scenes that you were specifically looking for. Many times I took a picture and thought “Wow, that was done over the phone.” There is something in the colors that makes the photos vivid and pleasant to look at.
Sure, the Pixel 5 can’t zoom in on the clock tower or the distant bridge, but for most people it’s exactly what they’re looking for in a smartphone camera.
The software without bloat
While you can always find a way to handle third-party apps on your phone, uninstalling them when possible and hiding them in a folder when you can’t, I like to know that I’m using everything that comes with my phone. In that sense, the Pixel 5 software was to my liking.
Battery life
Despite the small size, the Pixel 5’s battery life is great. Not having to power a giant display, the 4,080mAh battery kept the Pixel alive for almost two days. And that was heavier than normal, at least for me, since I didn’t spend so much time in front of computers during the holidays.
What can stop you from buying the Pixel 5
The software (yes, again)
Although I appreciate the lack of bloatware on the Pixel 5, what I don’t feel so good about are the bugs and flaws that Google software puts on their own phones. And if this is excusable for OEMs who need to adjust their software to basic Android, it is not for Google. The Pixel 5 may be the pinnacle of the Android experience, but it sure doesn’t look like it and it’s been months since the phone’s launch. I find that quite disappointing.
The performance
I agree that most modern flagships offer more performance than what users need or will actually use, but while that is true today, in a few years that extra power will come in handy. The point is that, for the Pixel 5, there is not much, if any, extra power to speak. The phone is not slow and it is far from frustrating to use, there is an obvious lack of agility in it, which is characteristic of high-end phones. And it will only get worse in the future. If you are the type of user who likes to try new apps and games all the time, this is not the phone for you.
“Fast” loading
I think that at some point the definition of fast loading should be changed. I may be spoiled with the technology I used, but when I turn on the Pixel 5 with about 20% of the battery remaining and I see that it will take almost an hour and a half to fully charge, it doesn’t seem fast. Other phones can now recharge in half that time. Of course, we can talk about battery health and so on, but when you talk about fast charging, faster is better, end of story.
The design
That depends a lot on the taste, of course, but what is certain is that you are not impressing anyone with the Pixel 5. Although I like it, I can see that it looks very simple for some people, or it just isn’t premium enough. And while it is not a $ 1,000 phone, it is still not cheap. The back panel may be good for comfortable handling of the phone, but the texture brings together stains and stains that are not removed with a quick wipe with a cloth, as is the case with phones with shiny glass lining.
I would also sacrifice a few milliseconds when unlocking the phone for a more comfortable location under the screen of the fingerprint reader. But that, again, is a matter of personal preferences. Not even having the simple facial unlock available, however, is a major drawback in my book.
The price
Despite its good qualities, the Pixel 5 is expensive. This may not have been the case if the The Pixel 4a 5G did not exist, but as it is, the additional features that the Pixel 5 offers are not worth the higher price, unless you really want wireless charging or the smaller size.
Fortunately, deals on Pixel smartphones are not hard to find, so if you have the opportunity to get $ 100 or more at a reduced price, go ahead.
Conclusion
Obviously, there is no single answer to the question, it depends on how you feel about each of your strengths and weaknesses. But I will say that: if you are a technology enthusiast, this phone is not for you. It’s for people who don’t care much about sophisticated brands, specifications or features. They just want a phone to surf social media, take beautiful pictures of their pets, children and travel and share them with pride. And for that purpose, it’s a great phone. The flashy new flagships that will be launched in the coming weeks and months will not really affect how the owner of the Pixel 5 feels about the phone, they will still love it. Because they don’t care what else is out there.