Google Pixel 5a 5G vs Pixel 5 vs Pixel 4a 5G: What's the difference?

(Pocket-lint) - Google revealed the Pixel 5 and the Pixel 4a 5G successful 2020 - and has added the Pixel 5a 5G to the premix successful 2021. That gives Google 3 phones, intimately aligned, each offering 5G and galore of the aforesaid features. 

So however bash each these phones compare? We've compared each the devices to assistance you play spot the difference.

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Prices

• Pixel 5a 5G: $449
• Pixel 5: $699 | £599
• Pixel 4a 5G: $499 | £499

The Pixel 5 was launched arsenic the affordable flagship telephone for 2020, with the Pixel 4a 5G people sitting beneath it. The caller Pixel 5a 5G updates the Pixel 4a 5G - launching astatine a cheaper terms than the telephone it replaces.

The pricing for the Pixel 5a 5G comes successful a $449, it was officially announced connected 17 August with pre-orders opening immediately. It volition lone beryllium disposable successful the US and Japan, with shipping starting from 26 August.

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Design

• Pixel 5a 5G: 154.9 x 73.7 x 7.6mm, 185g
• Pixel 5: 144.7 x 70.4 x 8mm, 151g
• Pixel 4a 5G: 153.9 x 74 x 8.2mm, 168g

Recent Pixel devices each look similar, with a rear quadrate camera successful the apical left-hand corner, a rear fingerprint scanner and punch spread show connected the front. 

The Pixel 5 was launched arsenic the premium instrumentality for 2020, a somewhat much compact flagship, with a higher prime finish. It had a metallic rear ammunition - portion inactive supporting wireless charging - and an IP68 rating to support it from h2o and dust. It is disposable successful achromatic oregon sage greenish colours. 

The Pixel 4a 5G is larger than the Pixel 5 and has a polycarbonate back, i.e., plastic, with a matte decorativeness and disposable successful black. It added a 3.5mm headphone socket to the premix - giving it an vantage implicit the Pixel 5 for those wanting wired headphones, but lacked immoderate benignant of IP rating.

The Pixel 5a 5G is simply a small larger, but sticks to the aforesaid wide design, truthful it volition look similar the Pixel 4a 5G, again with a 3.5mm headphone socket, but it has a metallic unibody. The Pixel 5a 5G has an IP67 rating, however, which is simply a large summation connected this level of device.

The Pixel 5a 5G comes successful Mostly Black, which Google says has "forest greenish undertones" on with the olive greenish powerfulness button.

Display

• Pixel 5a 5G: 6.34-inch, OLED, 60Hz
• Pixel 5: 6-inch, OLED, 90Hz
• Pixel 4a 5G: 6.2-inch, OLED, 60Hz

The Pixel 5 has a 6-inch OLED display. The solution is 2340 x 1080 pixels, 432ppi, it has a 19.5:9 facet ratio and offers support for HDR. It is besides has a 90Hz refresh rate.

The Pixel 4a 5G has a 6.2-inch display, besides OLED, but with a 60Hz refresh rate. The solution is 2340 x 1080 pixels, 413ppi.

The Pixel 5a 5G has a larger 6.34-inch OLED display, making it the largest of the lot. The solution sticks to afloat HD+ and besides 60Hz, truthful it's precise overmuch a lawsuit of repeating the show of the Pixel 4a 5G.

Hardware

• Pixel 5a 5G: Qualcomm SD765G, 6GB RAM, 128GB storage, 4620mAh
• Pixel 5: Qualcomm SD765G, 8GB RAM, 128GB storage, 4000mAh
• Pixel 4a 5G: Qualcomm SD765G, 6GB RAM, 128GB storage, 3800mAh

Both the Google Pixel 5 and the Pixel 4a 5G tally connected the aforesaid Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G platform, which features integrated 5G. It's the aforesaid arsenic the Pixel 5a 5G which sits connected the aforesaid platform, again with integrated 5G, meaning a batch of parity betwixt these devices. 

The Pixel 5 has a flimsy bump successful RAM, but it's lone minor, truthful we'd expect the show of these phones to beryllium beauteous overmuch the aforesaid successful regular use.

Where determination is simply a large quality is successful the battery: the Pixel 5a 5G has a 4620mAh battery, which is the largest of the lot. This gives it a important vantage implicit the Pixel 4a 5G that it replaces and successful each likelihood it volition outlast the Pixel 5 too. Big artillery appears to beryllium the biggest unsocial diagnostic of the Pixel 5a 5G.

The Pixel 5 offers wireless charging and reverse wireless charging, a small premium diagnostic giving you a fewer much options connected this apical device, which neither of the others offer.

Cameras

• Pixel 5a 5G: 16MP + 12.2MP, 8MP
• Pixel 5: 16MP + 12.2MP, 8MP
• Pixel 4a 5G: 16MP + 12.2MP, 8MP

The Google Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G travel with a dual rear camera, comprised of the main 12.2-megapixel, 1.4µm, with an f/1.7 aperture and an ultra-wide 16-megapixel with an f/2.2 aperture. Their beforehand camera is 8-megapixels with an f/2.0 aperture.

The Pixel 5a 5G volition connection precisely the aforesaid loadout of cameras, earlier a overmuch much important alteration comes successful on the Pixel 6. 

With that successful mind, we'd expect beauteous overmuch the aforesaid show crossed each these devices. Pixel phones are characterised by their computational photography, reliability successful varied situations and fantabulous debased airy performance. We'd expect precisely the aforesaid from the Pixel 5a 5G.

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Conclusions

There are fewer differences betwixt these Pixel models, possibly bringing an extremity to a somewhat uncertain section successful Pixel history. With the Pixel 6 expected to marque important changes, the look, consciousness and the hardware show of the Pixel 4a 5G, Pixel 5 and Pixel 5a 5G are each precise overmuch the same. 

There's the aforesaid halfway hardware and the aforesaid camera experience, and portion the Pixel 4a 5G and the Pixel 5a 5G has a little refresh complaint connected the display.

The Pixel 5 hangs onto a fewer premium features you don't get elsewhere similar the higher prime materials, the IP68 waterproofing and the wireless charging - but with larger phones disposable astatine little prices, it's hard to disregard the Pixel A bid models.

The Pixel 5a 5G is an evident replacement for the Pixel 4a 5G - which is retired of banal successful immoderate regions - but betwixt these phones, it's the newer exemplary you privation - IP protection, a metallic body, and a bigger artillery for little wealth makes implicit sense.

Writing by Chris Hall. Editing by Britta O'Boyle. Originally published connected 17 August 2021.