My little time with the Pixel 4a has taught me so much about Google hardware.

 

I spent 3 days with the Pixel 4a, I thought it would be just another phone. What I didn't' realize is how much Pixel has progressed since the Pixel 2. 

 
 

So, what I want to explain upfront is that I believe in quality content for my viewers and readers meaning that 3 days is not enough time to formulate a complete idea for a complete review.

 I refuse to serve half-baked cake, so I won't, instead I'll give you my impressions of the 4a and my little ideas that relate to the rest of the Pixel family. 

 
 

With that being said let's begin, the Pixel 4a is the weakest link in the Pixel family and is the first of this generation of Pixel phones. I posted an unboxing video when I first got it and I put it to the test for a few days at least.

 The 6 GB of RAM are a revelation compared to the meager 4GB on my Pixel 2; 6GB of RAM means I can have more tabs open without reloading and I can have more Apps open without reloading. . AM has become less and less a premium feature especially as both Android and iOS progress becoming more powerful and resource-hungry with every release. This shows that Google knows how Android works and what it needs to run smoothly.  

The Snapdragon 730G inside also performed admirably, in a Roblox gaming session it handled the increased graphics with no problem, the only problem I had was that at max graphics the game looked worse than regular. I think that's more of the Game's problem that the 730G's. While juggling messaging, web browsing, and videos the 730G never let me down. Obviously with a 5.8inch 1080p screen and 6GB of RAM the 730G has its work cut out for it but I must say that for me the experience may be butter smooth but keep in mind that I'm coming from a Snapdragon 835 in the Pixel 2. So, what I perceive as fast may be slow for someone who is accustomed to a Snapdragon 855 or higher.  

 

Animations could also struggle under heavy load, especially considering that this is a 60Hz panel and not 90Hz, the biggest test would be Launcher 10, a Windows Phone launcher that uses a ton of animations and can stutter on my Pixel 2. I must report that it did not pass the test, it was better than my Pixel 2, but the stutters were still there. 

Battery life, however, was marvelous, just marvelous. Let me put this into perspective, 10 minutes of Roblox on my Pixel 2 equals a 30-20% battery drain, 10 minutes of Roblox on the Pixel 4a equals to 3-5% battery drain. Average use was also impressive as I still had 50% at the end of the day.  

The last part is the camera, the best part about each Pixel ever made. 

Honestly, it just looks like a Pixel with the same punch and contrast that every Pixel before it. The 4a does beat the Pixel 2 and that's impressive considering it lacks the Pixel neural core, it's mostly new software but the omission of the Pixel neural core is sad but I'm ok. I just didn't spend enough time with it to form a full opinion about the phone and its camera, but my impression was that it took great photos and ok videos. 

 

I feel that the Pixel 4a is the best budget phone Google has ever made, it really combines the essentials so well that it just makes sense for people who don't need wireless charging or an IP rating. When I look at the Pixel 5 and 4a 5G I have to agree that the Pixel 4a is left behind in terms of quality and power. I think that it's about the sales for this phone, people loved the Pixel 3a years after it was released. think people will love the 4a years after its released, and I feel like that's what Google's going for with this new generation. Samsung tries every year to dazzle us and make us upgrade to the latest Note or S line of Phones. Google is going for the value, making the best Phone they can make at a certain price point and then selling it for a reasonable price is the best brand you can have. 

 

Having the best brand means having the most loyal and satisfied customers, which makes the ordeal worth it. 

Best, BenTechCoder