The Google Pixel 5a has finally been unveiled, months after the company confirmed that it will be released, with the main features being a large battery and water resistance.
The new model’s battery is the biggest yet in a Pixel phone, with it being a 4,680mAh one, yet when compared to other non-Pixel phones, this is above average, yet nothing to write home about.
While this is a much larger battery than previous Pixel versions, since the Pixel 5 just has a 4,080mAh one and the Pixel 4a 5G only has 3,885mAh of battery life, there are much cheaper phones that have greater longevity, such as the affordable Moto E7i Power that has a 5,000mAh battery.
When it comes to the water resistance, the Pixel 5a has been given an IP67 rating, making it both water and dust resistant, and hence if submerged in up to a metre of water for 30 minutes it should not have any lasting damage.
Such a good resistance rating is something that is not so common when it comes to mid-range phones, and so it is a great feature to have.
However, the rest of the phone is relatively underwhelming, with it being very similar to the Pixel 4a 5G.
The Pixel 5a has the same Snapdragon 765G chipset as the previous model, along with the same 6GB RAM and 128GB storage.
Additionally, the camera unit is only slightly improved, with it having the same 12MP main camera, 16MP ultra-wide camera and 8MP front camera, yet the field of view on the ultra-wide lens is slightly wider at 117 degrees.
The screen has increased in size to 6.34 inches, and hence it has become the biggest Pixel model without a bezel, at least until the new Google Pixel 6 Pro is released.
The display is a 1080 x 2400 OLED one, having a standard 60Hz refresh rate, with the rest of the phone’s features being practically the same as the Pixel 4a 5G, with the back being plastic as well.
The phone comes with 18W charging, 5G and Android 11, and since it is a Google phone it should be one of the first to receive Android 12 once it launches.
There is just one major problem, we cannot order it.
Unfortunately, the phone will not be available to purchase from anywhere else other than the United States or Japan, and it is currently available to pre-order from those countries in the colour named ‘Mostly Black’, at a price of $449 (around €383).
Google has claimed that the limited location availability is mainly down due to global supply chain challenges that have resulted in the firm having to limit its regional roll out.
Would you have bought this phone had it been available in Malta?
Let us know on our socials!
