With Pixel 5, Google is breaking new ground with its smartphone line. For the first time, the Internet giant is not targeting the prestigious upper-class market but is building a more pragmatic phone. Here is everything about the new Google Pixel 5.
With Pixel 5, Google presented its new top device at the beginning of October that doesn’t want to be a top smartphone at all. At least not in the classic sense. Instead, Google has saved at various ends and can now, despite 5G support, sell it in the upper-middle-class segment.
Mid-range Processor – Overtaken By Its Predecessor
With Pixel 5, Google is making the transition from the upper to the upper-middle class. You can complement this mainly on the processor in the new smartphone which is a Snapdragon 765G. The upper-class smartphones of the competition currently rely on the much more powerful and more expensive Snapdragon 865. This leads to the interesting feature that Pixel 5 actually calculates slower than its predecessor Pixel 4. And yet it is exactly the right decision by Google.
Because the vast majority of users will get by with the performance of the new processor at the same time, the chip is more economical in terms of energy requirements. That is why you may be able to get through the day with the Pixel 5, despite the power-hungry 5G wireless data transmission. And while many competitors had to make their smartphones more expensive due to the 5G modems, Google can even lower the price of the Pixel 5. The device costs $699 to start with. For Pixel 4 with 128 GB of storage, Google asked for$849. Google has made smart savings here.
On the other hand, the memory configuration is adequate: 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage space are completely sufficient for most users. Adequate protection against the ingress of water (can be submerged 1.5 meters for up to 30 minutes) is provided.
The 6-inch display with OLED technology shows 1,080 by 2,340 pixels and can increase the refresh rate up to 90 Hz, for example, to make scrolling even smoother. Here buyers do not have to forego any of the conveniences of high-end devices.
Face recognition via infrared camera and the radar sensor for gesture control are missing in Pixel 5 but hardly anyone will miss it. Instead, there is a fingerprint sensor on the back which is a blessing for many users, not just in the Corona period.
The Camera is Extremely Good For a Mid-range Device – Google’s Pixel 5 Camera
The core virtues of the Pixel series have remained true like the camera. At first glance, it looks very similar to that of the predecessor device. However, Google has swapped the telephoto lens for an ultra-wide-angle lens with a 16 MP sensor. Probably the better choice in everyday life. In our tests, the ultra-wide-angle camera took very decent pictures – but the 12 MP main camera is much stronger in low light.
The portrait mode of the Pixel 5 is outstandingly good this time as well; Google manages the sharp separation of foreground and background better than competitors’ devices in many situations, even with the selfie camera. The new portrait light mode is a nice gimmick, but certainly not essential in everyday life. The photos themselves are very good but not quite on the level of the upper class. There, more effort is put into the camera hardware. The sharpness of distant details cannot quite keep up with other upper-class devices especially not with devices that have a five-fold optical lens using a telescopic lens.
What Google’s pixels do exceptionally well is the digital processing of the images. Even in poor light, the image noise is filtered out better in most cases than with the competition, and that too without the details suffering too much. Overall, Pixel 5 takes very good pictures, and the camera is particularly impressive in everyday life.
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Battery and Charging – Pixel 5 Battery Life
The charging technology was also not spared advancement. Despite the back of the housing made of aluminum, the Pixel 5 can not only be charged wirelessly, but it can also supply other devices with power. This pays off especially if you or a friend urgently need power for your cell phone or wireless headphones, but don’t have a suitable cable or socket nearby.
Wireless charging despite the metal back, by the way, is near to impossible with the current tech but the Pixel probably succeeds with a trick. The aluminum back is coated with a synthetic resin. Where the charging coil is attached, the metal plate should be perforated and only filled with the synthetic resin. Nothing of this can be seen from the outside.
At 4,000 mAh, the battery itself has become even larger than its predecessor, and the included 18-watt power adapter charges the phone completely in less than two hours after a day of use.
Conclusion: The most sensible pixel smartphone so far
Possibly even after the success of its cheaper Pixel 3a and Pixel 4a devices, Google has shifted its focus to a lower price segment and instead of some extravagant functions. Google Pixel 5 shows a good hand in weighing up the benefits and costs of various functions. It is a completely sensible device that will still please smartphone nerds and Android enthusiasts. The Pixel 5 does not try to stand out as the best device in any area, but it never gives the impression that it is not up to a certain task.
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In conjunction with Google’s commitment to Android and security updates for three years, as well as the many little things that Google Pixel phones often exclusively grants, Pixel 5 is perhaps the perfect device for everyone who enjoys great smartphones but can do without superlatives.