Google Announces Low-Cost 5G Pixel 5a Smartphone, Plans to Nix Chargers in Box Going Forward

[jk1221]

There is no mmWave, contrary to what basically every article has said including this one, because that’s part of how they get the cost savings over the Pixel 4a 5G. This means it’s a terrible phone for Verizon long term but great for T-Mobile. AT&T is probably neutral since their LTE network tends to be quite good and their mmWave 5G is insanely limited even compared to Verizon.

I am still on the fence. I am going to end up with my first Pixel this year, just not sure if it will be a 5a or a 6 Pro. Waiting for Black Friday so I can see a) what deals there are, b) how the 6 Pro is faring with reviewers and users, and c) if the 6 Pro can still have its bootloader unlocked and how custom ROM support is with the SoC. C is a dealbreaker which would push me to the 5a.

People going on and on about the SoC. It’s between a Snapdragon 835 and 845 on the CPU and a touch under the 835 for GPU. Not the best but plenty capable. They could have gone with the newer 780G but doing so would have cost them in availability (it’s a 5nm chip where TSMC is totally backed up while the 765G is a 6nm chip) and it would have been a weird move to give an “a” series a better chip than the 5 itself has.

For $450 I’m not demanding top of the line, especially since unlike the iPhones there isn’t a sacrifice made in the display technology. Both the SE and XR have LCD panels, 5a is OLED with HDR support. I can’t ever go back to an LCD after having OLED for so long.

I would be excited about the headphone jack but I switched to Sony WH-1000XM3’s and am pretty happy with them. Can’t see myself going back to being tethered by a cord.

Battery life should be phenomenal with that massive battery.

mmWave is a total joke right now. It is an absolute waste of money right now to buy a phone for having mmWave from any manufacturer.

Even on VZW, you turn the wrong way or a tree in between it drops to 5G anyway. It's too infant in technology still.

In 4-5 years, maybe, and that is still a maybe. The tech has not been impressive to anyone yet other than the raw speed; the usability part is still utter crap.

No one should be considering a phone right now based on mmWave or not to work at some point in the future as their decider. That should not even be a consideration honestly. Nor on a $450 phone anyway honestly, be expected.

 

[gammamonk]

Sorry, I know we're on an Apple rumours fan-site, but $449 is not low-cost

My wife's 3a was $299 brand new from Google at launch.

 

[ratspg]

To clarify Google's official position is "at least 3 years." Not 3 years on the dot and poof.

I suspect you will see longer than 3 years, especially from Google directly, as more Android manufacturers are pushing that date out

But let's be real in 6 years the SE will look like an antique too. It already looks like one in 2021 with a tiny LCD and big ole forehead and chin.

The original iPhone SE from 2016 ran iOS 9 and it will run iOS 15. That's SEVEN iOS versions with ONE phone. Antique looking or not, you will NOT be getting that support and longevity with an Android/Google phone.

 

[jk1221]

The original iPhone SE from 2016 ran iOS 9 and it will run iOS 15. That's SEVEN iOS versions with ONE phone. Antique looking or not, you will NOT be getting that support and longevity with an Android/Google phone.

And? One example means very little frankly. Unofficially Apple does 5 years; Google is now at least 3. Samsung has said 4, which is why I suspect Google will match that.

Second, does your phone just stop working without an OS update?

The average by the statistics is every 2-3 years people upgrade. Those who keep it 6-7 years are the minority.

And many of the people who have phones that old for the most part don't even update them anyway; like the elderly for example. They don't care about tech and thus don't upgrade. Like my 70 year old mother who probably has the red notification badge staring at her and hasn't updated in 1-2 years as I always have to do it when I see her. And it's not just the elderly. I worked with someone my age a few years ago who every time I had to help her fix something on her phone I had to update it. Didn't know what an update was, was for, or care.

 

[ratspg]

And? One example means very little frankly. Unofficially Apple does 5 years; Google is now at least 3. Samsung has said 4, which is why I suspect Google will match that.

Second, does your phone just stop working without an OS update?

The average by the statistics is every 2-3 years people upgrade. Those who keep it 6-7 years are the minority. And many of the people who have phones that old for the most part don't even update them anyway; like the elderly for example.

It will be even more antique-looking 7 more years down the line too. Some don't care, many do. ESPECIALLY screen size and quality as that is what you interact with daily.

I just gave you an official iPhone SE that has seven iOS version on it. So Does a phone stop working with an OS update? Of course it doesn't! But your security is compromised as soon as the security updates stop rolling in, so I wouldn't recommend that.

Agreed, most people don't keep their phones that long, but it cannot be denied that you get more value with a purchase of an iPhone SE from 2016 til now than say a Google Pixel 2/2XL which came out in 2017 and already won't go past Android 11 officially through Google.

Of course tech will changes and new phones will make old phones look more antiquated over time (I also think the iPhone SE looks lame AF today.)

I've had OnePlus phones sitting around, Galaxy phones sitting around, Pixel phones sitting around, all great phones but done unless I want to root them and maybe get newer versions of Android on them. Here we are in 2021 and my old iPhone SE that sits in a drawer can STILL be used with iOS 15 that isn't even out yet. There is value to that and I'm just pointing that out, not saying its the best choice.

 

[jk1221]

I just gave you an official iPhone SE that has seven iOS version on it. So Does a phone stop working with an OS update? Of course it doesn't! But your security is compromised as soon as the security updates stop rolling in, so I wouldn't recommend that.

Agreed, most people don't keep their phones that long, but it cannot be denied that you get more value with a purchase of an iPhone SE from 2016 til now than say a Google Pixel 2/2XL which came out in 2017 and already won't go past Android 11 officially through Google.

Of course tech will changes and new phones will make old phones look more antiquated over time (I also think the iPhone SE looks lame AF today.)

I've had OnePlus phones sitting around, Galaxy phones sitting around, Pixel phones sitting around, all great phones but done unless I want to root them and maybe get newer versions of Android on them. Here we are in 2021 and my old iPhone SE that sits in a drawer can STILL be used with iOS 15 that isn't even out yet. There is value to that and I'm just pointing that out, not saying its the best choice.

Exactly, you. You have the luxury of multiple devices on hand; thousands of dollars worth in MSRP value.

Now think about people not with first-world problems who can't even afford a cheap $200 USD Android phone; which is like 90% of the world. 76% of the world uses Android per the last metric I saw, and my guess is the vast vast majority of those are sub $300 devices.

They don't care about OS updates; they buy what they can afford now that isn't months of salary. Apple is notorious for ridiculous pricing in other countries with taxes and import vs Google and others. You have to think outside of your individual privilege here on a bigger scale.

 

[ratspg]

Exactly, you. You have the luxury of multiple devices on hand; thousands of dollars worth in MSRP value.

Now think about people not with first-world problems who can't even afford a cheap $200 USD Android phone; which is like 90% of the world. 76% of the world uses Android per the last metric I saw, and my guess is the vast vast majority of those are sub $300 devices.

They don't care about OS updates; they buy what they can afford now that isn't months of salary. Apple is notorious for ridiculous pricing in other countries with taxes and import vs Google and others. You have to think outside of your individual privilege here on a bigger scale.

Ah so it’s ME and MY privilege being the reasons Google the company doesn’t support its OS as long as Apple does? Interesting….

 

[jk1221]

Ah so it’s ME and MY privilege being the reasons Google the company doesn’t support its OS as long as Apple does? Interesting….

Clearly, you didn't even bother to hear a word of the main point there. So not worth more breath.

 

[bobob]

But let's be real in 6 years the SE will look like an antique

An antique with a fully up-to-date and secure operating system supported by Apple.

 

[MacBH928]

This will be great for me to move from iOS phone to CalyxOS

although I would not say a $450 a cheap option. $260 is a cheap.

 

[Internaut]

I bought this phone direct predecessor, the 4a 5G at quite a large discount having noticed Apple Pay and Face ID don‘t work great with a face-mask. Observations:

• Excellent 5G speeds.
• Fingerprint scanner.
• Does everything I would do with an iPhone.
• But lacks the operability with my iPad and Mac that an iPhone would give me.
• Google remains the one to beat in still imaging.

On that last point, they are still achieving amazing things with vastly inferior hardware. Night mode, for example, has the edge over Apple. I haven’t played with the 12, but it looks like Apple is killing it with images of the moving variety.

I‘m hoping Apple will reintroduce the finger print scanner. There’s no need for an either/or. That said, I’m in no rush to dump the Pixel (so probably iPhone 14 for me). Edit: cheers.

 

[jk1221]

An antique with a fully up-to-date and secure operating system supported by Apple.

I don't know why people keep repeating this drivel. Samsung has now guaranteed 4 years, Google "at least" 3. Do you really think Google wont support its own phones with its own OS to match that?

4 vs 5 years (Which Apple has NEVER committed to any firm deadlines and could change). But around the same ballpark; more than most keep their phones.

Why choose said relic then vs modern tech for one(ish on the assumption above) extra year of updates? Again, when few keep it 5 years other than touting this as some "spec" on a sheet which doesn't mean crap if you don't keep it 5 years. It's a paper number. Other than being a fanboy of a brand which preference and not fact.

It's also a screen that isn't a postage stamp LCD, a tiny battery you don't have to recharge twice a day, and has 5G (something the SE doesn't have and affects longevity over said 5 years as 5G will be a thing in under 5 years). Usability now, not some Apple rumor pipe dream.

When a site called "CultofMac" disagrees with you and posts "Google’s newest rival to iPhone SE is much better in every way" then you know you're on the wrong side of the argument.

 

[Pezimak]

Can you just explain how exactly it looks that way please?

The design is plain and boring, and I saw an Engadget video reviewing it and it looked cheap and actually like it was made of plastic. Hence my opinion it looks cheap boring and plasticky.
The design looks too flat, no excitement to it, too rounded. I think it'll suit the upcoming foldable Pixel but not this new one.

 

[H2SO4]

The design is plain and boring, and I saw an Engadget video reviewing it and it looked cheap and actually like it was made of plastic. Hence my opinion it looks cheap boring and plasticky.
The design looks too flat, no excitement to it, too rounded. I think it'll suit the upcoming foldable Pixel but not this new one.

I see. Plastic most certainly does not mean cheap, look at the Bondi iMacs. Plain doesn't either. Personally I can't see how a plain and boring design means cheap.
But, each to their own.

 

[eltoslightfoot]

The design is plain and boring, and I saw an Engadget video reviewing it and it looked cheap and actually like it was made of plastic. Hence my opinion it looks cheap boring and plasticky.
The design looks too flat, no excitement to it, too rounded. I think it'll suit the upcoming foldable Pixel but not this new one.

I look at the design of my phone about 1 minute. Then it goes in a case and all I see is the screen. So that works fine for me. ☺️

 

[subi257]

But we here, on MacRumors, are, of course, all the most discriminating power users.

Doesn't that seem to be the truth?

 

[subi257]

I look at the design of my phone about 1 minute. Then it goes in a case and all I see is the screen. So that works fine for me. ☺️

Agreed, same here. I don't even remember what color my 11 Pro is

 

[bobob]

When a site called "CultofMac" disagrees with you and posts "Google’s newest rival to iPhone SE is much better in every way" then you know you're on the wrong side of the argument.

I suggest that anyone following this thread actually take a minute to read the article press release
that jk1221 is holding up as a paragon of journalistic analysis.

 

[Mousse]

Second, does your phone just stop working without an OS update?

Nope. But I have had phones crap out because of an OS update. Fortunately, it's easy to downgrade on Android. I don't see the appeal of constant OS update. I find the version I like and stick with it. But, but, but security... Phffbbttt... the grey stuff between the ears works best for me. Besides, I can put a firewall on a rooted phone that does half the work already. Rassin' frassin' Apple not having a built in firewall or allowing a 3rd party firewall.

I wonder if the same people harping about iOS updates on their old iPhones the same people complaining about the update mugging their battery life?

 

[eltoslightfoot]

I feel like worrying whether a phone will get updates 5 years from now is kind of like worrying about being able to upgrade ram in a laptop. It sounds important to have, but let's face it. How often have I kept a phone that long--or added more ram to that laptop 4 years later?

That would be never.

 

[Ethrem]

mmWave is a total joke right now. It is an absolute waste of money right now to buy a phone for having mmWave from any manufacturer.

Even on VZW, you turn the wrong way or a tree in between it drops to 5G anyway. It's too infant in technology still.

In 4-5 years, maybe, and that is still a maybe. The tech has not been impressive to anyone yet other than the raw speed; the usability part is still utter crap.

No one should be considering a phone right now based on mmWave or not to work at some point in the future as their decider. That should not even be a consideration honestly. Nor on a $450 phone anyway honestly, be expected.

Well it also doesn’t have C-band currently either and no commitment from Google to add it. I have T-Mobile so this doesn’t affect me at all but articles saying the device has mmWave is problematic for people who don’t go read the spec sheet first. I agree with you about mmWave but it makes up a huge part of Verizon’s 5G strategy. People who buy Pixels tend to keep them for awhile like iPhone users do so best to get one that actually has future network support. The C-band issue is a huge one since no C-band essentially makes this phone a no go on fast 5G on Verizon or AT&T. Nationwide DSS only. Meh.

 

[Ethrem]

The original iPhone SE from 2016 ran iOS 9 and it will run iOS 15. That's SEVEN iOS versions with ONE phone. Antique looking or not, you will NOT be getting that support and longevity with an Android/Google phone.

This is because of Qualcomm. They refuse to continue to support driver releases for old chips. Now that Google is moving to their own SoCs with the 6 series, that could change.

 

[LFC2020]

Why? Maybe it is zippy enough

really? watch this video, he trashes the processor, stutters in certain places, he blames the processor, criminal they went with such a old processor.

 

[bobob]

I don't see the appeal of constant OS update.

I suppose I shouldn't be surprised to see Android fans hailing a lack of system and security updates as a feature, but it's still impressive to see the mental gymnastics.

 

[Ethrem]

really? watch this video, he trashes the processor, stutters in certain places, he blames the processor, criminal they went with such a old processor.

Engadget is a joke. Also, the processor isn’t old. It’s just upper midrange. Believe it or not, it’s going to cover the needs of the vast majority of people. Not everyone needs Instagram to load five milliseconds faster.