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Google's $349 Pixel 4a vs. Apple's $399 iPhone SE

mudflap said:
Hackintosh all you want but you will get zero support when the **** hits the fan. Macs support Windows via Boot Camp natively.

With Hackintosh you don't get any custom chips. No T2. No security. If you use Hackintosh for a production environment you're an idiot.
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I am not expecting any support when I hackintosh my PC. And why I care about T2. I have already disabled T2 zoo can get Linux on my MacBook Air.

And there are tons of people using Hackintosh on a production environment. My Hackintosh is stable as rock. And I do lots of video editing on that machine.

And Bootcamp is going to be history when Apple switch to Apple silicon. I am going to see if Apple silicon based Mac could natively boot Linux distro, but I doubt it. My 2020 Intel MacBook Air probably will be my last Mac.
 
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Shirasaki said:
First of all, I want to throw this here: defending any company will bring you nothing. It will only make you more likely to be labeled as fanboy. It’s not like any of those companies will compensate your actions or something.

To me, I would prefer google pixel 4a if I don’t use Apple Watch, since iPad does almost everything I need to do except phone call and maybe text message. Sadly, I use Apple Watch, so iPhone SE is my only choice if I have to pick either one. I wish Apple can increase the base storage to 128GB like Google.

As for tracking, the best way to stop company from tracking you is not using internet at all IMO.
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Dropping off the Internet is a straw man argument. That’s obviously not possible, even pre-pandemic.
burgerrecords said:
No, those two things are the only things easily avoided. Using a credit card, driving a safe car and having a cell phone are not so easy to avoid.
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Anonymous single issue credit cards.
Prepaid phone plan sims.
I dont drive.
 
mi7chy said:
Pixel 4a
+ modern design vs rehash
+ better hardware future proofing with 6GB DRAM and 128GB base storage vs iPhone SE 3GB/64GB
+ 1080p OLED vs iPhone SE 750p LCD
+ Night Mode vs none
+ Built in Titan M 2FA security key
+ better smarts and more advance features like Duplex AI, live transcription, split screen multitasking, etc.
+ longer battery life
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I'll add to the 4a:
+ edge-to-edge screen vs. giant bezels
+ USB-C vs. Lightning port (my opinion, but USB-C is becoming the de facto standard and Lightning is ecosystem specific; and will we see USB-C on iPhones in the future, per EU ruling?

= OS (honestly it's a preference thing at this point, imo)

- iOS generally has better power management than Android
- no IP rating for 4a
- no wireless charging for 4a
- Apple vertical integration with their other devices like Apple Watch - Wear OS is hot garbage
- 3 years of OS updates vs 5 years with Apple
- Snapdragon 730 < A31

? Build quality - too soon to tell

I will say that reviews of the 2020 SE battery life have almost uniformly labeled it as "disappointing" and "a major letdown," or "okay" or "alright" at best.
 
M3gatron said:
Why exactly don't you think it will get more than 2 years of updates?
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If Google is counting 2020 as year 1 because the P4a shipped with Android 10 then updates will stop at Android 13 (2022). If however they are in a generous mood and start counting in 2021 then the P4a will get Android 14. The hardware is good enough for future updates especially with 6GB of RAM.
 
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Pixel A -budget Pixel- series havent got 3 years of updates so far... Google throws hardware and software under the bus left & right, Pixelbook sounds familiar? If I were you I wouldnt trust the A series Pixel 4a which, according to Anandtech sports a chip comparable to the 4 year old A10, to be getting updates in 2023.

The hard truth, as great as the Pixel 4a is in other areas, such as design, photography, etc. Having updates in 3 years time shouldnt drive your buying decision nor should it be mentioned as a sure promise by reviewers, IMHO. Unlike Apple, there's not a proven track.
 
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Heat_Fan89 said:
If Google is counting 2020 as year 1 because the P4a shipped with Android 10 then updates will stop at Android 13 (2022). If however they are in a generous mood and start counting in 2021 then the P4a will get Android 14. The hardware is good enough for future updates especially with 6GB of RAM.
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Pixel 4a is said to be getting 3 years of guaranteed OS and security updates. Per Google, that clock starts when the device is first available on the Google store, so it should get all updates through around August 2023 which would include Android 11, 12, and 13. I would not anticipate that it gets Android 14, given that new OS updates are generally released later in the year.
 
apparatchik said:
Pixel A -budget Pixel- series havent got 3 years of updates so far... Google throws hardware and software under the bus left & right, Pixelbook sounds familiar? If I were you I wouldnt trust the A series Pixel 4a which, according to Anandtech sports a chip comparable to the 4 year old A10, to be getting updates in 2023.

The hard truth, as great as the Pixel 4a is in other areas, such as design, photography, etc. Having updates in 3 years time shouldnt drive your buying decision nor should it be mentioned as a sure promise by reviewers, IMHO. Unlike Apple, there's not a proven track.
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But Google now has put it in writing and is committed to provide 3 yrs worth of OS updates. In the past it was up to 2 yrs now it's guaranteed 3 yrs and Samsung has copied that as well on their flagship phones. I asked Google that question regarding the P4a and I was told it was guaranteed 3 yrs of software updates. Now are they counting Android 11 in 2020? If so it stops with A13. If they start counting in 2021 then P4a owners can expect Android 14.
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rum0rm0nger said:
Pixel 4a is said to be getting 3 years of guaranteed OS and security updates. Per Google, that clock starts when the device is first available on the Google store, so it should get all updates through around August 2023 which would include Android 11, 12, and 13. I would not anticipate that it gets Android 14, given that new OS updates are generally released later in the year.
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That's what I thought when I posed my question to Google.
 
This is an Apple site, so why do comparisons with Android phones? I don't see any comparisons between Macs and Windows computers.
 
Anthony Tarantino said:
This is an Apple site, so why do comparisons with Android phones? I don't see any comparisons between Macs and Windows computers.
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It’s called clicks. Websites make their money by clicks and ad views. iPhone versus android is a hot topic and there are people in these forms here because they love android and feel like they should support it. Their clicks and ad views pay just as much as the clicks and views from people here for Apple reviews. Why no Windows reviews specifically? macOS versus Windows OS isn’t really a popular thing
 
russell_314 said:
It’s called clicks. Websites make their money by clicks and ad views. iPhone versus android is a hot topic and there are people in these forms here because they love android and feel like they should support it. Their clicks and ad views pay just as much as the clicks and views from people here for Apple reviews. Why no Windows reviews specifically? macOS versus Windows OS isn’t really a popular thing
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This discussion would end up in the alternatives forum anyway. It’s Apple newsworthy!
 
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I7guy said:
This discussion would end up in the alternatives forum anyway. It’s Apple newsworthy!
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Well to be fair even if we were looking at it from a non-advertising perspective a publisher will put out what the readers want. If readers want a comparison with Google phones then that’s what will go out. I kind of like some of the comparisons with similar android phones.

As to the Pixel 4a I’m not sure how I feel about it. It’s missing some important features and except for the camera and screen the components seems pretty low grade from what I’ve seen on reviews. It’s almost like they took a really cheap prepaid phone from Walmart and added a better screen and camera. I personally wouldn’t buy it but I can see someone who wanted a pure android phone and was willing to spend a little extra for the better screen
 
Heat_Fan89 said:
If Google is counting 2020 as year 1 because the P4a shipped with Android 10 then updates will stop at Android 13 (2022). If however they are in a generous mood and start counting in 2021 then the P4a will get Android 14. The hardware is good enough for future updates especially with 6GB of RAM.
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They will still provide 3 full years of updates regardless.
 
TL;DR.. buy the phone you're interested in. If you're still unsure, then definitely check out this article.

I already got my Pixel 4A, been using it for a month, and am very satisfied of what an incredible value it is for just $350, new. My only real gripe is I wish the screen were wider (it reminds me of the iPod Touch 5, and iPhone 5/s where the screen got bigger from 3.5" to 4", but they only made it taller. The narrowness was a deal breaker for many). I may pursue other alternatives in the same price bracket, but for now, it's not a showstopper.

I honestly never cared about getting OS updates. I've purchased used Android phones where they ran just fine, even though I didn't have the latest and greatest version of the OS. I still got security upgrades anyways. If I want a newer OS, I'll just buy a new phone. 3 to 5 years is about a good lifespan for such phones anyways.

JPack said:
A budget shopper will choose Pixel 4a for the simple fact that it costs $100 less than a comparable iPhone SE with 128GB storage. Hardly any budget shopper will be buying AppleCare+.
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Can you use Apple Care without going into an Apple Store? Closest one is a few hours away.
 
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russell_314 said:
Well to be fair even if we were looking at it from a non-advertising perspective a publisher will put out what the readers want. If readers want a comparison with Google phones then that’s what will go out. I kind of like some of the comparisons with similar android phones.

As to the Pixel 4a I’m not sure how I feel about it. It’s missing some important features and except for the camera and screen the components seems pretty low grade from what I’ve seen on reviews. It’s almost like they took a really cheap prepaid phone from Walmart and added a better screen and camera. I personally wouldn’t buy it but I can see someone who wanted a pure android phone and was willing to spend a little extra for the better screen
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I don’t really think it is low grade screen per see. The OLED screen on Pixel 4A looks lot better than iPhone SE with my eye.

Even if Pixel 4A has subpar display, the fact Pixel 4A’s edge to edge display is lot bigger than iPhone SE. Also 1080P vs 750P display.
 
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Heat_Fan89 said:
If Google is counting 2020 as year 1 because the P4a shipped with Android 10 then updates will stop at Android 13 (2022). If however they are in a generous mood and start counting in 2021 then the P4a will get Android 14. The hardware is good enough for future updates especially with 6GB of RAM.
Click to expand...

Well. Let look at history:

1. Pixel And Pixel XL started with Android 7.0 ended with Android 10. So Android 8,9,10 update.

2. Pixel 2XL started with Android 8 and will be end support end this year. So it won’t get Android 12. So it get Android 9,10,11.

So, if Pixel 4A starts with Android 11 and if history hold true, then Pixel 4A will get Android 12,13 and stop at Android 14.

If anyone here values software support beyond 3 years, they need look elsewhere. I mean iPhone SE will probably gets at least 5 years support.
 
Aoligei said:
I don’t really think it is low grade screen per see. The OLED screen on Pixel 4A looks lot better than iPhone SE with my eye.

Even if Pixel 4A has subpar display, the fact Pixel 4A’s edge to edge display is lot bigger than iPhone SE. Also 1080P vs 750P display.
Click to expand...
I think you misread my post. I said "except for the camera and screen the components seems pretty low grade" meaning I think the screen is actually pretty good.
 
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