OCTOBER 2020 PCWorld 79while using both, the Pixel 4a didn’t really feel
that much slower during day-to-day use
thanks to Android 10. Frankly, the people
buying these phones aren’t going to be
looking for flagship-level speeds anyway. It’s
nice for sure, but not necessary.
64GB OF STORAGE ISN’T
GOOD ENOUGH
The iPhone SE might start at $399, but most
people should opt for the $449 model with
128GB of storage. System files and formatting
take up 5GB-10GB or more, and when you
factor in photos, videos, and apps, 64GB can
fill up very fast.
I didn’t really notice how conservative I
was being with my space until I started using
the Pixel 4a, which comes with 128GB of
storage, twice as much as the $899 Pixel 4 XL.
Where I was judicious about photos and apps
on my iPhone SE, I didn’t hesitate to install or
download anything on the Pixel 4a.
APPLE IS WASTING SHAZAM
Ever since the Pixel 2, Google has included a
cool Now Playing feature that automatically
scans the surrounding area for music and
identifies what it hears. It’s a fantastic feature
that Apple could easily mimic, and it
wouldn’t even have to build its own
database or algorithm as Google did. Apple
already owns the Shazam song identification
service (go.pcworld.com/szam), and could
use it to build a speedy, private, and
delightful feature for the iPhone that’s just as
good as it is on the Pixel 4a. Instead, the only
feature it’s added to Shazam is an automatic
Apple Music playlist. Yawn.GOOGLE OUT-DESIGNED
APPLE FOR ONCE
While the iPhone SE is certainly a well-built
phone, there’s no getting around its 2016
design, with giant bezels, lots of wasted
space, and a home button. The Pixel 4a, on
the contrary, looks a lot
like the iPhone 11, with
a near-all-screen
design, rear fingerprint
sensor, and rounded
corners on the display.
It looks better and more
modern than the iPhone
SE and doesn’t feel
cheap, either. But
Apple wins with colors.
The Now Playing notification has been a staple feature since the Pixel 2. Sadly, you can only get