PC World - USA (2020-12)

82 PCWorld DECEMBER 2020

REVIEWS GOOGLE PIXEL 4A 5G

design offers a number of features that could

either make it feel old-school or retro-cool,

depending on your perspective. The

headphone jack (on the top edge of the

phone) is never a bad thing. While the

fingerprint sensor may seem quaint, it's in

some ways an upgrade over

the finicky in-display sensors

that are all the rage on newer

Android phones. The

“Purple-ish” power button is

a nice throwback to the Pixel

3, and the only bit of color

you’ll find anywhere on the

phone until you turn on the

screen. The button is a little

stiffer than the 5’s delectable

chrome-wrapped version,

but still more satisfying to

press than the 4a’s.

A GOOD-ENOUGH

PERFORMER THAT

LASTS

The Pixel 4a 5G uses the same

Snapdragon 765G chip as the

Pixel 5. It isn’t the fastest chip by

any stretch—benchmarks scores

were closest to the Snapdragon

845 in the Pixel 3—and the 4a 5G

still doesn’t feel quite as fast as the

Pixel 5, because it has less RAM

(6GB vs 8GB) and the slower

display (60Hz vs 90Hz). However,

it’s faster than the Snapdragon

730G in the Pixel 4a. In my time with it, I only

experienced the slightest lag and jitteriness

when launching and switching apps.

Helping things along is Google’s intense

Android optimizations. More than any prior

version of Android, Android 11 is very much

You won’t get wireless charging on the Pixel 4a 5G, but you

will get a headphone jack.

The hole-punch camera in the Pixel 4a 5G’s screen is tucked away in

the left corner.