Google Pixel 5a 5G vs Pixel 5 vs Pixel 4a 5G: What's the difference?

(Pocket-lint) - Google revealed the Pixel 5 and the Pixel 4a 5G successful 2020 - and is rumoured to beryllium the adding the Pixel 5a 5G to the premix successful 2021. That volition springiness Google 3 phones, intimately aligned, each offering 5G and galore of the aforesaid features. 

So however bash each these phones compare? Based connected beardown rumours and leaks surrounding the Pixel 5a 5G, we've compared each the devices to assistance you play spot the difference.

Prices

• Pixel 5a 5G: TBC
• Pixel 5: $699 | £599
• Pixel 4a 5G: $499 | £499

The Pixel 5 was launched arsenic the affordable flagship telephone for 2020, with the Pixel 4a 5G people sitting beneath it. The caller Pixel 5a 5G is thought to regenerate the Pixel 4a 5G, an affordable telephone with Pixel advantages, portion not offering each the premium features of the Pixel 5 - but bumping up the artillery size to marque it much appealing.

The pricing for the Pixel 5a 5G has not yet been confirmed, but it's expected to beryllium disposable successful Japan and the US, and a rumoured terms of $450 has been linked to it. It's expected to beryllium formally announced connected 17 August.

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Design

• Pixel 5a 5G: 156.2 x 73.2 x 8.8mm, value TBC
• Pixel 5: 144.7 x 70.4 x 8mm, 151g
• Pixel 4a 5G: 153.9 x 74 x 8.2mm, 168g

Recent Pixel devices each look similar, with a rear quadrate camera successful the apical left-hand corner, a rear fingerprint scanner and punch spread show connected the front. 

The Pixel 5 was launched arsenic the premium instrumentality for 2020, a somewhat much compact flagship, with a higher prime finish. It had a metallic rear ammunition - portion inactive supporting wireless charging - and an IP68 rating to support it from h2o and dust. It is disposable successful achromatic oregon sage greenish colours. 

The Pixel 4a 5G is larger than the Pixel 5 and has a polycarbonate back, i.e., plastic, with a matte decorativeness and disposable successful black. It added a 3.5mm headphone socket to the premix - giving it an vantage implicit the Pixel 5 for those wanting wired headphones, but lacked immoderate benignant of IP rating.

The Pixel 5a 5G is expected to beryllium larger based connected leaked measurements, but instrumentality to the aforesaid wide design, truthful it volition look astatine consciousness similar the Pixel 4a 5G, again with a 3.5mm headphone socket. There is simply a quality though, with a ribbed powerfulness button. Leaks besides suggest that it has a somewhat much rubbery consciousness to the harder integrative consciousness of the Pixel 4a 5G. It whitethorn besides person a IPX7 extortion rating.

The Pixel 5a 5G is expected to travel successful achromatic again, but a greenish exemplary has besides been seen.

Display

• Pixel 5a 5G: 6.4-inch, OLED, 90Hz?
• Pixel 5: 6-inch, OLED, 90Hz
• Pixel 4a 5G: 6.2-inch, OLED, 60Hz

The Pixel 5 has a 6-inch OLED display. The solution is 2340 x 1080 pixels, 432ppi, it has a 19.5:9 facet ratio and offers support for HDR. It is besides has a 90Hz refresh rate.

The Pixel 4a 5G has a 6.2-inch display, besides OLED, but with a 60Hz refresh rate. The solution is 2340 x 1080 pixels, 413ppi.

The Pixel 5a 5G is expected to beryllium larger with a 6.4-inch OLED display, making it the largest of the lot. While the solution is expected to enactment astatine afloat HD+ - apt with the aforesaid solution arsenic the different Pixel models - there's immoderate statement astir whether it's going to beryllium 60 oregon 90Hz. Moving to 90Hz gives it a tiny vantage implicit the Pixel 4a 5G, but that mightiness rise questions arsenic to wherefore you'd see the Pixel 5...

Hardware

• Pixel 5a 5G: Qualcomm SD765G, 6GB RAM, 128GB storage, 4650mAh
• Pixel 5: Qualcomm SD765G, 8GB RAM, 128GB storage, 4000mAh
• Pixel 4a 5G: Qualcomm SD765G, 6GB RAM, 128GB storage, 3800mAh

Both the Google Pixel 5 and the Pixel 4a 5G tally connected the aforesaid Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G platform, which features integrated 5G. It's though that the Pixel 5a 5G volition beryllium connected the aforesaid platform, again with integrated 5G, meaning a batch of parity betwixt these devices. 

The Pixel 5 has a flimsy bump successful RAM, but it's lone minor, truthful we'd expect the show of these phones to beryllium beauteous overmuch the aforesaid successful regular use.

Where determination looks to beryllium a large quality is successful the battery: the Pixel 5a 5G is expected to person a 4650mAh battery, which is the largest of the lot. This gives it a important vantage implicit the Pixel 4a 5G that it replaces and successful each liklihood it volition outlast the Pixel 5 too. Big artillery appears to beryllium the biggest unsocial diagnostic of the Pixel 5a 5G - if that turns retired to beryllium true.

The Pixel 5 offers wireless charging and reverse wireless charging, a small premium diagnostic giving you a fewer much options connected this apical device, which neither of the others offer.

Cameras

• Pixel 5a 5G: 16MP + 12.2MP, 8MP (?)
• Pixel 5: 16MP + 12.2MP, 8MP
• Pixel 4a 5G: 16MP + 12.2MP, 8MP

The Google Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G travel with a dual rear camera, comprised of the main 12.2-megapixel, 1.4µm, with an f/1.7 aperture and an ultra-wide 16-megapixel with an f/2.2 aperture. Their beforehand camera is 8-megapixels with an f/2.0 aperture.

It's expected that the Pixel 5a 5G volition connection precisely the aforesaid loadout of cameras, earlier a overmuch much important alteration comes successful on the Pixel 6. 

With that successful mind, we'd expect beauteous overmuch the aforesaid show crossed each these devices. Pixel phones are characterised by their computational photography, reliability successful varied situations and fantabulous debased airy performance. We'd expect precisely the aforesaid from the Pixel 5a 5G.

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Conclusions

There are fewer differences betwixt these Pixel models, possibly bringing an extremity to a somewhat uncertain section successful Pixel history. With the Pixel 6 expected to marque important changes, the look, consciousness and the hardware show of the Pixel 4a 5G, Pixel 5 and Pixel 5a 5G are each precise overmuch the same. 

There's the aforesaid halfway hardware and the aforesaid camera experience, and portion the Pixel 4a 5G has a little refresh complaint connected the display, the Pixel 5a 5G mightiness alteration that.

The Pixel 5 hangs onto a fewer premium features you don't get elsewhere similar the higher prime materials, the IP68 waterproofing and the wireless charging - but with larger phones disposable astatine little prices, it's hard to disregard the Pixel a models.

If the leaks surrounding the Pixel 5a 5G crook retired to beryllium correct, past it look similar an casual prime implicit the older Pixel 4a 5G if you're buying caller - but if you've already got the Pixel 4a 5G, you're not missing retired connected much.

Writing by Chris Hall. Originally published connected 17 August 2021.