Google Pixel 4A: Finally, a Pixel within your reach

India’s mid-range mobile phone segment is a hotly contested place. Of late, there is a lot of action in the mid-range premium segment (the `30k price bracket). The competition has now just got more exciting with Google throwing its hat into the ring with its Pixel 4a device—its most affordable Pixel phone so far. It’s a nice, practical phone with a sturdy build, and in terms of its running it is smooth, slick and super-fast. My guess is the Pixel 4a is intended for those buyers who are not willing to pay for a full price flagship phone but want something nearly as good at half the price.

Predictably, the markets have responded favourably to the Google mid-ranger. During Flipkart’s Big Billion Days sale recently, all stocks of the Pixel 4a (at a special launch price of Rs 29,999) were sold out in just 30 minutes . I am sure at a MRP of Rs 31,999, the Pixel 4a is expected to attract many consumers on the lookout for a capable Android device that won’t break the bank.

At first look, the Pixel 4a reminds me of the almost decade-old first Nexus device, a very sturdy device and renowned for its one-hand friendly design. The Pixel 4a comes in Just Black colour option with a 5.8-inch OLED display and has a matte finish that feels secure and comfortable in your hand, and features Pixel’s signature colour pop power button in mint.

The device is compact size and is made of polycarbonate material and has a Corning Gorilla Glass 3 cover glass. The volume and power buttons are placed on the right, there’s a headphone jack on the top, a tray for a single Nano-SIM on the left, the speaker and USB Type-C port on the bottom, plus there’s a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner. Many people are comfortable with a compact-sized device that sits comfortably in the hand and is lightweight. On this front, the Pixel 4a ticks all the boxes right, it has a lightweight frame and is easy to hold and use.

Inside, we are looking at a Qualcomm Snapdragon 730G processor, a Titan M security module for on-device security, 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage with a 3140 mAh battery that manages to last one full day of moderate use. Interestingly, the Pixel 4a comes with a single front and rear camera. The rear houses a 12.2-megapixel shooter and an f/1.7 aperture, dual-pixel PDAF, and optical stabilisation. At the front, we are looking at a 8-megapixel sensor with an f/2.0 aperture.

When it comes to photos and video, the Pixel 4a produces some good quality results. The phone brings the same superior camera experiences from Pixel 4, with features such as HDR+ with dual exposure controls, Portrait Mode, Top Shot, Night Sight with astrophotography capabilities and fused video stabilisation.

Among the features, I must mention about the Google Recorder with Transcript feature. Basically, when you record, it can automatically transcript (English only). And once done, you can save the audio file or the transcript text to Google Drive. Then, there are some helpful features like the Personal Safety app for real-time emergency notifications; Live Caption, which provides real-time captioning (English only) for your video and audio content.

The new Google Assistant is also available in Pixel 4a to help with getting things done fast, like controlling your apps (sending a text message or opening your calendar,) using it contextually within your apps (open Maps and simply say “Search for South Indian restaurants”), and quickly searching within Google Photos using only your voice.

In summary, I liked the all-new Pixel 4a for its compact size, clean interface and great point-and-shoot camera. It is very fluid (no lag) and everything seems to function properly. Highly recommended.

SPECIFICATIONS:
Dimensions: 144 x 69.4 x 8.2mm (H x W x D)
Display: 5.8 inches FHD+ (1080 x 2340) OLED at 442ppi
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 730G
Operating system: Android 10
Memory & storage: 6GB RAM, 128GB storage
Camera: 12.2MP rear, 8MP front camera
Battery: 3140mAh
Estimated street price: Rs 31,999