Coming in August 2021, the Google Pixel 5a with 5G arrived as a subtle but meaningful update, primarily building upon the foundation laid by the Pixel 4a 5G. It didn’t aim to reinvent the wheel but instead focused on addressing key user desires like battery life and durability, albeit with a surprisingly restricted launch footprint. Like the Pixel 5 and 4a 5G before it, there was only one size available.
Design: If It Ain’t Broke… Plus Water Resistance!
Visually, the Pixel 5a was nearly identical to the Pixel 4a 5G:
- Familiar Build: It retained the polycarbonate unibody construction (over an aluminum frame) known from the ‘a’ series, offering durability and a comfortable feel. It came in just one color: “Mostly Black.”
- Proven Layout: The hole-punch front camera, rear fingerprint sensor, and thankfully, the 3.5mm headphone jack all carried over.
- IP67 Rating Arrives: The most significant design upgrade was the inclusion of IP67 water and dust resistance. This was a first for the Pixel ‘a’ series, bringing a much-appreciated level of durability against splashes, rain, and brief submersion to the more affordable line.
Hardware: Same Engine, Bigger Tank
The internal hardware story was largely one of consistency with the 4a 5G, with one major exception:
- Processor & RAM/Storage: It used the same reliable Snapdragon 765G processor paired with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage as the Pixel 4a 5G. Performance remained smooth and capable for everyday tasks and even some gaming.
- Display: The OLED display grew slightly to 6.34 inches (from 6.2 inches on the 4a 5G) with a standard 60Hz refresh rate.
- Massive Battery: The star of the show was the battery. Google packed in a huge 4680mAh cell – the largest battery in any Pixel phone up to that point. Combined with the efficient processor, this resulted in outstanding, often multi-day, battery life, a major selling point.
- No Wireless Charging: Like other ‘a’ series phones, wireless charging was not included. 18W wired charging was supported.
- Security: The Titan M security chip remained.
Camera: The Same Winning Formula
Google didn’t change the camera hardware from the successful formula used in the Pixel 4a 5G and Pixel 5:
- Dual Rear Cameras: The system featured the excellent 12.2MP main sensor (f/1.7, OIS+EIS) and the versatile 16MP ultrawide sensor (f/2.2).
- Software Excellence: All the computational photography magic was present, including Night Sight with Astrophotography, Portrait Mode with Portrait Light, Super Res Zoom, Live HDR+, and Cinematic Pan video stabilization. It delivered the fantastic, reliable photo quality Pixels were known for.
- Front Camera: The standard 8MP front camera resided in the hole-punch.
Software: Clean Android Experience
Launching with Android 11 and upgradeable (with guaranteed updates through August 2024), the Pixel 5a provided the stock Android experience enhanced with Pixel-exclusive features like Call Screen, Hold for Me, and the Recorder app.
Reception and Legacy: Great Phone, Limited Reach
The Pixel 5a received positive reviews, primarily celebrating its exceptional battery life and the addition of IP67 water resistance – two highly practical upgrades. The camera performance, software experience, and retention of the headphone jack continued to be praised. At $449, it slightly undercut the Pixel 4a 5G’s launch price, offering solid value.
However, it was widely seen as a very minor iteration over the 4a 5G. The biggest point of criticism wasn’t the phone itself, but its extremely limited availability. Google only launched the Pixel 5a in the United States and Japan, citing supply chain challenges. This meant that for most of the world, this arguably excellent refinement of the ‘a’ series formula was simply unavailable. It served as the last phone of its particular design generation before the radical overhaul brought by the Pixel 6 series later that year.