Pixel has always been a favourite choice since 2016 for android lovers and developers as it come with a stock interface and no bloatware. This make the Google pixel 5 another great device launched from Google this year in INDIA. This year Google has toned down the specification and concentrated more on design.
This years Pixel looks simple and elegant but if you are a looking for a phone with high end specification then this is not the phone that you were looking for.
Even with a lower tier specifications google is demanding a premium for the device. Google is not have a huge fanbase as apple does. Google launched Pixel to follow apple trends to give users stock OS with a good hardware and multiple years of support.
Due to Apple fanbase and their wide service and popularity, they sell more compared to Google pixel devices.
The Google pixel 5 is less in price compared to the Google pixel 4 launched last year. But till last year google was bring the latest and greatest hardware to the market with the pixel devices but this year the story is different.
Google Pixel 5 price in India would be Rs 79,990 which seems to be a bit high if you look into the specifications that it has to offer.
Specifications
- 6-inch AMOLED (2,340 x 1,080)
- 19.5:9 aspect ratio
- Minimal bezels
- 144.7 x 70.4 x 8.0mm, 151g
- Rear-mounted fingerprint sensor
- Chrome power button
- Aluminium and bio-resin design
- IP68 water and dust resistance
- Hole-punch selfie cutout
- 90Hz adaptive refresh rate
Design
The looks of Google pixel 5 is similar to the Pixel 4a and the Pixel 4a 5G so its nothing new there. Its a minimalistic design that most of us like. The rounded corners and the score shaped camera array at the back have become the trend for google pixel devices since last 2 years or so.
The logo at the Back “G” is still at the same place and helps to determine the phone easily.
So google had tried many other options in case of security but this time with the Google Pixel 5 they have brought back the tried and tested rear mounter finger print scanner which is the right place for ease of use and convenience.The feature of sliding your fingers to open the notification panel comes really handy in certain situations .
Regarding the other buttons in the Pixel 5, volume rockers are on the right side and are well built with nice feedback. The power button is chrome which adds to the aesthetics of the device and make it looks premium.
Comparing to the Pixel 4a the buttons seems to be a bit harder and less clicky which is not a bad thing but I felt pixel 4a to be better in this case.
Build
Body of Google pixel 5 is made of aluminium and a bio resin that is a unique combination seen on smartphone. The bio resin used here is Jargon for plastic applied to the top part of pixel 5
Water and dust resistance are becoming a norm now as all the flagship devices are having this feature. Google Pixel 5 supports IP68 water and dust resistance. This gives us a sense of confidence while going out in rain with our phone so that it does not get damaged due to water.
Display
Google is still using a Full HD plus adaptive AMOLED panel that has a refresh rate of 90Hz. The adaptive feature can help the phone to switch between 60 and 90Hz based on the tasks we are doing. Consider if we are scrolling through content or text the display will be running in 60Hz but when we are playing a game or watching a movie it switches to 90Hz.
This is a good feature to save battery life as more times the display refreshes a second consumption of battery is more. So with this feature your battery life could improve.
Display quality in Google Pixel 5 is excellent and the colors are really popping. As an AMOLED panel the Pixel 5 produces well balanced contrast images which is good to look at.
Performance
This could be in your minds as well because the latest google pixel device is not using the top end processor that is Snapdragon 865 plus as seen in other major flagships this year.
Google Pixel 5 this year is using Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G Processor with eh X55 5G mobile platform.
Main specifications include
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G processor
- 8GB of Ram
- 128GB storage
- No micro SD card support
- 4080 mAh battery
- 18W wired charging
- X55 5G mobile platform
- Wireless charging
For a spec head this configuration could be not that pleasing as the processor is a lower end one compared to the snapdragon 865 plus in other phones.Instead google has chosen the Snapdragon 75G which is a toned down version of the flagship processor. It has 5G available but other features of image processing and the core processing speeds are less.
Google is looking actually to keep up with the latest phones bu optmising it software instead of hardware so that it could reduce the price of its Pixel device.
Even though it uses a lower version of the flagship processor there were no lags noticed in the UI and performance. So that wont be an issues with the people who buy the latest pixel phone.
In everyday use Pixel 5 will perform very well because it has a lower resolution display and also 8 Gb Ram could handle multitasking without any issues. The display being a 90Hz panel will do its job for keeping us engaged with it.
In testing with the Geekbench 4 it scored pretty well with single core score of 2633 and the multi core score of 5994 which is one of the best scores with the snapdragon 765G processor.
One plus Nord with the smae processor scored a bit better in geekbench scre with a single core score of 2850 and a multi core score of 7896.
As we know now that the Snapdragon 765G processor supports 5G but does it provide as fast 5G as the Snapdragon 865 plus ?
Answer: No. The 765G processor uses a slower Qualcomm X52 modem but the 865 uses the faster X55 modem. Still as 5G is in the starting stage you will see a very good boost in speeds with the X52 modem as well. The 5G service is not yet active in INDIA so we may not need to consider it much but the 4G speeds will be as expected because the 765G has enough power to maintain good signal strength and download speeds.
Storage
Storage in Google pixel 5 comes is a 128GB which should be enough fo most of the people. We don’t have an option to expand storage in Pixel 5 but due to the free google photos storage availablity for pixel devices the limitation in storage wont be much of a thing to worry about.
Even the Pixel 4a is having similar storage and google photos feature but it comes in a lower price.
Battery life and Charging
So usually Goolgle integrates a lower capaity battery on a Pixel but this time google has added a 4080 mAh battery which is a pretty good bump from the last years pixel. With a 90 Hz display and the 5G capabilities, your phone will be needing more battery compared to a 4G phone with a 60Hz display. So a bump in battery was a needed change in Pixel 5.
Pixel 5 with an increased battery and better software should take you through a heavy usage day with ease.
In the charging department. Pixel 5 comes with an 18W charger which is fast but its not as fast as the competition has to offer. We know that the latest One plus 8T that was lunched recently comes with a 65W warp charger and also the Samsung galaxy S20FE has a higher charging speed as well. So it was expected from google that they might provide better charging technology this time which did not happen. On comparison the One plus 8T will charge in a significantly faster rate compared to a Pixel 5.
With this said google is providing wireless and reverse wireless charging feature which is not available in the latest One plus device. It comes handy when you want to charge a earpod or a phone with wireless charging.
Camera
So since the first google pixel. Camera has been one of the major selling point of the pixel series. They have been producing excellent photos with good white balance and saturation. HDR is well managed in a photo taken by Pixel and it is a phone in Android part that can readily compete with an iPhone.
Pixel has a similar setup as other popular android phone
- Main Camera- 12 MP
- Wide angle Camera -16MP
- Selfie Camera – 8MP
Till Pixel 3 google was using a single camera setup but from Pixel 4 they had to add an additional camera. This time they have included a wide angle camera insted of a telephoto one which in my view is a better option to have.
The wide angle camera produces better zoom capabilities and with a zoomed image captures in a pixel 5 you can notice better information than a zoomed image from Pixel 4.
Main camera is good and produced some nice images with good color balance and white balance. The noise in the pictures were less and the pictures were actually be compared with the iPhone 12 and the iPhone 12 Pro Max.
Since the competition is becoming more aggresive in the camera segment. Many manufacturers are adopting wider sensors which a Pixel is yet to offer. This makes Google pixel 5 a bit back in this segment.
The pictures produced by pixel 5 are good and they are well detailed but the zoom capabilities and the wider aperture and sensor of other phones make them capture more details compared to a Pixel 5.
Google has added some new features to the Pixel camera app
Portrait light is one of the new features that is added that makes a floating light source that you can move around the scene and add light to different places with better contrast for face and cloths.
Cinematic Pan is another cool new feature introduced in Pixel 5 which helps to take smooth pan videos without much of distortions.
On the selfie side, Google Pixel 5 is using a 8MP camera and there are no much changes here. Some new features added to selfie mode are Portrait selfies and night mode which can help taking a video in night time.
In Video also google as made some changes with 4 stabilisation modes and 4k at 60FPS.
Google camera app is simple to use as usual and the controls are well placed for you to easily find them and make them best set for your photos.
Let talk Software now.
Since the first pixel people mostly like this phone for its stock android experience. The Pixel 5 gives the same with Android 11, It has a tight integration with google assistant and since google makes this OS it can easily integrate thing in an effective and efficient manner.
Google has added native screen recording feature that was expected long back from a Pixel phone. Other features include
- Grouping of notification
- New Smart home controls through power button is an added plus.
- Call screening is only available in a Pixel device
- Similarly Now playing and Google recorder are added features
With guaranteed google updates for at least 3 years, this phone could be one of the first choice in Android for people who want the latest software in their phones. You also get regular Andorid Beta updates which make the pixel a go to option for developers as well.
Let Now answer some of the common Questions asked on Google Pixel 5 in India
Should I wait for the pixel 5?
Yes in case you are a fan of google software and the ecosystem then Google Pixel 5 is one of the best that you can get so that you will be having the latest and great phone from Google.
Does pixel 5 have 5g?
5G even though its not yet in INDIA to a large extent people have started looking for 5G phones to get a future proof device so that they don’t want to upgrade their phone later. Google Pixel 5 comes with 5G model built in so you can go get it if you want a 5G phone in India.
Will the pixel 5 have a fingerprint reader?
This is another most commonly asked question in the tech community. The Pixel 5 comes with a fingerprint scanner at the back. Its a capacitive finger print scanner which is tried and tested.
Will pixel 5 have a headphone jack?
3.5mm jack is an old story now and all popular brands are not including the jack in their phone. Pixel 5 is no different as it also does not have a 3.5mm Jack.
Conclusion
Here we have discussed the Google Pixel 5 and all its highlighting features. But the question here is the price. So for a hefty price of 80,000 Rs in India since we have multiple options that are available like One Plus 8T, Galaxy S20 and many other phones that have 5G which come in a lower price with better specifications its hard to justify the pricing. In case you are a die hard pixel fan and you always want to be first in getting software updates then you should get a Pixel 5. Also camera is a good part in this phone. Else you can look variety of options available in the market for a much cheaper price.
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