Google Pixel 4a

How long does Google delivery take? Amazon seem to be out of stock (they were available last night when I considered ordering but decided to wait for Prime Day).
 
How long does Google delivery take? Amazon seem to be out of stock (they were available last night when I considered ordering but decided to wait for Prime Day).
I had free next day delivery (ordered around 6pm last Wednesday, delivered just after 10am last Thursday) from CPW, with 5% cashback via TCB ...
 
I've just fitted a Spigen case to mine. The on/off button is now black 😉😉😉
What Spigen case is that, the ones I found didn't cover the button. Prefer a slim case with a moulded button design like I linked to before
 
Thanks
Has a button cutout so does that mean it is exposed & not moulded over? Looks a bit bulkier than I like tbh.
Mine definitely covers both buttons so they both appear black.
 
Had a pixel 4a for about a week now after a couple of phones i'd been using packed up in quick succession, will write out my thoughts below in case they can be of use to anyone considering this phone:

Design - 8.5/10
My main requirement was that i wanted something compact. Not a fan of bigger designs for several reasons so i wanted something as small as possible. At 5.8" this is not what i'd consider small, but there was not much else and surprisingly it's compact enough that i can use it one handed fairly comfortably thanks to the slim bezels. The actual design i quite like - its nice and modern with a small unobtrusive punch-hole that i honestly forget is there. The plastic back also works well for me too as i don't like using a case, feels nice to hold and has a smooth matte feeling. Overall the design and build quality is very impressive for the price, although i could do with it being a tad smaller.

Display - 7.5/10
If there is a weakness with the 4a (there's not many), IMO it's probably the display. On mine some colours do seem a little bit off, not a huge amount but still noticeable if comparing e.g. whites skewed a bit to yellow, Spotify green, pics of grass, sunsets etc. don't look as they should - either over or under saturated. Not a huge deal, most people would likely never even bat an eyelid, but for me this sort of thing does bug me, as i suspect it would many on this forum! But I'm not sure if this is just variation in my panel as it is an OLED so i am going to take it to Curry's to compare to other pixels around and see for myself.

On another note, although the display It not the brightest and has no HDR it's fine for my needs and rather sensitive eyeballs. Comparing it side by side to an iPhone X its not as sharp and the blacks are maybe not as deep, but i am being picky for a phone almost 1/3 of the price. Overall the display is a solid performer, nice to look at and touch and is more than acceptable for the content i consume on a daily basis.

Battery - 8.5/10
Not much to note on the battery expect that it preforms as expected. Don't use it for anything intensive like gaming, mainly just a few news apps, social media and surfing the web for a couple hours a day and i normally still have around 40-50% remaining.

Camera - 9/10
I will keep it short and just say that as expected for a Pixel phone, the camera is superb. Admittedly I've not taken too many snaps as of yet, but for those that i have they are packed with detail and clearly punch way above the price point. All the pictures modes on this are great, but in particular night mode is a thing of beauty - not sure what sort of wizardry Google are using here but it's incredible what this can do in low light. Overall a big fan of the camera and it's hard to see how it could be bettered by anything close to it in price.

OS - 10/10
This is my first experience using Google's android (had an LG then Samsung before) and i have to say this is the aspect of the phone that has surprised me the most. The OS is just so clean, simple and easy to use. Navigating through menus, switching apps, going back to a prior screen - it all works as it should with minimal fuss or distractions and is just a pleasure to use. I wouldn't normally say that operating system was something high on my list before, but after using Android 11 on this for a week i think it would be reluctant to use anything else.

Features - 8/10
I won't pretend like i know everything this can do because i don't. However it seems to have a decent amount of features on the face of it at least, especially when you link up with Google services like Maps. I don't care for things like wireless charging or listening - just give me a damn headphone jack and here it delivers. However, there is no in-screen fingerprint sensor or face ID which can be a bit of a pain as you either have to pick up the phone or type in your password to unlock, however i can forgive this given the rear fingerprint sensor which is well placed and works pretty much every time. However i do really miss a notification LED which i used and relied on a lot on prior phones - a bit disappointing here from Google.

Verdict - 8.5/10
Not the perfect phone, but a solid performer in pretty much everything with a few exceptional qualities like the Camera, OS and of course the price! Overall it's a charming little (well, kind of) phone that is refreshingly good value for money.
 
Had a pixel 4a for about a week now after a couple of phones i'd been using packed up in quick succession, will write out my thoughts below in case they can be of use to anyone considering this phone:

Design - 8.5/10
My main requirement was that i wanted something compact. Not a fan of bigger designs for several reasons so i wanted something as small as possible. At 5.8" this is not what i'd consider small, but there was not much else and surprisingly it's compact enough that i can use it one handed fairly comfortably thanks to the slim bezels. The actual design i quite like - its nice and modern with a small unobtrusive punch-hole that i honestly forget is there. The plastic back also works well for me too as i don't like using a case, feels nice to hold and has a smooth matte feeling. Overall the design and build quality is very impressive for the price, although i could do with it being a tad smaller.

Display - 7.5/10
If there is a weakness with the 4a (there's not many), IMO it's probably the display. On mine some colours do seem a little bit off, not a huge amount but still noticeable if comparing e.g. whites skewed a bit to yellow, Spotify green, pics of grass, sunsets etc. don't look as they should - either over or under saturated. Not a huge deal, most people would likely never even bat an eyelid, but for me this sort of thing does bug me, as i suspect it would many on this forum! But I'm not sure if this is just variation in my panel as it is an OLED so i am going to take it to Curry's to compare to other pixels around and see for myself.

On another note, although the display It not the brightest and has no HDR it's fine for my needs and rather sensitive eyeballs. Comparing it side by side to an iPhone X its not as sharp and the blacks are maybe not as deep, but i am being picky for a phone almost 1/3 of the price. Overall the display is a solid performer, nice to look at and touch and is more than acceptable for the content i consume on a daily basis.

Battery - 8.5/10
Not much to note on the battery expect that it preforms as expected. Don't use it for anything intensive like gaming, mainly just a few news apps, social media and surfing the web for a couple hours a day and i normally still have around 40-50% remaining.

Camera - 9/10
I will keep it short and just say that as expected for a Pixel phone, the camera is superb. Admittedly I've not taken too many snaps as of yet, but for those that i have they are packed with detail and clearly punch way above the price point. All the pictures modes on this are great, but in particular night mode is a thing of beauty - not sure what sort of wizardry Google are using here but it's incredible what this can do in low light. Overall a big fan of the camera and it's hard to see how it could be bettered by anything close to it in price.

OS - 10/10
This is my first experience using Google's android (had an LG then Samsung before) and i have to say this is the aspect of the phone that has surprised me the most. The OS is just so clean, simple and easy to use. Navigating through menus, switching apps, going back to a prior screen - it all works as it should with minimal fuss or distractions and is just a pleasure to use. I wouldn't normally say that operating system was something high on my list before, but after using Android 11 on this for a week i think it would be reluctant to use anything else.

Features - 8/10
I won't pretend like i know everything this can do because i don't. However it seems to have a decent amount of features on the face of it at least, especially when you link up with Google services like Maps. I don't care for things like wireless charging or listening - just give me a damn headphone jack and here it delivers. However, there is no in-screen fingerprint sensor or face ID which can be a bit of a pain as you either have to pick up the phone or type in your password to unlock, however i can forgive this given the rear fingerprint sensor which is well placed and works pretty much every time. However i do really miss a notification LED which i used and relied on a lot on prior phones - a bit disappointing here from Google.

Verdict - 8.5/10
Not the perfect phone, but a solid performer in pretty much everything with a few exceptional qualities like the Camera, OS and of course the price! Overall it's a charming little (well, kind of) phone that is refreshingly good value for money.
Good post thanks, with regards to the display that is a slight concern for me tbh. Oled blacks should be black so not sure what's wrong here. What colour profile are you using? Someone on the Pixel 5 thread said how bright and better than his S9 Samsung his Pixel 5 is. Would have assumed they sourced similar oled panels. Might have to rethink my options now.
 
Good post thanks, with regards to the display that is a slight concern for me tbh. Oled blacks should be black so not sure what's wrong here. What colour profile are you using? Someone on the Pixel 5 thread said how bright and better than his S9 Samsung his Pixel 5 is. Would have assumed they sourced similar oled panels. Might have to rethink my options now.

Got to be honest. My display is fine. And I have an OLED TV
;) ;) ;)
 
Good post thanks, with regards to the display that is a slight concern for me tbh. Oled blacks should be black so not sure what's wrong here. What colour profile are you using? Someone on the Pixel 5 thread said how bright and better than his S9 Samsung his Pixel 5 is. Would have assumed they sourced similar oled panels. Might have to rethink my options now.

The 5's display is so good, I can't see they messed up the 4a screen, either duff or different expectations.
 
Went in to Curry's today to compare, my 4a was definitely slightly off in terms of colour as i expected. Comparing it to the 4a on display (with the same colour natural colour profile, brightness settings etc) whites were yellow tinted, and overall it just had less 'pop'. Staff were happy to exchange for a new unit though, so will have a new one arriving Monday. Fingers crossed. :thumbsup:
 
Good post thanks, with regards to the display that is a slight concern for me tbh. Oled blacks should be black so not sure what's wrong here. What colour profile are you using? Someone on the Pixel 5 thread said how bright and better than his S9 Samsung his Pixel 5 is. Would have assumed they sourced similar oled panels. Might have to rethink my options now.
I had a quick look at the Pixel 5 when i was in store, and it did look very good. The panel was quite a bit brighter and had a 'glossier' finish to it compared with the demo 4a. Doubt you would be disappointed, but of course at that price there is more competition around, which is a good thing.
 
First day with mine as a replacement for an LG G6 and I'm underwhelmed. I have to crank display brightness to 85%+ and there's a slight pink tinge. Audio is average. It's disappointing I'll have to use Nova Launcher again in order to get rid of the At A Glance widget and Assistant. And Android 11 is just an annoyance at the moment. Hopefully things will turn around when I start using the camera in earnest.
 
Must be a setting problem with brightness tbh, most reviews suggest the 4a display is bright eg
 
Question for owners does the camera night sight mode come on automatically when it detects low lighting like on the Pixel 5?
 
Question for owners does the camera night sight mode come on automatically when it detects low lighting like on the Pixel 5?

Just tried it. It doesn't automatically switch to night sight mode, but a recommendation to do so pops up on screen.
 
So the Pixel 4a is on sale from the Google Store £319 (£30 off), at that my mum will probably be grabbing one to replace her Motorola G6.
 
So the Pixel 4a is on sale from the Google Store £319 (£30 off), at that my mum will probably be grabbing one to replace her Motorola G6.
Yeah seen that, also on Amazon & elsewhere, was hoping it would drop to £300 but may bite.
How is everyone finding there 4a's, quiet on this thread?
 
Is the camera as good as the hype & reviews suggest?
 
Is the camera as good as the hype & reviews suggest?

I haven't taken many pics with mine yet, but those that I have I am very pleased with.
As I say, no complaints with the 'phone. Very happy I changed.
:lesson: :lesson: :lesson:
 
Always good to know, a quiet thread suggests most are happy with purchase.
Coming from a Samsung that I am used to using hope it has all the best of that device & more. Notice Amazon now have the Samsung M31 for £200 but do really fancy a change......
 
I can confirm from personal experience that the 4a has better stereo speakers than the 5 :eek:, neat little phone. If it wasn't for being swayed by 90hz and the slightly faster chip I would have been completely happy with the 4a, especially at £319!
 
Very tempted but not having spent more than £200 on a phone before I am a tad nervous. The fact that the 4a is not too big, has an oled screen & the camera is supposed to be so good certainly appeals. Samsung m31 has oled screen, excellent battery but it is a lot bigger and camera is decent apparently but not pixel quality. Decisions??😗
 

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