This time last year I wrote a column titled, “If you got a Pixel 4 for Christmas, you should probably return it.” I didn’t want to write it. Ever since the Pixel launched in 2016, I’ve rooted for Google’s phone to succeed. No other company is in such a position to bring an iPhone-like level of hardware/software integration and an experience unsurpassed on any other Android phone. Unfortunately Google never quite nailed it. The pieces were all there—flagship processor, fantastic camera, regular Android updates—but the design always left much to be desired, the features were gimmicky, and the ba ..read more

It's time to pit the best Android phones of 2020 against the iPhone 12. But the fight is very one-sided this year ..read more

If you have a few hundred bucks to spend on a new Android phone on this Cyberest of Mondays, you have lots of options. The Samsung Galaxy S20 is down to $800, the iPhone 12 mini is $739, and the OnePlus 8, which only launched in April, is under $600. But if you want the most practical phone with a great design, 5G, 128GB of storage excellent features, and a killer camera, there’s just one option: The Google Pixel 5 for $649Remove non-product link. To read this article in full, please click here ..read more

If there’s one knock against the Google Pixel 4a, it’s that it comes in only one color: Just Black. After COVID 19-related production issues reportedly forced Google to push back the 4a’s launch, the budget Pixel finally landed in August in just a single configuration. Just in time for the holidays, Google has launched a new color for the Pixel 4a: Barely Blue. It’s not the first time Google has offered a blue hue for its products—the original Pixel came in Really Blue, the Pixel Slate is midnight blue, and the Nest Home Mini is available in Aqua, for instance—but this shade is on the subtle s ..read more

When Google unveiled the Pixel 5 alongside the Pixel 4a 5G at its Launch Night In event on September 30, I was perplexed. On paper and in pictures, the $699 Pixel 5 made little sense compared to the $499 Pixel 4a 5G, not to mention the Pixel 4 XL.  I struggled to understand why Google made a smaller phone with very similar specs for more money. I might have been a little hasty. After spending a few days testing the Pixel 5 alongside the Pixel 4a 5G, Google’s game plan is a whole lot clearer. I’m still not convinced Google needs two 5G phones in its lineup—and I’d like the Pixel 5 a whole ..read more

Google unveiled its Pixel 5 phone Wednesday, and there’s a lot to unpack. Right off the bat, it doesn’t have the latest Snapdragon processor, it doesn’t have a 1440p display, and it dumps the vaunted Soli radar that powered Motion Sense and Face Unlock. But there are a few other tidbits we’ve learned since the Launch Night in event that you might have missed: It doesn’t have any Pixel-specific chips One of the reasons why the Pixel phones have such great cameras is because of their tremendous on-device AI abilities. On previous phones, that was due to specialized co-processors that work with t ..read more

The Google Pixel 5, which was unveiled during the company’s Launch Night In event on Wednesday, was definitely a surprise—especially if you were paying any attention to the lofty rumors leading up to its debut. Rather than offering a giant screen, the latest Snapdragon processor, and state-of-the-art biometric security, Google’s new handset is surprisingly pedestrian. While we don't mind that the Pixel 5 comes in with a lower price, if you start to compare it to the Pixel 4a 5G, the Pixel 5's position becomes confusing. Google delivered on its promise to bring 5G to its affordable 4a phon ..read more

The Pixel 5 arrived Wednesday at Google's Launch Night In event, actually a few weeks earlier than expected in a year when the pandemic is delaying smartphone launches left and right. But the September launch isn’t the only thing that’s different. With the Pixel 5, Google is redefining what it means to be a flagship phone. This latest iteration isn't the most premium and definitely not the most expensive. But it is the most Google-y, and perhaps that's exactly what Google intended.  A flagship that's not premium The Pixel 5 goes against the 'flagship phone' trend in some fundamental ways ..read more

Google is set to launch the next generation of Pixel phones at its Launch Night In event at 2pm ET on Wednesday. Google has already teased that two phones will be releasing: the Pixel 5 and the Pixel 4a 5G, which is a 5G-equipped version of the 4a that launched earlier this year. But while the Pixel 5 is supposed to be a surprise, we already know a lot about it. Keep reading to find out about the new display, design, camera and more. Update 9/30: A last-minute leak from Jon Prosser shows a Pixel 5 with uniform front bezels. To read this article in full, please click here ..read more

Google’s latest low-cost smartphone only just launched, but Best Buy is already selling the fantastic 128GB Pixel 4a for a mere $300Remove non-product link. That’s $50 off the usual price, and a deal that makes an enticingly affordable phone even more obtainable. To read this article in full, please click here ..read more