Google made a splash last year with the Pixel 3A and 3A XL, two identical but different-sized phones that cost $399 and $479, respectively. Phones in this price range usually offer mediocre cameras that produce not-so-pleasing photos, but by bringing the same great cameras from the flagship Pixel 3 that came before, that was no longer the case. With the Pixel 4A and Pixel 4A 5G as its successors, Google raises the bar further.
The Pixel 4A is $50 cheaper than Google's previous low-cost handset, starting at $349. Not only does it use the excellent main camera from the high-end Pixel 4, but it also checks off all the other boxes like having a modern-looking display and a battery that lasts all day. But, unlike in 2019, its sibling isn't just a sized-up clone. The 4A 5G is $499, has an additional camera, and has a more powerful processor to enable support for 5G, the up-and-coming new network standard following 4G LTE.
If you're hunting for a big or small Android phone and you don't want to spend a penny more than $500, these two Pixels are our favorites and should be at the top of your list.
Let's get the basics out of the way. Both of these phones are made of plastic, but unlike a lot of polycarbonate phones that try to mimic glass, these have a matte texture that doesn't pick up fingerprints. They look alike, with a "squircle" camera module on the back, screens with slim edges around, and a selfie camera that looks like a hole-punch floating in a sea of pixels at the top of the display.
You can snag either in "Just Black," but the Pixel 4A 5G also comes in white. It would have been nice to see more colors, as the pair on offer both look a bit drab, but Google pointed to the pandemic for its production woes. (Update: A Barely Blue option now exists for the smaller Pixel 4A!) At least the power buttons are accented white, a nice touch that makes these phones a little more distinguishable from the spate of gray and black phones.
With a 5.8-inch screen, the 4A is a small phone for people who hate big phones (it's only slightly bigger than the iPhone 12 Mini). The 6.2-inch Pixel 4A 5G is the opposite, even larger than the flagship Pixel 5. It's still not too unwieldy to hold, at least not in my large hands.
You'll find the same OLED panel on both with a 2,340 x 1,080 pixel resolution. It's sharp, colorful—I can stare at these screens all day. I've been partial to the smaller 4A, using it to watch my favorite shows more often than usual because it's so lightweight and compact I can easily wrap my palm around it. But I can't deny the appeal of the extra screen real estate on the 4A 5G.
Did I mention you get a headphone jack, NFC, and a rear fingerprint sensor? Lately, I've had to quickly plug in headphones for meetings after forgetting to charge my Bluetooth buds. The 4A range is a good reminder of how helpful the 3.5-mm port is to have as an option. The same goes for NFC, which lets you make contactless payments with services like Google Pay. It's not always present on cheap phones (looking at you, Motorola), so it's great to see here.