The Google Pixel 5: A Mini-Review - Small Package, Small Value?
by Andrei Frumusanu on January 22, 2021 9:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Smartphones
- Mobile
- Pixel 5
Battery Life
Although the Pixel 5 is a small phone, Google still managed to with a rather large 4080mAh battery – which notable given the 151g weight of the device. Coupled with a 1080p 90Hz screen which seems to be of good quality, the Pixel 5 should do alright in the battery tests.
Indeed, in our web-browsing test, the Pixel 5 ended up lasting 12.5h, which is an excellent result for a device of this calibre. The phone seems to be significantly more efficient than the Pixel 4 XL last year, and it also does better than even some newer flagships this year which use less power-efficient displays.
In the more SoC power dominant PCMark battery test, the Pixel 5 also does very well at 11.1h runtime. The similar-specced LG Velvet beats it, but only due to a larger battery as well as a 60Hz display.
In general, the Pixel 5 does very well in terms of battery life and it seems to be amongst the most power-optimised devices in the market – usually small phones have to compromise on battery life compared to their larger battery siblings, however the Pixel 5 here does not.
It’s actually a stark contrast to last year’s Pixel 4 devices which had large power consumption issues – whatever compromises Google had to make, such as a different SoC, dropping Project Soli, or just overall power optimisations, it seems to have worked well in favour of the Pixel 5.
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DocDAT2 - Friday, January 29, 2021 - link
Agreed. I wouldn't use a Samsung, even if I were given a top model.Questor - Thursday, January 28, 2021 - link
Just say NEVER to Apple. Degoogle my phone. That's my primary concern. Other than that, does it work? Yes? Good.Fritzo - Friday, January 29, 2021 - link
Feel Google screwed it up not releasing an XL version, and there wasn't much benefit getting the Pixel 5 over the 3XL I currently have (in fact- there are downsides: the sound on the Pixel 5 is a lot worse). 4G is plenty fast for my area, so don't really care about 5G compatibility.With the deals being offered, I ended up upgrading to the Samsung S21 Ultra. Got it for less than the Pixel 5 after offers from Verizon, and it's a giant upgrade from what I have. I really wanted to give Google my money (I'm a Nexus, Pixel, Pixel 2, Pixel 3XL, and Pixel 4a owner), but they just plain weren't selling anything I wanted to buy this time around.
morello159 - Friday, January 29, 2021 - link
My Pixel 4a creaks when you squeeze it near the power button, and the haptic buzz rattles the case. Kind of a bummer - otherwise, not a bad phone for the price. Definitely slower on a daily basis than my old OnePlus 6T, but it also works most of the time, unlike that phone.abu3rab - Tuesday, February 2, 2021 - link
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Findecanor - Wednesday, February 3, 2021 - link
It's not actually a small phone though. This was considered medium only a few years ago.Manufacturers are only increasing the size of their mainstream to fit a larger battery for 5G.
mrbofus - Thursday, February 4, 2021 - link
"hey have the same SoC, the same camera system, the 4a 5G actually gains a 3.5mm headphone jack, and only trades in the 90Hz screen and IP68 water resistance in return, for only $499."Don't forget that the Pixel 5 also has more RAM and wireless charging. For me, the better screen, more RAM, bigger battery, water resistance, and wireless charging are worth the extra $100-$200.
RobJoy - Thursday, February 11, 2021 - link
Why do they even bother selling this piece of crap if it is priced as top mid range on Snapdragon 888?Seriously?
THIS phone is worth $250-$300 MAX.
HaRd2BeAr - Sunday, April 18, 2021 - link
Be interested to see an updated mini review since the March Kernel and April GPU boost and how they feel performance is now. Cheers.