Google Pixel range of phones have come a really long way since the very one was released in February of 2013. The Pixel 5 shows just how far.
For the Pixel 5, is not a flagship device in the way we have grown accustomed to over the years, as Google decided to do some different from the usual and opted to give users a much better user experience as opposed to simply packing up the device’s screen and processor with crazy specifications.
For starters Google removed the radar sensors that help activate the Motion Sense feature that was found on the Pixel 4 XL and Pixel 4. Turns out its presence wasn’t as beneficial as it was marketed to be, which is why the fingerprint scanner has returned.
The Google Pixel 5 does not come with the latest in Snapdragon chipset technology. Instead it ships with the proven and tested Snapdragon 765G and support for 5G networks. It has also done away with the 2X telephoto last from last year’s models and comes with a new ultra-wide camera.
Although the design for the Pixel 5’s design is to a large extent inspired by the Pixel 4a which was released this year (2020), it somehow manages to have the slimmest bezels ever for a Pixel device. Its punch hole selfie camera cut out and display size of 6 inches on a quite compact body, gives it a much more practical form factor.
Still on its body the Pixel 5 measures in at 144.7 by 70.4 by 8 mm; 151g, has a Corning Gorilla Glass 6 front, with a recycled aluminum enclosure that comes reinforced with plastic. Its aluminum body somehow manages to support wireless charging and even reverse charging. This is no small feat especially in today’s world where the implied reality is that the device has to be wrapped in glass design wise, before it can even execute wireless charging. All Google did was simply place the charging coil on the outside before putting on the texturized coating. It then put the coil through holes cut out at the back of the body.
Another added benefit of the aluminum body, is that it makes it much harder for RF signals to pass through unlike what is the case with glass body smartphones. It is less prone to damage as well.
Its aluminum body, makes it the very first smartphone with a metal chassis, to come 5G enabled.
The Google Pixel 5, comes with a USB Quick Transfer Adapter, a USB Type C data and charging cable, an 18W USB Type C PD adapter (the very same kind that came with the very first Google Pixel smartphone, and a SIM tool, alongside a bit of documentation.
As revealed earlier, the charging coil for the Google Pixel 5 is smack on the outside of the aluminum body just before it is put in an injection mold. The charging coil’s wiring then passes through a metal shell before receiving its bio-resin layer (this is essentially a thin layer of plastic). Once done, the Pixel 5’s body is then smoothened out and covered with an exterior coating. This coating feels nothing like what you would get on other Android phones. Picture granite but now smoothened out and really soft to the touch.
Google has assured users that they will not at any point feel the charging coil behind the exterior coating. The tech company revealed that its reason for opting for this design choice as opposed to glass or plastic, was to keep the Pixel 5 thin. Another advantage of this decision, is that the grip is quite impressive and much better than what would be attained on a smartphone with a glass body.
This device’s screen is protected by the Corning Gorilla Glass with its selfie camera having its very own punch hole cut out. If you look at the device in an area with more than enough light, you just might be able to see its proximity sensor just behind the 6-inch display, and below the earpiece.
The Google Pixel 5 weighs 151g (another benefit of the absence of radar sensors), and comes with an IP68 water resistance rating.
The SIM Card tray (located at the left side of the Pixel 5) with one nanoSIM card slot. If you are a fan of dual SIM options have no fear, the Pixel 5 also comes with support for an internal eSIM.
On the right side this device has a volume rocker and a power button that is quite shiny which in addition to the also shiny G logo at the back of the smartphone, results in a finish that is a nice contrast to its textured, and soft coating.
At the back of the Pixel 5 you can easily see and feel the fingerprint sensor or scanner and while it has a camera bump at the back, it does not disturb or result in the device appearing unbalanced when placed on a flat surface.
If you are an audiophile you might be a bit disappointed to find that the Google Pixel 5 does not have a headphone jack. It only has a USB Type C connector at the bottom. The bottom left side has a microphone and the bottom right side, is fitted with two speakers. A really small microphone hole has been placed in the camera square at the back of the device.
Display wise this device has an aspect ratio of 19.5:9, a flexible OLED display with a Full HD+ resolution of 1080 by 2340 pixels, and a pixel density of 432ppi (Pixels Per Inch). Diagonally its display comes in at 6 inches. Its OLED Smooth Display supports Full 24-bit colour rendering and HDR content. It is the only Pixel model for 2020, that has the Smooth Display feature. It essentially means that the device has a refresh rate of 90Hz. Keep in mind however, that the device does not run at 90Hz all the time. It will only do so, if you activate the developer option on your device’s main settings.
Brightness is not an issue with the Pixel 5 as its screen is as fluid response wise, as its display.
The display has rounded corners that go along with the perimeter of the phone and makes the Pixel 5’s bezels appear uniform the whole way.
Although the Pixel 5’s display does not have any discoloration in the area around the punch hole selfie camera, it does have a slight colour change (a subtle blue shift) when you tilt the device to about 45 degrees. But hey who would really be looking for or worried about that right?
In its default Adaptive mode the whites on this device’s display do not become a blue tint as is the case with a lot of smartphones available in today’s market. The colours here are vibrant and very deep with an impressive contrast. In the DCI P3 colour space its Adaptive mode scored an average deltaE of 3 with a maximum of 6.1.
Based on the sRGB colour space its Natural colour mode is really close to accurate as the Natural setting had an average deviation of 1.9 and a maximum deviation of 3.1 making colour accuracy on the Pixel 5 very impressive.
The Google Pixel 5 also has a Boosted mode for users who might feel that the Natural mode is not sharp enough or that the Adaptive mode is too vivid. The three (3) settings; Adaptive, Boosted and Natural ensure that the customizable color tuning options for users, are simple and easy to navigate.
The Pixel 5’s display can increase to higher levels of whenever it comes in contact with direct sunlight. Levels that were not possible in previous Pixel models before the Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a. Its manual brightness slider can go up to 475 nits. When the Adaptive Brightness is turned on, it can go as high as 699 nits. With this, reading or looking at your screen when outside, will not be a problem.
The Pixel 5 4080mAh battery puts it head and shoulders above its predecessors; the Pixel 4 (with 2800mAh) and the Pixel XL (with its 3700mAh). As a result of its display, bigger battery, coupled with a chipset that is quite efficient with power and the absence of the battery draining Motion Sense feature, the battery life on the Pixel 5 is way more longer lasting. This gives it the best battery on a Google Pixel device, since the Pixel 3 XL.
At a refresh rate of 60Hz the Google Pixel came in at around 26 hours of call time, around 19 hours of video playback, around 13 hours and a standby time of 95 hours.
At a refresh rate of 90Hz the Google Pixel came in at around 12 hours of web browsing, and around 17 hours of video playback.
Charging time wise, the Pixel 5 takes about 1 hour 30 minutes to charge fully, and 30 minutes to get up to 41 percent battery level.
As mentioned before this device supports wireless charging (Qi wireless charging) with a fast charge that has speeds of up to 12W with a supported wireless charger. It also supports reverse wireless charging with speeds of up to 5W for other Qi enabled smartphones and accessories like the Pixel Buds.
In the Chipset department, the Google Pixel 5 comes with Qualcomm SDM765 Snapdragon 765G (7 nm), an Octa-core (1×2.4 GHz Kryo 475 Prime & 1×2.2 GHz Kryo 475 Gold & 6×1.8 GHz Kryo 475 Silver) processor, and the Adreno 620 GPU.
It has 8GB of RAM, a 128GB UFS 2.1 storage capacity, the Android 11 Operating System (OS) which comes with up to three (3) years of security and Operating System updates, a Barometer sensor, an ambient light sensor, a Magnetometer sensor, a Spectral sensor, and a flicker sensor.
It has a 12.2 Megapixel dual-pixel autofocus with 1.4 µm pixels, OIS, an aperture of f/1.7, 77-degree fov and an Ultra-wide 16 Megapixel, 1µm pixel, f/2.2 aperture, 107-degree fov, fixed focus main camera set up.
The rear or main camera set up can capture videos of 4K resolution at 60 Frames Per Second (fps), 1080p at 60 Frames Per Second (fps), or even 120 Frames Per Second (fps).
On the selfie or front camera side of life, it has a 8 Megapixel, 1.12 µm pixels, with an aperture of f/2.0, fixed focus, and 83-degree fov. It can capture videos of up to 1080p at 30 Frames Per Second (fps).
Colour wise this device comes in Sorta Sage and Black.
From all indications Google decided to take a different approach to this year’s Pixel. By making it more affordable it just might result higher sales.
The Google Pixel 5 currently retails for around 70,000 Kenyan Shillings. You can check out this device on Phone Aqua via this link: https://phoneaqua.com/google-pixel-5-price-in-kenya
For Jumia Kenya loyals, a link will updated here as soon as the Google Pixel 5 is available on the platform.
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