Google Pixel 4a 5G

At Rs. 47,999, the Google Pixel 4a 5G is worth it mainly for its camera. Photos show good detail, balanced exposure and natural colours, and the clean Pixel software runs smoothly on the Snapdragon 765G.

• Strengths: dependable main and night camera, stereo speakers, a headphone jack, a 6.2-inch OLED screen and 5G.
• Weaknesses: plastic body, a standard refresh rate, no wireless charging, no IP rating listed, and Google's updates have ended.

The cheaper Google Pixel 4a gives nearly the same main-camera photos for less money, so the 5G model makes sense only if the bigger screen, ultrawide camera and longer battery life matter to you. Buy an officially PTA-approved unit: patched Pixels can suffer weak signals, extra battery drain and banking apps that refuse to work.

The 6.2-inch OLED panel has a 1080 x 2340 resolution with HDR support, so text looks sharp and streaming video is enjoyable. It also looks better than the screens on many local midrange phones in this price range.

Its main limit is the standard refresh rate with no 90Hz mode: scrolling and animations feel slightly slower than on a 90Hz phone. Contrast and outdoor visibility trail the Pixel 5, and Choice found the screen a little dark with some crushed blacks in shadows. Protection is Gorilla Glass 3, an older and less scratch-resistant glass.

The Snapdragon 765G with 6GB RAM handles everyday apps, social media and switching between apps without trouble, and touch response is quick. The Pixel 5 uses the same chip with 8GB RAM, so day-to-day speed is very close between the two.

Casual gaming runs well, and Choice reported Call of Duty: Mobile running without lag or frame drops. In a sustained CPU stress test, however, the phone drops some frames, so it suits light-to-moderate gamers rather than players who want the highest settings for long sessions.

The 12.2 MP main camera with optical stabilisation is the main reason to buy this phone. It holds highlights and shadows well, judges exposure smartly and produces natural colours, so most shots are ready to share without editing. Night mode keeps bright lights and dark areas in balance, and Google Photos adds editing tools for colour adjustments.

• Ultrawide: the 16 MP ultrawide is decent but softer than the main camera and weak at close range.
• Zoom: there is no telephoto lens; 2x zoom is digital, so detail drops as you zoom in.
• Selfies: the 8 MP front camera captures good detail, but portrait mode relies on software, so keep some distance for clean edges.
• Video: 4K at up to 60fps, and stabilised 1080p footage looks smooth with good colours.

The phone has a 3885 mAh battery with 18W wired charging. Choice measured about 16 hours of heavy mixed use and about 9.5 hours of HD video streaming, roughly an hour more than the Pixel 4a. With the 18W charger it reached 50% in about 35 minutes and a full charge in about 1 hour 35 minutes.

There is no wireless charging and no reverse charging. Battery life is better on official PTA-approved units, while patched units drain faster, and heavy 5G use can shorten it further.

The Pixel 4a 5G launched with Android 11, and our listed specs show Android 14 as its last upgrade. Google's support page confirms that the Pixel 4a (5G) no longer receives Android version or security updates, so no new security fixes will arrive.

The software is clean Google Android with useful extras such as the Google Photos editing tools. Patched units can face banking apps that refuse to run, apps that freeze and weaker network signal, so an official PTA-approved unit is the safer choice.