Google announced on Tuesday, the Pixel 5a 5G, as its latest budget smartphone. While the device got a somewhat quiet introduction into the market, its launch brings forth some interesting upgrades to Google’s A-series, including a power boost, water resistance, and the return of the headphone jack.
The Pixel 5a 5G will be available commercially starting August 26 in the U.S. and Japan exclusively, selling for $449 in the U.S. and yen51,700 respectively.
Speaking with members of Team Pixel this evening, Google product managers said its aim with the Pixel 5a 5G is “bringing 5G to an affordable price point,” and that the handset was the brand’s “lowest price point for a display.”
The Pixel 5a 5G is notably $50 less expensive than last year’s Pixel 4a 5G. It also lacks support for mmWave 5G, which means it won’t work on carriers, such as AT&T or Verizon.
Pixel 5a 5G 
Specs of the Pixel 5a 5G include a 6.34-inch FHD+ OLED display with a 60Hz refresh rate and a 20:9 aspect ratio, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G chip, 6GB of RAM, and 128GB of internal storage, a 4,680 mAh battery with 18W charging, and Android 11 software.
The device got a solid power jump, up from 3,885mAh on the Pixel 4a 5G. Google claims the device can support up to 48 hours of battery life on a single charge. Its software will also be kept steadily up to date with at least three years of OS and security updates.
Pixel 5a 5G 
Its dual rear camera setup includes a 12.2-megapixel main lens and a 16-megapixel ultrawide lens, in addition to an 8-megapixel front camera. Some photography feature highlights include HDR+ with bracketing, night sight portraits, cinematic panning, portrait relighting.
Other features include stereo speakers and IP67 water and dust resistance. The Pixel 5a 5G is the first A-series device to feature an IP rating. The device will be available in a Mostly Black color option with forest green accents.
