Pixel 5A

I just ordered one a few minutes ago through the Google Store to replace my 7.5 year old HTC One M8. Should be here by the 30th of August.

Dang.. I had the One M8 and loved it at the time too, but couldn't imagine keeping it for that long. I had it for maybe 2.5 years before going to the Nexus 6P, then 2 XL, then my current Pixel 5. I replaced the battery in the M8 once after the 2 year mark I think. Were you still on the original battery too? I dug it out recently to use it as another home security camera with the app Alfred Camera and it has worked fine for that so far.
 
Here's an interesting thought I had;

What if Google renamed the "a" series back to the Nexus naming, but of course still keep the Pixel name for the ultra high end, best of the best. Have the Pixel phone on par with the iPhone Pro Max's and Samsung Galaxy Ultra's.

But get the Nexus name back, and not Pixel 5a, name it the Nexus 7 or something, and make it just slightly better, with wireless charging, and 90hz screen, and sell it for like $499 / $549.

What do you think?
 
Given how radically different the Pixel 6 is, i'm kinda surprised it isn't the Pixel name that they'd retire for something else and keep the Pixel line the cheaper ones in the future.

Pixel 6 doesn't have the same ring as the new hotness if its radically different as something like the "Google Iris" or whatever.
 
Here's an interesting thought I had;

What if Google renamed the "a" series back to the Nexus naming, but of course still keep the Pixel name for the ultra high end, best of the best. Have the Pixel phone on par with the iPhone Pro Max's and Samsung Galaxy Ultra's.

But get the Nexus name back, and not Pixel 5a, name it the Nexus 7 or something, and make it just slightly better, with wireless charging, and 90hz screen, and sell it for like $499 / $549.

What do you think?
Think it's a bit too late to bring the Nexus name back now and since the Nexus line always had some key (sometimes unintended) compromises, I'm not sure it would present the best image. It was also a pretty niche phone since it wasn't sold on most carriers half the time and for the general consumer, I think it would confuse them more than anything compared to having a mid-range Pixel like they have now.
 
I did pre order the Pixel 5a for myself, will get rid of my iPhone 12 Pro Max then. Last Pixel I used and still have as a secondary home device is the Pixel 4 XL, which I loved, except for the absolute crap battery life, that thing blew for battery stamina, other than that running Android 12 beta 4 on it and it's smooth as hot butter.

If the Pixel 5a has similar smooth performance, I'm fine with that, but I really need great battery life for my job out in the field a lot and on the go, don't have time to charge often. And I thought last years Pixel 5 was a bit too small, and I find my 12 Pro Max a bit too large, so an in-between phone size is exactly what I want, and good battery life. 6" display too small, and 6.7"+ size too large.

Like I said if the 5a has similar smooth performance as my 4XL, then I'm all good.
 
All phones can have overheating issues when recording 4k video I just assumed. It's kind of a necessary evil of the form factor.
 
All phones can have overheating issues when recording 4k video I just assumed. It's kind of a necessary evil of the form factor.
Read the article though; it's happening even at 1080p/30.
 
Just got my 5A case from Amazon. It’s damn near the same size as my 3XL (in its case). That’s good enough for me. (y)

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Interesting - My LG G7+ Thinq is still a rockin' phone after 3 years. Two Android OTA updates helped, but it stops at 10. The one downside is that the unlocked phone has is that it doesn't support wi-fi calling. The only non-carrier phones I know of that support wi-fi calling are either Apple or Google Pixel.

Sometime down the road I'll be deciding - Pixel 5a? - Pixel 6 ? - Pixel 6 Pro ?
 
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I be curious how think it makes it. I went for the slightly slimmer one
I have the same model on my 4A and the calipers tell me 10.67mm thick. And it does a great job for dropping it. Never had any damage to the phone at all.
 
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Dang.. I had the One M8 and loved it at the time too, but couldn't imagine keeping it for that long. I had it for maybe 2.5 years before going to the Nexus 6P, then 2 XL, then my current Pixel 5. I replaced the battery in the M8 once after the 2 year mark I think. Were you still on the original battery too? I dug it out recently to use it as another home security camera with the app Alfred Camera and it has worked fine for that so far.

Yep. Original battery is still going fine. Phone has just started slowing down more and more over the past year and resetting to factory default hasn't really helped much.

I rooted it last December and loaded a custom image, which improved performance, but not really enough to justify its continued use.
 
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I got off Spigen cases bc that plastic band on whatever model I had been buying for 3-4 phones annoyed me.
Got onto Caselogic cases for the Pixels and no random broken plastic.
 
I got off Spigen cases bc that plastic band on whatever model I had been buying for 3-4 phones annoyed me.
Got onto Caselogic cases for the Pixels and no random broken plastic.
Yeah, did not care for that either. Ones I use are one piece, and cheap price-wise.
 
Consider the Spigen Rugged Armor cases, they are not bulky like the Spigen Tough Armor cases, and they provide good protection too. In addition they are more comfortable to hold and their carbon fiber like designs add style to its appearance.


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I got off Spigen cases bc that plastic band on whatever model I had been buying for 3-4 phones annoyed me.
Got onto Caselogic cases for the Pixels and no random broken plastic.
Sounds like you had the Tough Armor model.
 
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That is beautiful! I am going to consider that for my Pixel 4 XL.

How long have you had it? Were the cutouts made accurately without blocking or overlaying any of the phone's components? How is it holding up to stains or dirt?

One criticism I have read for other wood cases is the cutouts around the power and volume keys didn't provide full access to them. Crossing my fingers that your's has no issues with the cutouts.
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I've only had it for a month but I've had absolutely zero issues with it. The buttons are a little bit mushy but the back of it is absolutely gorgeous. It's way, way less flexible than any pure plastic case that i've used, the wood gives it a good sense of rigidity. It seems like it will protect things very well.

There's a really cool texture to the wave because it's printed on the wood with some really heavy ink that you can feel. Cutouts on the back are fantastic, the ones for the side components aren't flawless but they get the job done. The wood is definitely superglued or some other sort of really strong adhesive to the plastic shell, but its in there so good that i doubt anything will unstick it.
The texture on the side grips of this thing are amazing.

I haven't tried getting it wet though, not sure how it would react to that and I don't really want to risk it given the 4a doesn't have an official IP waterproof rating. I'm guessing the wood is super heavily coated in a waterproof polymer but I wouldn't want to submerge it or anything.
 
Thank you for your detailed reply!
I later read the reviews and they are overwhelmingly five star. The few that are not mention my concern. I wish it were not so because the design is gorgeous. :(
 

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Yeah, the side buttons are mushy, that is very accurate. Probably my only issue with the case as well, but I got over it pretty quickly.

It also is quasi-convenient for me because it means my car mount, which normally would be putting pressure on the volume down button, doesn't actually hit it while it's mounted. But the amount of variables in car mounts is ridiculous.
 
Only thing I am concern with is the early samples having over heating issues in 4K and even 1080p
 
Only thing I am concern with is the early samples having over heating issues in 4K and even 1080p
My brief HTC One ownership makes me wary of heat related component failure.
I'll just watch reports from early owners.
Not in a rush to pay off the last 4 months of our 3a XLs

I did turn off the $/5 month damage coverage bc at this pt, whatever.
 
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The consensus seems to be: boring design, but great battery life, great software, good screen, good camera and good performance all at an excellent price. I saw a tweet from Max Lee, but he hated the performance. Said it was too slow, even compared to the standard 5. I'll post his tweet if I can find it.

EDIT: Found it...

View attachment 387849

Yeah, I want to see real benchmarks. "It feels slower" is an odd assertion considering the 5 and 5a are virtually identical. I can't see the 5's +2 GB RAM making any difference in any limited testing he could have done with a display unit. It's possible, maybe Google screwed the cooling and it throttles easily and often (I'm guessing we won't see a teardown until iFixIt gets theirs in a few days). But I'm betting there's a heavy dose of bias, subconscious or not, going on here.

I do wonder why Google didn't go with a newer 700-series Snapdragon. Even if the phone's BOM cost them more as a result, they could have kept the MSRP the same as the 4a 5G's $499 and come out ahead.
 
Yeah, I want to see real benchmarks. "It feels slower" is an odd assertion considering the 5 and 5a are virtually identical. I can't see the 5's +2 GB RAM making any difference in any limited testing he could have done with a display unit. It's possible, maybe Google screwed the cooling and it throttles easily and often (I'm guessing we won't see a teardown until iFixIt gets theirs in a few days). But I'm betting there's a heavy dose of bias, subconscious or not, going on here.

I do wonder why Google didn't go with a newer 700-series Snapdragon. Even if the phone's BOM cost them more as a result, they could have kept the MSRP the same as the 4a 5G's $499 and come out ahead.
Max is a legend in the Android world, but he's been largely MIA, lately. From what I've learned, he's focused much more on cryptocurrency, these days. He's definitely what you'd call a power user, so flagships are more in his lane, anyway.

I thought Flossy Carter's review was the most comprehensive (and entertaining) I've seen for the 5A.
 
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