The 128GB of storage should be plenty for most users, but you may need an online photo storage solution if you capture many photos and videos with your phone. Paired with 6GB of RAM, the chip is more than equal to general tasks and even capable of some gaming, but think more puzzle games and less action or FPS. One of the many shared specs between the Pixel 5a and the Pixel 4a 5G is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G processor. (Image credit: Laptop Mag/Sean Riley) Pixel 5a performance It’s a fickle finish and shifts depending on the lighting, but it’s always staid and neutral. However, in a well-lit environment, the Pixel 5a is a much more interesting shade that reminds me of British racing green. The Mostly Black finish on the Pixel 5a looks gray next to the true black of the Pixel 4a 5G.

On the bottom of the phone is the USB-C port and on the left is the only other port on the phone, the SIM card slot. Going clockwise around the phone, you’ll find a textured and rubberized olive green power button on the right with a black volume rocker below it. You have a 3.5mm headphone jack on the top of the phone, which is a bit like finding a unicorn these days. The rear camera array of the Pixel 5a features the same square design in the upper-left corner it’s slightly raised, but not so much that it interferes with laying the phone flat.

With that said, not everyone loved the move to facial recognition or in-display fingerprint sensors if you never adjusted to those things, the rear fingerprint sensor works as fast and flawlessly as ever. The phone is virtually identical to the Pixel 4a 5G, which was, in some ways, a throwback to the Pixel 3 and earlier Pixels due to the reintroduction of the rear fingerprint sensor. The Pixel 5a design looks dated in 2021, even in its affordable price bracket. (Image credit: Laptop Mag/Sean Riley) Pixel 5a design

Pixel 5a review