Sure as the sun will rise, the latest tech is supposed to be the best tech.
Every year, you expect to see headlines like The iPhone 543 is the best iPhone yet!
because, well duh.
Of course, a gadget with the latest and greatest hardware is going to be better than its predecessor.
Nonetheless, it offers few reasons to choose the Pixel 5 over the Pixel 4, let alone competitors.
So why should you?
It’s free, every week, in your inbox.
Truth be told, I struggled with that question myself.
The Pixel 5 is not an exciting phone, but it is a good one.
The Pixel 5, mercifully, looks different.
This resin is painted with speckled sage green finish on my review unit, which I love.
In a world of glossy fingerprint magnets, this is a welcome new aesthetic.
Its also worth reiterating that the Pixel 5 is a small phone.
After all, the Snapdragon 765G in the Pixel 5 actually benchmarks closer to thePixel 3.
Blessedly, this has not been the case.
But I assume serious mobile gamers arent buying the Pixel 5 anyway.
Overall, Ive had no hiccups with the Pixel 5s performance hopefully it stays that way.
Battery life is fantastic
Okay, so thereisone spec change that matters: the battery.
So far, the Pixel 5 is on track to be one of the longer-lasting phones Ive reviewed.
Equally important, the camera app experience is one of the best.
The phone is quick to capture images, switches rapidly between modes.
This was introduced with the Pixel 4, but is improved now with HDR previews.
Now I can do that right at the source.
I also appreciate Google manages to keep quality among its two rear and single front-facing camera remarkably consistent.
Though adjustments are pretty barebones intensity and position, basically it works freakishly well.
Human ones, anyway the feature does not work with my dog or cats.
Perhaps on the Pixel 6.
But then I realized thats a good thing Pixel phones get better over time.
Thats rare, and thats a good thing.
Google is a software-first company.
The Pixel 5 is more a vehicle to show off Googles AI than its hardware chops.
Still, I cant help but feel like Google isnt even trying to compete.
Super Res Zoom is good, but notthatgood.
I dont really care about 5G
There.
I wish Google sold a cheaper version without the technology, but thems the breaks.
Google got rid of all the gimmicks and left what works.
That makes for a solid phone, but it doesnt make for a particularly remarkable one.
Maybe thats for the best in a universally difficult year in which buying a new phone feels trite.
But it does make me wonder where Google goes from here.
In a way though, thats just a reflection of the market.
The camera is still great, battery life is better than ever, and performance is still smooth.
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