Después de meses de filtrar, investigar y geeking, el último y mejor teléfono Pixel de Google finalmente está aquí.
No, not that. I'm talking about the Pixel 5a, or "Google Pixel 5a with 5G," if you want to use its comically ridiculous full name. (I, um, no.) The Pixel 5a, as we'll call it from now on, came to the world via a very low-key announcement earlier this week. The phone will begin shipping to the United States and Japan within a week from today, August 26. Now I know: It's not the Pixel 2021 that everyone is really excited about. It's the Pixel 6, which is the beauty of two models with a striking new design, a host of new camera capabilities, and an in-house processor from Google that could bring some incredibly interesting new elements to the equation. This Pixel, by comparison, is pretty boring. It is understated and uninteresting. And oddly enough, that's part of what makes him attractive.
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Google The Pixel 5a, in all its understated glory. With its price of €449, the Pixel 5a is quite a value. I've been using a device loaner review unit for the past few days, and it really is as solid an Android experience as I could ask for. In fact, that's everything anyone has ever asked for in a phone at this price point: impressive performance, an outstanding display, better-than-ever battery life, and a top-notch camera setup combined with pure Google software and a warranty. matchless. of fast and reliable operating system updates. Plus, it even has a premium body (ooh, baby), with a sleek metal casing and the rare gem of a headphone jack, for starters. When you look at the Pixel 5a from an overall experience and value perspective, it's painfully clear that nothing else in this price range comes close. And there's not much negative to say about it beyond the fact that it lacks some of the more expensive niceties that its flashier flagship-tier cousins can offer. But you don't need me to tell you all this. This mossy old internist is filled with page after page of thoughtful criticism. There isn't much more I can add to this discussion that hasn't already been said. Instead, what I want to focus on here is the larger-scale pixel puzzle and some challenging questions that the Pixel 5a raises about Google's plans for the future. As we reflect on the latest breakneck shift in what the Pixel brand stands for and where it fits into the larger Android ecosystem, these questions will lead us to ponder some important points about what's next and what's next. So put on your thinking hat, grab your favorite hot beverage, and let's start thinking.
Pixel Question No. 1: What will the Pixel model look like next year?
It may seem like a simple question, but it's a question I keep coming back to every time I think about this current generation of Pixel phones. And your response is incredibly important when it comes to the future of the Pixel program. Remember: Flagship Pixels are perhaps the most exciting devices to drool over and the subject of all our Google geek lust, but in the real world, Pixel "a" phones are the ones with the most mammal-seeking phones that really they buy. Year after year, signs consistently suggest that the smaller and cheaper Pixel "a" options are evolving at a fairly steady pace, while the pricier Pixel flagships remain mostly niche products. Well, this year the Pixel 5a follows a rocky season that saw us see two Pixel "a" phones, apparently the result of a last-minute shakeup caused by a pandemic. And as a result, this year's Pixel "a" phone feels like a subtle leap forward from last year's eerily similar Pixel 4a 5G (gesundheit!). Meanwhile, the upcoming Pixel 6 has a whole new visual language and feels like (another) reinvention of what the Pixel brand stands for. Perhaps most importantly, it also has that in-house Google chip (the processor, not the tortilla variety), which should go a long way in setting the phone apart in both its capabilities and long-term compatibility. So with this fresh reset and all the new Pixel 6 stuff in place, what will Google see fit to do with the Pixel 6a next summer? Will this phone keep the current visual identity and framework of the Pixel "a" line, or will it end up being a one-year reduction in configuration from the Pixel 6? Will we see a new Google-made mid-tier processor power it up and potentially bring an extended software support window to the mid-tier as well? Either way, the Pixel "a" domain is sure to be a place to watch as the current Pixel evolution continues. And that brings us to our second big Pixel question…
Pixel Question #2: How long before we have the Pixel 'b line?
Until this year, the Pixel "a" phone was on the higher end of the budget. The original Pixel "a" model, the 3 Pixel 2019a, retailed for $399 when it launched. The regular follow-up to last year's Pixel 4a brought that price down to €349.
Both phones were designed to be affordable, with low-end interiors and a nice but noticeably plastic build rather than the glass or aluminum exteriors that higher-end phones typically have. And let's be honest: this positioning was a big part of its relative appeal and commercial successes.
The Pixel 5a, meanwhile, essentially replaces last year's Pixel 4a 5G, with its premium internals, aluminum build, and more mid-range price point. Now, $449 might not seem like a gigantic jump from $349 or especially $399, but something about leaning into that $400 range makes a phone much less affordable. It's certainly a matter of interpretation, but once you cross that €400 threshold, you're out of the budget realm and into mid-range territory, in my opinion.
So if the Pixel 5a is more of a mid-range, the 2021 equivalent of last year's mid-range 4a 5G offering, will Google supplement this place with a solid budget alternative in 2022?
If you ask me, it seems to be less a question of if and more a question of when. Google has made no secret of the fact that it wants the Pixel to become a major player in terms of overall market share. And Google's past statistics and general smartphone market trends undoubtedly make the low price the easiest to achieve. Ask OnePlus.
Long ago, when we heard rumors about plans for a mid-range Pixel, I said it seemed inevitable that such a move was just the tip of the iceberg. Come on, come on, gadget quote machine: The question we should be asking isn't whether a mid-range Pixel phone will really come true. That's how long it will take for this device to be available everywhere, and how long it will take for the next new model to show up, either at a different price or with some other kind of form-oriented distinction.
It's been three years since that time, and now we're looking at a line where we have a top-tier flagship, probably over € 1,000, and a mid-range but still premium € 449 alternative.
For now, Google has said that it "hopes" to keep selling last year's Pixel 4a as long as it can secure all the necessary parts. But that's clearly not a long-term solution, and it comes with the caveat to potential buyers that the phone is already a full year old, and therefore has less than two years of support left.
There is still an obvious piece missing from this puzzle. And if I were a gamer, I'd say it's only a matter of time until we see a lower-end Pixel "b" phone stepping in to complete the Pixel picture and fill the last remaining gap.
Things are getting really interesting here in the country where Googley counts, and all signs suggest that what we're seeing right now is still only the beginning of the story.
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<p>Copyright © 2021 IDG Communications, Inc.</p>
Google The Pixel 5a, in all its understated glory. With its price of €449, the Pixel 5a is quite a value. I've been using a device loaner review unit for the past few days, and it really is as solid an Android experience as I could ask for. In fact, that's everything anyone has ever asked for in a phone at this price point: impressive performance, an outstanding display, better-than-ever battery life, and a top-notch camera setup combined with pure Google software and a warranty. matchless. of fast and reliable operating system updates. Plus, it even has a premium body (ooh, baby), with a sleek metal casing and the rare gem of a headphone jack, for starters. When you look at the Pixel 5a from an overall experience and value perspective, it's painfully clear that nothing else in this price range comes close. And there's not much negative to say about it beyond the fact that it lacks some of the more expensive niceties that its flashier flagship-tier cousins can offer. But you don't need me to tell you all this. This mossy old internist is filled with page after page of thoughtful criticism. There isn't much more I can add to this discussion that hasn't already been said. Instead, what I want to focus on here is the larger-scale pixel puzzle and some challenging questions that the Pixel 5a raises about Google's plans for the future. As we reflect on the latest breakneck shift in what the Pixel brand stands for and where it fits into the larger Android ecosystem, these questions will lead us to ponder some important points about what's next and what's next. So put on your thinking hat, grab your favorite hot beverage, and let's start thinking.