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Content

1. Contents of delivery
2. TECH SPECS
3. Positioning
4. Design, dimensions, controls
5. Display
6. Battery
7. Chipset, memory, performance
8. Communication capabilities
9. Камеры
10. Software chips
11. Impressions

Contents of delivery

• Smartphone
• USB Type C cable
• Quick charge 18 W
• USB Type C – USB Type A adapter
• Wired stereo headset
• Clip for SIM tray
• Instructions

TECH SPECS
Dimensions and weight	144.7 x 70.4 x 8 mm, 151 grams
Body materials	Aluminum frame, aluminum body, Corning Gorilla Glass 6
Display	6 inches, 1080×2340 pixels (19.5: 9), OLED, 432 ppi, automatic brightness control, AlwaysOn Display, Corning Gorilla Glass 6, HDR10 +, refresh rate 90 Hz
Operating system	Google Android 11
Platform	Snapdragon 765G chipset (7nm), 8 cores (1 core 2.4 GHz Kryo 475 Prime, one core 2.2 GHz Kryo 475 Gold and six cores 1.8 GHz Kryo 475 Silver), Adreno 620
Memory	8/128 GB, UFS 2.1 No memory cards RAM LPDDR4x
Wireless Interfaces	Wi-Fi a / b / g / n / ac / ax, dual-band, Bluetooth 5.0 (AptX, AptX HD, LDAC, AAC codecs), NFC 5G
Сеть	nanoSIM  eSIM
Navigation	GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS
Sensors and connectors	USB Type C (USB 3.1), USB OTG Accelerometer, Proximity Sensor, Light Sensor, Gyroscope, Barometer Rear fingerprint sensor
Main camera	Main: camera with two modules – Main: 12 MP, 1.4μm, F1.7, OIS, Dual Pixel PDAF – Wide angle: 16 MP, 1.0μm, F2.2, Digital zoom x2
Front-camera	8 MP (f / 2.0), bokeh effect, various additional effects, no autofocus
Battery	Li-Ion 4000 mAh, working time in mixed mode from 24 hours Quick charge 18W included, 100% in 97 minutes  Fast wireless charging (12W), reversible wireless charging (up to 5W) PD 2.0
Degree of protection	IP68
Colours	Black, green (Just Black, Sorta Sage)
Sound	Two speakers, earpiece under the screen
Payment System	Google Pay
Sales start price	699 dollars
SAR value	Head SAR: 0.96 W / kg Body SAR: 1.39 W / kg

Positioning

Google created the Pixel line as its answer to the flagships of other companies, both from Apple and those who use Android. In previous years, the Pixel lineup featured models in two screen sizes – basic and XL, now it’s only one device, and it’s pretty niche.

In 2020, Pixel is experiencing difficulties, as the demand for such devices has dropped sharply, they are supported only by the American market and a small number of fans around the world. Pixel is officially sold in 15 countries around the world, none of which has this line of devices occupying a noticeable market share. Suffice it to say that Pixel is not among the top ten smartphone manufacturers in the world, it is a very niche device. The reason for the unpopularity is that the previous models had a number of hardware flaws, innate problems and, at a cost equal to other flagships, were clearly inferior to them. The bright side was the camera, which outperformed its direct competitors and made it possible to get very interesting pictures. The choice of Pixel has always been a compromise, especially since bare Android turned out to be, to put it mildly, not as convenient as Android smartphones with their own skins.

Inside, Google cannot abandon the Pixel direction, but are forced to seek compromise solutions in order to ensure at least minimal sales of the line. Therefore, the Pixel 5 is not a flagship – a simpler chipset, cheaper memory, fewer camera modules than other flagships. But the compact size, and this device can be safely called one of the most compact, it directly competes with the Galaxy S20, as an option – the iPhone 12 mini. I see the target audience for this model as follows: loyal customers of previous Pixel models who are not disappointed in this line. Those looking for a very good quality main camera module, for example, want to take pictures of children in motion without any problems. Also, this device should be considered by anyone looking for a compact but powerful enough smartphone.

In Russia, this line is not officially presented, so the device is available only on the gray market. This is also worth remembering, this explains the rather low sales and the number of such devices on the networks, this is a rare guest in our area.

Design, dimensions, controls

It is impossible to blame Google for not experimenting with body materials. Often people pick up the Pixel 5 and say: what a nice plastic!

The fact is that it is not plastic, but a special coating for the aluminum body. It is non-staining, does not leave marks from hands, does not slip in hands, very practical. The case has cutouts for antennas for wireless charging, but they are hidden under this cover. And this is a great solution from all points of view.

The device is available in two colors – black and green. I like both, but green is more interesting.

After the start of sales on the network, there were a lot of comments about the build quality, the screen can move away from the body, there is a small gap, which can easily fit a sheet of A4 paper. This is a flaw in the way the device is assembled: the protective glass of the screen is glued to the body, in some cases inaccurate positioning leads to such gaps. This does not affect functionality in any way, it just speaks of the quality of the assembly and the lack of verification at the factory of what comes out of the assembly line.

Google couldn’t find anything better than to declare that this is normal and that such gaps are not a flaw. When buying, you should carefully study the device, see if there are any cracks.

The dimensions of the device are 144.7 × 70.4 × 8 mm, the weight is 151 grams. The device is compact, which is a rarity in the current market. Compared to the same Galaxy S20, the width is about the same, but the height is smaller.

An important point for those who want to buy the Pixel 5 also because of its compactness, but are considering a branded case for purchase.

The case from Google is very nice, but it’s too big – 76.4mm wide (plus 6mm extra!). Why it was necessary to do this is completely incomprehensible, but the fact is precisely that. Third-party covers don’t make the phone so thick.

When discussing the compactness of the device, it should not mislead you. For its characteristics, it is ordinary, another thing is that there are not many such models, but they are on the market. The S20 has already been mentioned above, these models are comparable.

The control elements are located as follows: on the right side there is a paired volume key, an on / off button (in metal), on the other side there is a slot for one nanoSIM card (there is support for eSIM). At the bottom there is a USB Type C connector, as well as two holes – a speaker and a microphone. The second microphone is at the top, and the third is near the camera block.

Stereo speakers are announced in the device, but this is not entirely true, because the upper, earpiece speaker is hidden under the glass of the screen. There are no flaws during a conversation, but when you play or watch a movie, the difference between the speakers is obvious. It is possible to consider that there is a stereo effect, but with a big stretch.

The fingerprint sensor is located on the back, which is unusual for a 2020-2021 device. and besides, such a price group. This is an anachronism and a compromise, it is forced on Google, cost savings. The sensor recognizes pressing well.

The camera block barely protrudes, which is already good, you can use the device without a cover. It should also be mentioned that there is IP68 water protection.

Display

Let’s take a look at the technical specifications – 6 inches, 1080×2340 pixels (19.5: 9), OLED, 432 ppi, automatic brightness control, AlwaysOn Display, Corning Gorilla Glass 6, HDR10 +, 90 Hz refresh rate.

Unfortunately, the display is also a trade-off in terms of cost. This OLED matrix is ​​not of the best quality in terms of color reproduction, the options for setting are very limited.

There is an opportunity to turn on AoD, the battery eats up decently, but since it is large in capacity, it is not as noticeable as on previous devices of the Pixel series.

The refresh rate of the screen at 90 Hz is noticeably better than on previous devices, but it is much inferior to the flagships with 120 Hz, the interface there is smooth, it looks noticeably more pleasant to work with. In the end, the Pixel 5’s screen isn’t the best, it’s average.

Battery

The built-in Li-Ion battery has a capacity of 4000 mAh (nominal 4080 mAh). The handset supports PD 2.0 and comes with an 18W charger. Previous Pixels suffered from low-capacity batteries, but this point has clearly been fixed. Full charge time from standard charge is 97 minutes:

• 15 minutes – 22%
• 30 minutes – 45%
• 45 minutes – 61%
• 60 minutes – 78%
• 75 minutes – 90%
• 90 minutes – 98%

Qi wireless charging, max power 12W (full charging time approx. 4 hours). There is reversible wireless charging up to 5W, you can charge your headphones from your phone.

Battery life is a strong point of the phone, you get a full working day even with constant use of the phone. In my case, this is about 7-8 hours of the screen (70%, adaptive brightness), constant use of a 4G connection.

Those who do not actively use the device can get two days of work.

I really like the device in terms of operating time, it is efficient and at the same time long-playing.

Chipset, memory, performance

The device is not a flagship, so the Snapdragon 765G is used here, the capabilities of this chipset are enough for most tasks, including games (but for games the device does not have the largest diagonal). There are no flaws in the performance of the device, it is smart, 8 GB of RAM allows you to keep a large number of applications in memory without closing them. Unfortunately, the device has no memory cards, and there is only one memory capacity – 128 GB (UFS 2.1).

Look at the synthetic test results.

Communication capabilities

The device has support for 5G, which is important for the US market, but in many countries it is meaningless at the moment, Russia belongs to the latter. There is an adaptive function in the settings that allows the device to switch 4G / 5G connection depending on what content you are downloading. When streaming it is 5G, viewing instant messengers is 4G. It is not possible to fine-tune this option.

Full-fledged NFC, the work of Google Pay raises no questions.

There are also no complaints about the work of GPS, everything is fine in conjunction with a digital compass.

Bluetooth version 5.0, there is support for HD-codecs, which allows you to use almost any wireless headphones.

Dual band Wi-Fi, no problem with it.

Камеры

The front camera does not have autofocus, it is rather modest, and the quality is poor (this is a step back for the Pixel line).

Pixel lineup is praised for the camera, the main module practically does not change year after year. The processing algorithms are really good, the camera is good at capturing movement (for example, when a child is moving). Excellent night shots, portraits. See how the camera shoots during the day.

And here’s a night shot.

Let’s compare with the Galaxy S20, here everyone will choose what they like best.

Video recording in 4K 60 frames (the device periodically overheats in this mode, this is not observed in other modes).

Sample video, 4K 30 fps >>>

The camera sometimes crashes, it’s unfortunate. Moreover, this can happen in any mode.

Compared to previous Pixels, there was a large delay in image processing such as HDR. Having photographed something, when viewing the photo, you will see how the image processing circle rotates for several seconds. Someone is annoyed, it does not seem to me to be something significant.

Software chips

Here is pure Android 11, there are simply no special changes to the standard interface. But with a recent update, adaptive sound appeared, when the phone adjusts to the ambient noise level, it adjusts the volume itself.

Other settings are familiar, there is nothing to talk about. The exception is the security application, which can automatically dial 911 in case of a car accident, call your contacts. The phone realizes that an accident has occurred and starts acting. This function does not work in Russia.

For Android One, there is a built-in VPN client, alas, it also does not work in Russia. I like the voice recorder application, it allows you to immediately decrypt the text (only English), and then search for the desired phrases by typing them into the search bar. In the absence of the Russian language, this is not so interesting.

Impressions

At $ 699 in the United States, this is a Galaxy S20-class device that costs about the same with discounts. On the Pixel 5’s side, battery life and body quality (I like it better). We have a comparison of these devices in a separate video, watch it.

The new Pixel is compact enough, but it has a lot of compromises – not the best screen, relatively slow memory and not a flagship chipset, which personally doesn’t upset me. Of the obvious advantages – the operating time, an excellent camera. But for its capabilities, this device is expensive, I would expect the cost at the level of 500-550 dollars, it would be adequate. But alas!

There are various compact devices on the market, for example, the same Galaxy S20 in Russia costs about 50 thousand rubles as part of sales. What makes it more accessible in our country than Pixel 5. You can look at the niche, but very unusual Sony Xperia 5 II, the device attracts attention with its features. The choice of compact devices is not so small, it’s another matter what exactly you need. For Russia, the Pixel line remains exotic. For those countries where it is officially presented, this is still a niche offer, which is proved by sales.

Thanks for the provided device pixel-google.ru.

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