The Google Pixel 5 is official, and we’ve learned all about the newest flagship phone from the maker of Android at the company’s Launch Night In livestream event.
Google revealed the new Pixel 5 alongside the Google Pixel 4a 5G, Google Nest Audio and Chromecast with Google TV. Notably what it didn’t land alongside is the Pixel 5 XL, as there’s no such phone – even though there really should be.
The Pixel 5 is a curious creation that’s in some ways an upgrade on the Pixel 4 but in other ways a definite downgrade, as our Google Pixel 5 vs Google Pixel 4 comparison shows.
Below we’ll focus just on the new phone and run you through all the key details we know about the Google Pixel 5 so far, including how much it’ll cost, what it looks like, and what specs you can expect for your money.
Catch up on the Google Pixel 5 event live blog as it happened
Read our hands-on Chromecast with Google TV review
Google has also unveiled the Google Nest Audio smart speaker
Cut to the chase
What is the Google Pixel 5? Google’s latest flagship smartphone
When is it out? October 15
How much does it cost? $699 / £599 / AU$999
Google Pixel 5 release date and price
The Google Pixel 5 design is what you see above. The phone comes in two colors with odd names: Sorta Sage (a green color) and Just Black (that’s just black). The body of the phone is made of recycled aluminum, which is notable as most phones have a glass or plastic back.
Also Read: Google Nest Audio smart speaker with new features launched: Here is what it costs
The main reason metal is rarely used is that you can’t use wireless charging through metal, yet the Pixel 5 still has that feature because – as revealed by Daniel Bader of Android Central – there’s a small hole on top of the wireless charging coil, which is covered by a resin and painted over to match the aluminum.
The phone is IPX8 water-resistant, which should mean you’re able to submerge this device in water for up to half an hour. The phone weighs 151 grams, and it has dimensions of 144.7 x 70.4 x 8mm.
The Pixel 5 comes with a 6-inch Full HD display with a resolution of 1080 x 2340, which is 432 pixels per inch. It’s an always-on display, and it’s an OLED panel.
Google has included 90Hz tech here, so the screen refresh rate will be faster than many other devices with smoother scrolling and transitions. That said, this isn’t as good as some top-end handsets that feature a 120Hz refresh rate, while the newly announced Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro boasts a 144Hz refresh rate
There’s a USB-C port at the bottom of the phone, but there’s no 3.5mm headphone jack here. The phone also comes with stereo speakers, but there’s no 3.5mm audio jack included in the box.
Unlike the Pixel 4, the Pixel 5 comes with a fingerprint scanner. It’s on the rear of the phone, and the company has dropped its 3D Face Unlock technology that was housed in the top bezel on last year’s phone.
That has allowed Google to trim the bezel at the top of the phone, but it does also mean the company has dropped its Soli gesture technology as well so you won’t get that on the Pixel 5.
Google Pixel 5 camera
The camera is where there are a few changes for the Google Pixel 5. It features a 12.2MP dual-pixel shooter with 1.4μm pixel width, and there’s also a 16MP ultra-wide shooter.
That replaces the telephoto shooter on last year’s phone, which some may miss, but it’s likely you’ll enjoy the wide camera more in everyday usage.
The company’s impressive Night Sight and Portrait Modes are returning on the Pixel 5. We’ve found similar cameras on previous phones to perform brilliantly in our reviews of those older phones, so we’re hoping for a similar result here.
It’s worth noting that the new Google Pixel 4a 5G seems to sport exactly the same camera setup though, so if you don’t want to spend as much as this phone costs you could always opt for that.
On the front of the phone you’ll find an 8MP selfie camera. That seems to be similar to previous phones from Google, which we’ve found to perform well in our testing.
Google Pixel 5 specs and performance
Unlike previous Pixel flagships, the Pixel 5 doesn’t feature the top-end chipset you’d expect. Instead, the company has opted for a Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G processor, which won’t be as powerful as the chipsets you find in phones like the OnePlus 8 Pro or Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra.
That said, the phones we’ve seen running this chipset have been powerful enough for everyday tasks, so we hope it’s a similar story with the Pixel 5 when we’re able to try the phone out.
There’s 8GB of RAM in the phone, and 128GB of storage. There’s no microSD support, and Google has yet to announce any other storage variants for the Pixel 5, so you’ll be limited to just 128GB.
There’s a 4,080mAh battery inside the phone, and the company has included wireless charging as well. There’s also a reverse-charging feature called Battery Share, so you can use your Pixel 5 to charge supported devices.
It supports 18W fast-charging, and the correct charger for you to be able to reach those speeds is included in the box.
Google claims the phone will last a full day from a single charge, and we’ll be sure to put that claim to the test in our full review. The Google Pixel 4’s battery life wasn’t impressive, so we’re hoping Google has improved things here.
You get 5G connectivity on the Pixel 5 as well, but be warned that you’ll need to have a 5G contract, and live in area that has 5G connectivity, to make the most of that.
The Google Pixel 5 comes running Android 11 out of the box, which is the company’s latest version of its operating system. You can expect this device to get software updates over the next couple of years at least, and it should get them on or near day one.
There are also improvements to Google’s own apps that you can get on Pixel. For example, the Recorder app – that’s the one that records voice notes and transcribes them automatically – will now allow you to edit out audio when you take it directly out of the transcription.
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