Hey dear Pinchers.
Today I am going to review about a smartphone named Google Pixel 5.Google's entry into hardware was the biggest story a few years ago, but the Pixel smartphones - despite the game-changing camera tech and better software experience just couldn't manage to make an impact in the Android space, let alone the overall smartphone segment. The Pixel phones haven't moved many people out of Apple's ecosystem, nor has it competed with Samsung's Galaxy super phones - from Galaxy Note to Galaxy S, that offer all sorts of hardware tricks and different cameras.
But 2020 marks the year that Google is making a subtle but significant shift. They're moving out of the premium flagship market, as you already know Pixel 5 will have a Snapdragon 765G processor instead of the flagship Snapdragon 865. By going with a cheaper chip, Google is expected to conceivably lower its Pixel 5 price down. According to new rumors, the Pixel 5 could cost the same as the first-gen Pixel smartphone and that is $ 649. It's rumored to cost 629 euros in Europe, Germany to be specific. And 649 in the United States. It's coming from a person who accurately leaked the prices of some Samsung products in the past.
If Google actually ends up pricing the Pixel 5 at $649, then it would be going up against companies like OnePlus instead of competing for attention against Samsung's latest Galaxy flagships. The premium phone market, especially in America, is notorious for being tough to compete in unless your brand name is Samsung or Apple. But that upper-middle-tier area - where phones are premium in nature but not quite hitting the every bell and whistle imaginable, no piece left behind top shelf positioning is somewhere a company like Google could conceivably have a decent shot at finding its footing.
I know what some of you are thinking. That Snapdragon 765G processor, though. But with the right sort of software optimizations and attention to experience, you are absolutely not going to notice or in any way be aware of the difference between a Snapdragon 865 processor and the 765G. Even in games, this chipset is perfectly fine unless you really crank the user customizable settings in a title like Fortnite, in which case things can stutter. Just don't expect to pull a smooth 90 FPS in demanding titles, and you probably won't be disappointed. And if you don't play a lot of games, you've got even less to worry about.
So Pixel phones are arguably the best when it comes to computational photography but ultra-wide camera shots aren't possible on Pixel phones because of one simple reason. It doesn't have an ultra-wide camera in the first place. Apparently, Google believes that adding a telephoto lens was more important. Of course, many consumers don't agree as while you can still make do without a telephoto lens by cropping a photo or zooming in digitally, the zoom out effect cannot be faked. Simply put a lack of an ultra-wide camera means you can't capture more of a scene and that's one of the biggest drawbacks of Pixel phones. Thankfully for Pixel fans that changes with the Pixel 5.
Finally Google is bringing an ultra wide camera to the Pixel lineup specifically to the Pixel 5. Detailed specs renders of the Pixel 5 have been leaked which shows that it's basically going to look like the Pixel 4a, save for a few additions and an omission. First up there won't be any XL version, there's only going to be Pixel 5. The first thing you are going to notice is the capacitive fingerprint reader at the back. That's right, this year Google is going the budget route. They are ditching the Soli radar chip for a fingerprint scanner which in a way is a good move. The ongoing pandemic has uncovered FaceID / Face unlock as a massive pain in the butt to use in public spaces and shops. Also, the radar chip prevented Google from selling the Pixel 4 in countries like India, so they getting rid of it is a good move. But they should have gone for the in-display fingerprint even if it is a 2D optical scanner. It's just kinda weird to see the capacitive scanner in 2020.
In a new world where the money is tight, people are wearing masks, and flagship phones are starting to cost over $1300, a $650 price tag for Google's flagship this year could make a world of difference to the end-user in how the phone is perceived and ultimately, if Google plays its cards right, in how well it sells.
Here's something cool. Ice Universe shared a video saying that a certain mobile company is developing a phone with a back that automatically changes the color. The back panel of this smartphone can be discolored and users can adjust the speed of this process. The camera module is hidden so not sure which phone this is. The tech it uses is Electro chromic glass. If you remember One Plus used it to hide the phone's rear camera. This is certainly not the necessary technology on a phone in my opinion, but it sure looks cool.
Anyway for all the latest updates on smartphone tech please be sure to subscribe my blog and as always I'll see you tomorrow ... Go Pinch!
