Price and Specifications

The Google Pixel 4a was announced in August 2020 as part of Google’s mid-range Pixel lineup. Designed as a more affordable option compared to the flagship Pixel 4 series, the Pixel 4a offers a high-quality camera experience, solid performance, and a clean Android experience for users who want to enjoy Google’s software and services without paying the premium price of the flagship models.

Below are the full specifications, features, and pricing details of the Google Pixel 4a:

Price

At launch, the Google Pixel 4a was priced at:

• $349 USD for the 128GB storage model (standard variant)

This pricing made the Pixel 4a one of the most affordable options in the mid-range smartphone category at the time of its release, offering flagship-level features like the Google Camera software and regular software updates at a significantly lower price point.

Note that over time, prices can fluctuate depending on deals, promotions, or refurbished models. Additionally, the Pixel 4a was succeeded by newer models like the Pixel 5a and Pixel 6 series, so availability and price may vary depending on where you look.

Specifications

1. Display

• Screen Size: 5.81 inches
• Type: OLED, Full HD+ (2340 x 1080 pixels)
• Pixel Density: 443 PPI (pixels per inch)
• Aspect Ratio: 19.5:9
• Refresh Rate: Standard 60Hz (no high refresh rate)
• Brightness: Supports 1,000 nits peak brightness (HDR content)
• Corning Gorilla Glass 3 for durability

The Pixel 4a’s display is an OLED panel, which ensures vibrant colors, deep blacks, and a sharp contrast ratio. While the 60Hz refresh rate is standard (and not as smooth as the 90Hz or 120Hz displays found in some other mid-range devices), it still provides a very pleasant viewing experience for most users.

2. Camera

The Google Pixel 4a is known for its impressive camera system, which is one of the key selling points of the device. While it only has a single rear camera, Google’s computational photography and image processing allow it to take excellent photos even in challenging conditions. The camera system includes:

• Rear Camera: 12.2 MP (f/1.7 aperture)
• Dual Pixel Autofocus for fast and accurate focusing
• Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) for smoother photos
• Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS) for stable video recording
• Night Sight: Google’s AI-powered Night Sight mode allows for exceptional low-light photography, allowing the Pixel 4a to capture more details in dimly lit environments without the need for a flash.
• Top Shot: Automatically selects the best frame from a burst of shots to give you the best image possible.
• Super Res Zoom: A digital zoom technology that minimizes blur and enhances detail during zoomed-in shots (though the Pixel 4a lacks optical zoom).
• Portrait Mode: For creating professional-looking portrait shots with a blurred background (bokeh effect).
• Astrophotography: A mode that lets you take long-exposure shots of the night sky, perfect for starry sky photography.
• Front Camera: 8 MP (f/2.0 aperture)
• Features wide-angle lens for group selfies and vlogging
• Supports Portrait Mode, Night Sight, and HDR+ for better selfies, even in low light

Despite its more affordable price, the Pixel 4a’s camera performance holds up to many premium smartphones, offering top-tier software features like Google’s HDR+, Smartburst, and Google Lens.

3. Performance

• Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 730G (8nm, octa-core CPU)
• CPU: 2x Cortex-A76 (2.2 GHz) + 6x Cortex-A55 (1.8 GHz)
• GPU: Adreno 618
• RAM: 6 GB LPDDR4X RAM

The Pixel 4a is powered by the Snapdragon 730G, a capable mid-range chipset designed for efficiency and gaming. While it doesn’t feature the latest flagship chipset, the Snapdragon 730G provides solid performance for day-to-day tasks, including web browsing, social media, video streaming, and light gaming. It’s also optimized for AI and camera processing, which makes it ideal for the computational photography features found on the Pixel 4a.

It performs well with 6 GB of RAM, ensuring smooth multitasking and app switching. For most users, the Pixel 4a provides an excellent experience at this price range.

4. Battery

• Battery Capacity: 3140 mAh
• Charging:
• 18W USB Type-C fast charging (0-50% in about 30 minutes)
• No wireless charging support
• Battery Life: Google claims that the Pixel 4a can provide up to 24 hours of battery life with regular usage, depending on usage patterns.
• Adaptive Battery: A feature powered by AI that learns your usage habits to optimize battery life over time, prioritizing the apps you use most frequently.

While the 3140 mAh battery might not be the largest, the device’s software optimizations (such as Battery Saver and Adaptive Battery) ensure a decent battery life that should easily last a full day of moderate usage.

5. Storage

• Internal Storage: 128 GB (non-expandable via microSD card)

The Pixel 4a only offers 128 GB of internal storage, which is generally sufficient for most users. However, the lack of expandable storage via microSD might be a limitation for those who need more space for apps, photos, and videos.

6. Software

• Operating System: Initially shipped with Android 10, and received updates to Android 11, 12, and 13.
• As part of the Google Pixel lineup, the Pixel 4a is guaranteed to receive regular software updates and security patches for at least 3 years.
• Google’s Android experience: The Pixel 4a offers the cleanest, bloatware-free version of Android, as well as exclusive Google features like:
  • Google Assistant integration
  • Live Transcribe for real-time transcription
  • Digital Wellbeing tools
  • Call Screening and Spam Detection
  • Google Lens integration for quick image searches and visual searches

Pixel devices are known for being among the first to receive the latest Android updates and features.

7. Design and Build

• Dimensions: 144 x 69.4 x 8.2 mm
• Weight: 143 grams (light and compact)
• Material: Polycarbonate unibody (plastic)
• Colors: Black (Just Black)
• Fingerprint Sensor: Rear-mounted fingerprint scanner for security
• Water Resistance: IP53 (resistant to dust and water splashes, but not fully waterproof)

The Pixel 4a is designed to be lightweight and compact, making it easy to handle and operate with one hand. The plastic construction helps keep the phone lightweight, but it still feels solid in hand. The rear-mounted fingerprint scanner is fast and reliable for unlocking the phone and authenticating payments.

8. Connectivity

• 5G: No 5G support (only 4G LTE)
• Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), dual-band
• Bluetooth: Bluetooth 5.0
• NFC: Yes, for contactless payments (Google Pay)
• USB: USB Type-C 3.1
• Audio: No headphone jack, but supports USB Type-C headphones or Bluetooth audio devices.

While the Pixel 4a does not support 5G connectivity (which is available in more recent Pixel models), it still offers good connectivity options with fast Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support.