Design and Build

The Google Pixel 5a 5G is equipped with an aluminum unibody that is covered in plastic to increase its lifespan, and it has a Gorilla Glass 3 front for maximum protection, though the design is not that trendy. The handset comes with a small size of 6.1 x 2.9 x 0.3 inches (154.9 x 73.7 x 7.6 mm) and a lightweight of 6.5 ounces (183g), so it is very handy. Besides, the phone is only available in Mostly Black with a green-tinted power button, thus, other color options are not available. The placement of the sensor at the device’s back is a poor opinion according to most users, who instead are of the view that fingerprint sensors placed under the screen are much better. With IP67 certification, the protection of the phone is up to 1 meter under the water surface in 30 minutes, but it is a reduction from the Pixel 5's IP68. Also, the USB-C 3.1 port is for both nano-SIM and eSIM, and even though the lack of wireless charging and plastic feel are considered annoying by some users, the phone has many strengths.

• Aluminum unibody, Gorilla Glass 3, plastic coating
• IP67 rating (water and dust resistance up to 1m for 30 min)
• Rear-mounted fingerprint sensor, no face unlock
• USB-C 3.1 port
• Physical nano-SIM + eSIM

Pixel 5a 5G Display

The Pixel 5a 5G has a 6.34-inch OLED display (1080 x 2400 resolution or 413 PPI) that is also upgraded by HDR. Its 60Hz refresh rate is rather old-fashioned if the Pixel 5's 90Hz is the standard, plus the screen brightness incidentally reaches up to ~700 nits, which is not enough for a bright day. Gorilla Glass 3 is just the minimum protection, and scratches are the issue. The bigger screen is really nice for playing new media. However, people noticed that the scrolling is not as smooth as they expected.

• 6.34-inch OLED
• 1080 x 2400 resolution, 413 PPI
• HDR support
• ~700 nits (peak)
• Gorilla Glass 3 protection
• 60Hz refresh rate

Performance and Software

The Pixel 5a 5G is equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G (7nm) with an 8-core CPU (1x 2.4 GHz Cortex-A76, 1x 2.2 GHz Cortex-A76, 6x 1.8 GHz Cortex-A55), Adreno 620 GPU, and Titan M security chip, and has 6GB LPDDR4 RAM and 128GB storage ($449), which is not expandable. That's while the phone operates using Android 11 OS, but it is upgradable to Android 14, with the offer of 3 years of OS and security updates until August 2024, which in reality already ended in April 2025 It is really good in performing simple tasks; however, the phone will get really hot if 4K video recording or gaming operation is continued over a long period, and it is also reported to have thermal throttling.

• Snapdragon 765G with 8-core CPU, Adreno 620 GPU, Titan M
• 6GB LPDDR4 RAM
• Storage: 128GB
• Android 11 (3 years updates, ended August 2024)
• Optimized for AI, photography

The Snapdragon 765G is adequate for its price but lags behind the Pixel 6a’s Tensor chip in AI tasks. Users praise the clean software but criticize the expired update support and occasional camera app crashes post-update.

Camera System

The Pixel 5a 5G has a 12.2MP main camera (f/1.7, 27mm, OIS) and a 16MP ultra-wide camera (f/2.2, 107° FOV) in its back, while the 8MP front camera (f/2.0) does not have the function of autofocus. Google's computational photography technology brings out very crisp photos with vivid colors, especially the part in low light where Night Sight really shines, although 4K 60fps video recording, comparing to that of flagships, is still soft in terms of quality in most cases.

• Rear: 12.2MP Main (f/1.7, OIS), 16MP Ultra-wide (f/2.2)
• Front: 8MP (f/2.0)
• Video: 4K 60 fps (rear), 1080p (front)
• Modes: Night Sight, Portrait Mode, Astrophotography
• LED flash

Battery and Charging

The Pixel 5a 5G has a 4680mAh battery that can work for about 14 hours of video playback or 12 - 14 hours in real-world use. This certainly outperforms the 10-hour battery of the Pixel 4a 5G. With a 50% charge in 40 minutes from 18W wired charging the battery can be recharged, but it is not compatible with Qi wireless charging. As a result, the package does not include a charger. Except that the battery is widely recognized for being long but here is the issue with charging, as well as the fact that the phone can get warm during this process as well as during heavy use

• 4680mAh battery
• Up to 14 hours video playback, ~12–14 hours real-world
• 18W wired charging (50% in 40 min)
• No wireless charging
• No charger included (USB-C cable only)

Connectivity

The Pixel 5a 5G is compatible with 5G (sub-6GHz), Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), and Bluetooth 5.0, supporting GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, and QZSS. For those who prefer a wider choice of network connections, it embraces the nano-SIM, eSIM, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. It is worth noting that the phone does not have mmWave, UWB, nor satellite; additionally, the

• 5G modem (sub-6GHz)
• Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)
• Bluetooth 5.0
• 3.5mm headphone jack
• Physical nano-SIM + eSIM
• No mmWave, UWB, or satellite connectivity
• GPS: GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS

Pricing and Availability

Launched at $449 for 128GB, the Pixel 5a 5G was announced on August 17, 2021, with sales starting August 26, 2021, via Google Store and select carriers (e.g., Google Fi). Limited to the US and Japan, it’s often discounted to $299–$349. The Pixel 6a ($449) offers better performance and longer updates, reducing the 5a’s appeal in 2025.