New Pixel Phones Launched: Mediocre Specs But Smart Software

This year’s Pixel launched to very little fanfare. Unlike previous years, 2020’s lowkey event was in line with the caliber of phones launched. Sporting a similar minimalist look to the Pixel 4a, the Pixel 5 and Pixel 4A 5G, feature a hole punch display and a clean, matte-finished rear. However, the Pixel 5 is the only one out of the lot with a 100% recycled aluminum rear panel.

These new phones are a stark contrast to what we are used to seeing from Google each year. Both are powered by a Snapdragon 765G, which is only a mid-range chip. This happens to be the first time in years, that Google’s Pixels have been offered with mediocre hardware. The move maybe an indication of the severity of the economic effects of COVID-19.

But the underlying software is still quite impressive. When you’re kept on hold by a business at the other end of the line, your Pixel phone can monitor the call, while you busy yourself with other work. It will alert you once someone on the other end is ready to tend to your call.

Besides this, HD screen sharing in Duo video calls, will allow you and your friend to watch a video together or enjoy a special moment. And Duo Family HD mode offers interactive tools like coloring over backgrounds, to help keep kids entertained while you chat with them. This feature should help many of us keep in touch with friends and family during this difficult time.

Remember the Pixel’s Recorder and its ability to transcribe audio recordings into text? Well, now you can delete sentences from said text, and have the corresponding audio section deleted as well. Google’s software is smart enough to identify what has been said with what has already been transcribed. It’s a remarkable leap forward in terms of text to speech technology.

The new Pixel phones also come with new cameras. This is what they can do:

• Ultrawide lens for ultra awesome shots: The latest Pixels still get our Super Res Zoom. So whether you’re zooming in or zooming out, you get sharp details and breathtaking images.
• Better videos with Cinematic Pan
• Night Sight in Portrait Mode: Now, these phones bring the power of Night Sight into Portrait Mode to capture beautifully blurred backgrounds in Portraits even in extremely low light.
• Portrait Light: Portrait Mode on the Pixel 4a (5G) and Pixel 5 lets you capture portraits that focus on your subject as the background fades into an artful blur. If the lighting isn’t right, your Pixel can drop in extra light to illuminate your subjects.
• New editor in Google Photos: Google Photos can help you add studio-quality light to your portraits of people with Portrait Light, in the new, more helpful Google Photos editor.

When you purchase a Pixel 4a (5G) or Pixel 5, Google will give you a 3-month free trial for Stadia and YouTube Premium, 100 GB of storage with Google One for three months and Google Play Pass and Gold/Silver Status on Play Points.

Pixel 4a (5G) will be available in Japan on Oct. 15 and eight other countries starting in November. Pixel 5 will be available in eight countries starting Oct. 15, and in the U.S. and Canada starting Oct. 29. Both phones will receive three years of software and security updates.