The Google Pixel 4a is a great phone at a great price, but is it too late to matter?
PCWorld|September 2020
Time isn’t on its side.
MICHAEL SIMON
The Google Pixel 4a is a great phone at a great price, but is it too late to matter?

At long last and longer rumor, the Google Pixel 4a has arrived, adding another strong entry to a very crowded midrange market. As premium phone sales continue to plummet due to the coronavirus, the Pixel 4a should be the 2020 value phone to beat, with surprisingly good looks and an aggressive $349 price tag.

But while the Pixel 4a brings all the things you’d expect from a Google phone—namely an optimized UI and an excellent camera—it might be too little, too late. Google has built an excellent phone for an excellent price, but so have so many others. In just the time since it was originally rumored to launch at Google I/O in May, the Samsung Galaxy A51 (go. pcworld.com/gasr), OnePlus Nord (go. pcworld.com/1nrd), and TCL 10 Pro (go. pcworld.com/tc10)—not to mention the iPhone SE (go.pcworld.com/12th)—have brought extreme value to the non-premium smartphone market.

Since the Pixel 3a (go.pcworld.com/pl3a) launched in May 2019, midrange smartphones have gained bigger screens, better cameras, and more premium features, making it easier for customers to resist the call of the four-figure titans. Android phone makers have also gotten much better at pushing updates. So while there’s enough about the Pixel 4a to make it a very intriguing addition to the Pixel family, it might need to offer a little more to lure buyers. Namely, a months-ago release.

CHEAP PRICE AND CHEAP PLASTIC

Esta historia es de la edición September 2020 de PCWorld.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

Esta historia es de la edición September 2020 de PCWorld.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

MÁS HISTORIAS DE PCWORLDVer todo
Private Internet Access: A low-price, high-value VPN for everyone
PCWorld

Private Internet Access: A low-price, high-value VPN for everyone

This veteran VPN shows it can still hang with the best.

time-read
8 minutos  |
November 2024
Hands-on: Kensington's first Thunderbolt 5 dock is built for the future
PCWorld

Hands-on: Kensington's first Thunderbolt 5 dock is built for the future

Thunderbolt 5 is here...but you'll need more than just this well-built Kensington dock to take advantage of it.

time-read
5 minutos  |
November 2024
Tested: Intel's Lunar Lake chip wants you to forget Qualcomm laptops exist
PCWorld

Tested: Intel's Lunar Lake chip wants you to forget Qualcomm laptops exist

Great battery life, mediocre performance, surprisingly decent gaming: That is how Intel's Lunar Lake chip stacks up.

time-read
10+ minutos  |
November 2024
7 laptop habits that coax the most out of your battery
PCWorld

7 laptop habits that coax the most out of your battery

Don't send your laptop into an early grave.

time-read
4 minutos  |
November 2024
WordPad is gone from Windows 11. Here's how to bring it back
PCWorld

WordPad is gone from Windows 11. Here's how to bring it back

With the arrival of Windows 11 version 24H2, WordPad is officially gone. Want to keep using it? You're in luck.

time-read
2 minutos  |
November 2024
Hackers know your social security number. Here's how to stay safe
PCWorld

Hackers know your social security number. Here's how to stay safe

Thanks to a multitude of data leaks, your most sensitive information is now easily accessible to the world.

time-read
4 minutos  |
November 2024
20 insanely useful Windows 11 keyboard shortcuts I use every day
PCWorld

20 insanely useful Windows 11 keyboard shortcuts I use every day

After so many years, I'm still discovering new keyboard shortcuts.

time-read
7 minutos  |
November 2024
WHAT THE HECK IS AN NPU, ANYWAY? HERE'S AN EXPLAINER ON AI CHIPS
PCWorld

WHAT THE HECK IS AN NPU, ANYWAY? HERE'S AN EXPLAINER ON AI CHIPS

ALL PCS WILL SOON HAVE NEURAL PROCESSING UNITS. HERE'S WHAT THAT MEANS FOR YOU IN SIMPLE TERMS.

time-read
7 minutos  |
November 2024
WINDOWS 11'S 2024 UPDAATE: 5 BIG CHANGES I REALLY LIKE (AND MORE)
PCWorld

WINDOWS 11'S 2024 UPDAATE: 5 BIG CHANGES I REALLY LIKE (AND MORE)

WINDOWS 11'S ANNUAL UPDATE IS ROLLING OUT OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS.

time-read
8 minutos  |
November 2024
Hackers are using AI-generated code for malware attacks
PCWorld

Hackers are using AI-generated code for malware attacks

Two separate attacks have been spotted using code that was probably written by artificial intelligence.

time-read
1 min  |
November 2024