Google Pixel 4a vs. iPhone SE: Can a cheap Android handset beat Apple's best-ever budget iPhone?

Look out Apple, there’s a new low­cost competitor in town.

- MICHAEL SIMON

The iPhone SE might be Apple’s unexpected hit of 2020, but there’s a new competitor in town: the Google Pixel 4a (go.macworld.com/4arv). But Google’s newest midrange handset is going to need a lot more than a low price to take on Apple’s mighty budget block­ buster. Here’s how the two smartphones measure up.

DESIGN

I never thought I’d see the day when Google designs a nicer phone than Apple, but it is hard to deny the Pixel 4a’s good looks. It has relatively slim and uniform bezels all around thanks to its hole-punch camera, an extremely compact and light frame, and a classy all-black exterior. Even with a far-bigger display, the Pixel 4a has similar dimensions and weight as the SE:

Pixel 4a: 144 x 69.4 x 8.2mm, 148 grams

iPhone SE: 138.4 x 67.3 x 7.3mm, 143 grams

When it comes to the back of the phone, the SE has the advantage. Not only does the Pixel 4a have an ugly and largely unnecessary camera array, it’s also made of plastic and comes in just one color— black. The SE, on the other hand, comes in three colors and is made of glass, so it feels more luxurious and is less prone to scratches. Even the camera bump is nicer on the SE, with a single circle surrounded by an aluminum ring.