9 reviews for Google Pixel 5 – 5G Android Phone – Water Resistant – Unlocked Smartphone with Night Sight and Ultrawide Lens – Just Black

1. 

   5 out of 5

   DB – April 15, 2020

   My old Moto X Pure edition was starting to brick, all kinds of issues for the last 1-1/2 years. After research for months, it came down to the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE or the Pixel 5. While I’m sure I would have been happy with either one, certain features finally put this over the top for me.Pros: better camera, cleaner/newer OS, faster updates, more RAM, tougher glass and case, a more reliable fingerprint reader.Cons: smallish case/display size, an older gen processor. But both of these contribute to lower energy requirements and better battery life, which I knew going in.I just received this phone a few days ago, and it has been a HUGE step up from the Moto X Pure, which topped out on Android 7.0 and has not been supported for years. Now that I see how in the dark I’d been, technology-wise, I will be updating to a new phone before the current one becomes un-supported, and not try to nurse an old phone for as long as possible. It’s just not worth it in the long run, considering OS and security updates, and the potential incompatibility with newer apps.My profile for context: mid-60’s, not a power user / content streamer / social media consumer. I will likely upgrade to a Pixel XL if/when released in 4th quarter 2021 for easier reading of a larger display with older eyes.So IMO, if you are considering this phone, you will not be disappointed. If you get it, I recommend getting these with it: the Spigen Ultra Hybrid clear case, and the Anker PowerWave II wireless charging stand; both have been outstanding accessories so far.

2. 

   5 out of 5

   piquet – May 22, 2020

   Just switched from the I phone 11 pro to this new pixel and hand down a better phone. I thought the 12 pro was just over priced and wanted to switch things up and I’m happy I did. The camera and the battery and that 90 hrs just can’t be best. Plus getting pure android with no bloat ware is a huge plus in my mind. And the price is perfect. I know they put the smaller chip set in this so we see how holds up over time but one month in and has not for anything but faster. Recommend to anyone who is tired of paying over a 1000 dollars for a flag ship phone. Oh and now only pixel owners get free unlimited photo storage any more. Really that’s how google should have been doing it all along. Like if your going to not buy a google phone why should you expect free cloud storage. Think it’s a wise move on google end.

3. 

   5 out of 5

   Patrick Correll – June 18, 2020

   Main selling point for me is the one-handability. It’s the perfect size.I much prefer the soft touch back over glass, as it’s not fingerprint prone.The camera’s ease-of-use is elegant, and the quality of photos is too notch.Connectivity and service supports modern WiFi and US bands. I’ve got 5G in my medium sized town on TMobile. I didn’t have to do anything but switch my SIM card over, and my email synced my contacts. If you want to all of your apps to sync coming from a previous Android phone, you can do that too.Screen brightness can get pretty bright.The bezels are the same size all the way around. It’s pleasing.Colors are vivid and accurate.Google’s default/stock Android experience is the best Android experience and the easiest Android experience by far, so this is the best that is offered in terms of Android phones in my experience.The chip is older, but this is intentional. Paired with a large battery for this display size, battery life will last you well beyond a day. This helps cut cost a bit compared to other flagships, passing the value down to the consumer.Other phones to consider: The thumbprint of the Pixel 4A is nearly identical to the Pixel 5, except with slightly thinner bezels, making a larger screen. The 4A 5G variant is larger than either phone and middle in cost.

4. 

   5 out of 5

   Tom Art – June 18, 2020

   I’m coming from a Pixel 2 XL, so that’s my point of comparison.Good:- 90hz screen: It’s wonderfully smooth. The phone feels incredibly responsive and the difference between this and the 2 XL screen is very noticeable. Gives you just as much usable space as the 2 XL, but with so much less weight/bevel.- Pixel software: It’s as usual, excellent. No bloatware whatsoever and none of the “slow feeling” you get over time on other Android manufacturers, though of course this phone is still new to me.- Camera: It’s very good. Pay no mind to the concerns about the sensor–what matters is real-life usage, and the lack of an absolutely bleeding-edge sensor does not negatively impact the camera at all. See note about processing speed in below.- Price/value: Closest competition in the price range Samsung S20 FE. Hardware wise, the Samsung gives more for the price, but it’s still not worth it to me, because I like to hold onto my phones for 3+ years and the Samsung software just does not stay snappy and smooth for that long. Never mind that you have to deal with a bunch of preloaded bloatware on Samsung. The 4a and 4a 5G are nice and much cheaper, but you miss out on a 90hz screen + waterproofing + the more resilient screen, which are all very valuable to me.Bad:- Camera processing: The lack of a separate chip for processing images means that the time it takes for a picture to be visible in perfect quality after you take it is noticeable. It’s not a problem at all if you’re taking three or less pictures (or if you’re not immediately checking to see what the picture looked like), but if you’re taking a bunch at once, you may occasionally find yourself getting frustrated by the seconds it takes to actually be able to flip through all the pictures.- Speaker quality: Not great, especially compared to the two front-facing speakers of the 2 XL. If you rely heavily on speakers for music you may want to look for another phone. I personally use headphones most of the time and the quality of the speakers is good enough for the occasional song, YouTube video, or podcast that I use it for.

5. 

   5 out of 5

   Ryan – July 12, 2020

   This is the best choice for a modern phone in 2020! It has great power-efficient specs, 90 Hz display, long-lasting battery, all-screen design (no notch!), very responsive fingerprint reader (for those who cannot use face unlock), minimum 3 years software support from Google (stock Android!) and 5G (for those who really want that). It also has other features you would expect like USB-C and it supports all of those higher bitrate Bluetooth codecs like aptX and LDAC. Note that with the all-screen design, there are limited options for positioning the built-in speakers (not front facing), so there is one at the top under the display and the other one is on the bottom side. The speakers are plenty adequate although I use Bluetooth headphones a majority of the time with phone calls, listening to music, or really anything.

6. 

   5 out of 5

   ShawnShawn – August 1, 2020

   I was quite happy with my Pixel 3 until recently its battery drained like crazy. I only got ~2.5hrs of screen-on time and I knew it’s about time for an upgrade. My first choice has always been a new Pixel since I’m a huge fan of Google phones (I owned Nexus 5, Nexus 6P, Pixel XL OG and Pixel 3). My only concern this year is the 765G chipset, and I almost considered purchasing an iPhone 12. Fortunately, I decided to take a chance and give Pixel 5 a shot… and it really impressed me, big time!Pros:1. TOP-NOTCH fingerprint sensor. All my Nexus/Pixel phones except Nexus 5 had a fingerprint sensor, and over the years I can tell its progression in terms of unlocking speed. However, I’ve always been having issues to unlock, either due to my sweaty hands or a dusty sensor, which sadly happened about 50% of the time. But Pixel 5’s sensor is in a different league. It’s so fast and reliable, and I can successfully unlock almost 99% of the time!2. The phone is smooth as butter thanks to the 90hz screen and 8 gigs of RAM. Screen tone is on the warm side (similar to Nexus 5 which I liked a lot!) comparing to Pixel 3, and it’s also brighter. I would upgrade my phone just because of this screen alone.3. Perfect dimension for someone appreciates “compact” phones. The symmetrical bezel design looks amazing. It’s pretty much of the same size of Pixel 3, but houses a slightly bigger screen. Feels comfortable holding in hand or keeping in pocket.Cons:1. The under-display earpiece slightly affects call quality (degrades about 20%) and muffles as a speaker. I personally don’t care it so much since I rarely use my phone as a boombox.2. The cameras haven’t impressed me, unfortunately… though there are so many good words about them on the internet. I still remember the first time I took an HDR photo under complex lighting condition using my original Pixel XL, it was mind-blowing, but Pixel 5’s cameras just aren’t significantly better than those on my good old Pixel 3. Hopefully I can appreciate them in the future, as I take more photos on my Pixel 5.3. Not the perfect handset if you’re a savage mobile gamer. Don’t get me wrong, Snapdragon 765G is more than enough for normal uses, and has no issue offering user experience that’s probably better than most premium phones. Even for gaming, I can still run Genshin Impact (which is a graphics-heavy game that almost killed my Pixel 3) on Pixel 5 with mid-low graphic settings without any problem. But you might need something else if you need the best graph and highest frame rates while gaming.

7. 

   5 out of 5

   Matthew Giebner – September 6, 2020

   Alright I’m going to be completely honest. I debated and researched all the Pixel phones from the 4 to the 4a, 4a 5G, and 5. I had a 3 previously that I happened to drop just right and cracked the screen. I no joke researched the different newer Pixels for 2 weeks at the least. I watched reviews and read articles. I was worried about all the talk about the under display speaker on the 5 along with the older chip, there may have been one or two other main complaints I was concerned about. I have to say though, I absolutely love this phone. Yes, sometimes you have to wait a few seconds when you take a picture to let the software work it’s magic with the slower processor, but honestly I don’t find it a big deal at all. For everyday social media use and the random Google search it runs just fine. It feels great in the hands, not too big that you can’t reach 3/4 of it yet not so small you don’t want to use it. Which also means it isn’t like shoving a tablet or brick in your pocket! Google made an excellent choice when they made this phone because the battery is just amazing. I have yet to charge it to 100% and I’ve had the phone about 3 weeks now. It drops about 5% battery overnight consistently. I charge it to in the 90% range once every few days. The other days I give it a quick charge to somewhere in the 60-80% range then go on about my life. Now for the speakers. Yes they could be better. For video watching it gets plenty loud and personally I feel there is no issue. I don’t expect a.azing sound from a phone. I am a bit of an audiophile though and again I have zero issues watching videos on this device. As for the call quality,…. Ah, I love it! Crystal clear sound quality and you don’t seem to have to hold it just right to your ear like traditional exposed speaker phones. I’m completely satisfied with making the decision to go with this Pixel 5! If you just want a good quality built phone and don’t heavily game or do a bunch of heavy processor load usage then this gem of a phone will most likely leave you very satisfied!

8. 

   5 out of 5

   Jerry D. Smith – September 6, 2020

   Updated on 1/29/2021: I returned my original phone through Amazon (which they did without complaint), and tried a different Pixel 5. The audio in it is much better than my original phone. I’m not sure what this means about audio quality on average with Pixel 5’s, but I’m fully satisfied with my replacement phone. This resolved my only real issue wit the Pixel 5. I’ve changed my rating from 2 to 5 stars.Original: There’s a lot to like in this phone, but poor audio quality (with or without turning on Google’s “Adaptive Audio” feature) and poor Google Support (expect them to tell you to factory reset your phone and then drop your issue) really ruin it. When I say poor audio, I mean: very weak and distorted sound at mid-volume, almost no volume increase but much more distortion at max volume. It’s very hard to use the phone in an environment with any noise because it’s just too hard to hear. My old Pixel 2 XL sounds fantastic by comparison. Google Support said audio should be fine, and walked me though software tweaks – things like turning off Bluetooth and switching between wifi and cellular data. They then had me boot to safe mode, which deleted all of my widgets and turned off other customizations like an alternative keyboard that I use. I had to manually restore these after leaving “safe mode”. Next step was to backup my phone and factory reset it, which lost me some of my most recent texts even though I backed up after receiving them. After all that, Google Support suggested I contact a warranty repair shop on a phone that I took out of the box for the first time 3 days ago. The phone is sleek, has a nice display, good camera and great battery life; but it’s a crummy phone. I can’t give it more than 2 stars. Google Support deserves 0 stars.

9. 

   5 out of 5

   D. Chum – September 17, 2020

   I purchased this through Google and received it last week. Have been using it for a few days now. I’m coming from a Pixel 4 which has a better and faster processor.Battery life is amazing. I started the day with 100% battery and after 16 hours of heavy use, I was still left with 30-40% every time! With the Pixel 4, I would have to recharge at least once.Camera and video quality is similar to the Pixel 4, which means that it is still high quality!The build quality doesn’t feel as premium as the Pixel 4. It’s actually smaller than my old Pixel 4 and is a lot lighter. I actually prefer this feel than the heavy premium feel of the 4.All in all, I am very satisfied with this phone. Love it!