Can Google's phone beat's iphone 12

The Google Pixel has been a premium product since its inception in 2016. Google wanted the series to rival the iPhone. That is, to have such a tight integration between software and hardware that the experience wasn’t just usable, it was delightful. Until now, however, the company has demanded a premium price to make this happen, but the fact is, Google just doesn’t yet have the die-hard fan base that Apple does. Because of this, Google has had a hard time moving units over the years.

This year, the Mountain View company is taking a different approach. Google is a software company first, and while it still wants the Pixel 5 to be its flagship smartphone for the year, it’s cut some corners to bring the price down to a more affordable level. While last year’s Pixel 4 started at $800, the Pixel 5 costs just $700.

Was the move worth it? Find out in our Google Pixel 5 review.

About this Google Pixel 5 review: So far, I’ve used the Google Pixel 5 over a period of four days. The phone was running Android 11 on the October 2020 security patch. Because we don’t believe four days is enough time to conduct a full Google Pixel 5 review, we’re offering you our initial review, with an update in the form of a full Google Pixel 5 review coming a bit later144.7 x 70.4 x 8.0mm, 151g

Rear-mounted fingerprint sensor

Chrome power button

Aluminum and bio-resin design

IP68 water and dust resistance

6-inch AMOLED (2,340 x 1,080)

19.5:9 aspect ratio

Minimal bezels

Hole-punch selfie cutout

90Hz adaptive refresh rate

When you look at the Google Pixel 5, it is immediately recognizable as a Google phone. It follows the same general design ethos as the Pixel 4a and Pixel 4a 5G and also snags various design elements from last year’s Pixel 4 series. The rounded design and squircle-shaped camera module have become staples for the Pixel series for two years running. The Chrome “G” logo near the bottom of the phone’s back side should help if you were still having trouble determining the phone’s origin.

This year, Google has brought back the rear-mounted fingerprint reader, which is a nice case of foresight on Google’s part considering the ongoing pandemic. The bottom of the phone houses a USB-C port and speakers. The right side sports the volume rocker and a chrome power button. These buttons take a bit of force to press and are fairly clicky, but I noticed they don’t feel quite as clicky as the Pixel 4a’s.