The Google Pixel 4, since its announcement, was known to come with important aspects in its screen, in its performance, as well as in its cameras, and others that actually would not like so much.
Read on for a full Google Pixel 4 review to help you find out if, for you, it’s worth it.
In the design of the Google Pixel 4 the first thing we notice is that there is an improvement over its predecessor, in this case we see it equipped with an upper frame without notch, but which is quite wide than you would see in any other terminal in its category.
The reason for this unusual frame is about the presence of a 3D camera for facial recognition, and the Soli radar chip that serves to identify gestures in the air. Apart from, of course, its front camera.
The back of the Google Pixel 4 does not give us two finishes as was the case with previous models, in this case we have a glass back surface that is uniform, flat, and boasts a finish glossy enough to charm.
In the upper left corner of the back panel is the square-looking camera module that resembles the iPhone 11 Pro. The thickness of this phone is 8.2 mm, weighing 162 grams. Its chassis, for example, is made of aluminum with a matte finish.
The screen of the Google Pixel 4 offers a 5.7″ flexible OLED panel protected with Gorilla Glass 5. Its resolution is Full HD+ (2,280 x 1,080 pixels), which raises its pixel density to 444 ppi. This looks very sharp, so it has nothing to envy to the Quad HD+ resolution.
The sub-pixel array that this terminal has is of the Pentile type. And Google claims that especially this device has a UHDA certification for being a Premium HDR device. To achieve this merit it is necessary to reproduce more than 90% of the DCI-P3 color space.
Other news that gave us the Google Pixel 4 in relation to its display is its refresh rate, which goes from the 60Hz that were taken as usual, and reaches 90Hz. This translates to a more fluid display especially when scrolling in applications such as Twitter, Chrome, Instagram, or the same photo gallery.
You should know that, with the intention of creating a battery saving, some applications will not be displayed at 90Hz. The screen color modes offered are natural, enhanced and automatic (which is the default).
The performance of the Google Pixel 4 is supported by its Snapdragon 855 processor, built in 7mm, being one of the most powerful Qualcomm chips. The same integrates four high-performance Cortex-A76 cores to ensure optimal device performance.
The Snapdragon gives you a performance of up to 45% higher in a single core, and up to 35% in the case of multi-core if we want to make a comparison with its predecessor, the Snapdragon 845. Apart, Qualcomm has highlighted the ability of the processor to maintain sustained performance over time.
For its part, the Google Pixel 4 arrives with 6 GB of LPDDR4x RAM, an amount that is below other high-end smartphones. What benefits this device is that it does not have a heavy customization layer as is the case with other manufacturers, so the 6 GB should be enough.
As interesting data is the Titan security chip, which serves to store sensitive information, and the Nueral Core chip, capable of accelerating machine learning algorithms used in artificial intelligence applications.
The battery of the Google Pixel 4 has a capacity of 2,800mAh, a somewhat meager amount if we take into account that it is a device with a considerable screen size. In the PCMark autonomy test it lasted about 7 hours with 33 minutes before discharging, with a screen brightness at 200 nits.
The above result is certainly something that does not stand out if we consider other high-end smartphones, since, in the same test, they usually exceed 9 or 10 hours, so you could conclude that the autonomy of this device is a little fair.
You should be aware that if you are used to take a lot of pictures, take videos, among other actions, you can be fine for a whole day, but without the certainty that you are charged for the night. In the event that you use it moderately, the time is extended.
The Android 10 of the Google Pixel 4 offers the so-called Smart Battery, which takes into account the most used apps to limit the use of it in the background. There’s also the Battery Saver option, increasing battery life while disabling some device functions, as well as background app refreshing.
The interface of the Google Pixel 4, as already mentioned, offers us Android 10 input, with a close experience for being Google terminal, and for being the case of a Pixel this company is allowed to make a couple of changes in the launcher.
The quick search bar is at the bottom, closer to the finger, with the intention that it will be used frequently. This will allow you to search both on the internet and in the data that is stored on your device. Another interesting point is the gesture-based interface control system.
If you slide your finger from the bottom all the way to the top you will open the app drawer, in case you keep it pressed on the screen you will enter the multitasking view, if you drag it from the right edge, or from the left, you will go backwards.
However, the Google Pixel 4 gives you the possibility to recover the manual button panel, although the idea is that only people with accessibility problems use them. Other aspects such as app icons, with rounded appearance, are also appreciated, as well as the always-on screen functionality.
Among the multimedia aspects of the Google Pixel 4 we find a stereo sound thanks to the presence of two speakers, only the lower speaker in this case is located next to the USB Type-C connector, which makes the perception of stereo not really the best.
While in other smartphones there are 15 volume steps between absolute silence and maximum power, in this case we find 25 steps, a quality that allows you to better tune the volume level you want. Although, it’s not all doom and gloom when it comes to this device.
The Google Pixel 4 lacks a headphone jack, so you’ll have to get a USB-C to 3.5mm adapter, or join the Bluetooth headphone slingshot. Another change is that Google decided to say goodbye to Play Music to introduce YouTube Music, with a very limiting free version.
The camera of the Google Pixel 4 offers two cameras. While we know that there are already many other manufacturers that, as a minimum, offer two cameras in their recent models, this is something that Google had avoided until now, so the improvement is appreciated.
However, it still lags behind other of its competitors where they also include an ultra wide-angle camera, or a ToF depth sensor. Its main camera is 12.2 megapixels, with an f/1.7 aperture lens, quite wide, but it does not stand out among its direct competition.
Its second telephoto camera offers an optical zoom close to 2x, through a lens with f/2.4 aperture, which is not too bright. However, the quality of these is usually so good that it has nothing to envy as long as you know how to use the tools, and the environment in which they operate.
The front camera of the Google Pixel 4 is aided by the 3D facial recognition camera, and has about 8 megapixels with an f/2.0 aperture lens.
Video recording the Google Pixel 4 with the rear camera is 1080p, and 4K at 30 fps, but does not record videos in 4K at 60 fps.
The interesting thing is that it allows us to select whether we want to save the videos in the traditional format (H.264) or the more modern (H.265), reducing the size of the videos without reducing their quality.
In general, its videos offer a very good quality, highlighting their stabilization.
Google Pixel 4 launch date was on the 15th of October of 2019.
The Google Pixel 4 has guaranteed Android Updates until October 2022, making it a harder decision if the Google Pixel 4 still worthi it in 2022.
Not having guaranteed Android Update means that the phone won’t work any more, but it is better to have software up to date so that it works properly and smoothly.
As well the security updates of the Google Pixel 4 will be until october 2022.
The reduced prices of the Google Pixel 4 makes it an attractive phone, that it can still be considered to be bought and be used for 1 or 2 years more before thinking in another Google Pixel change.
Well the main reason to think that the Google Pixel 4 must be considered is the lower price.
Year after year, Google launches the newset and best Pixel phones, but the prices might be too high for some, hence the neccessity to seek out for a more affordable option made by Google.
The Google Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro are the newest flagship Pixel android phones with Android 13, 5g, software updates for the camera system and better camera hardware.
But does the Pixel 4 really competes agains these newer models, well short answer in terms of software and hardware, no.
The Google Pixel 4 still can be used really well in the current year, but as it has been stopped to receive software support, it is likely that in the upcoming years it will loose performance.
The Pixel 5 series are dropping its prices, so it might be better to start considering them instead of the Pixel 4 and 4 XL.
Google Pixel 4 can be found in ebay for 149.95 in open box. Even though, acquiring this Google phone for under $200 is a great deal, since the camera worth it.
Google Pixel 4 updated is running in Android 11. For all Android users, this operative system is a friendly user one.
DXOMark has ranked Google's cameras on top performers.
Google Pixel 4 Battery has 2,800mAh and in comparison to Google Pixel phones, it is now on a lower range of lasting.
Considering that there are more newer Google Pixel alternatives, it is better to think in purchasing version above the Google Pixel 5.
In terms of battery life, the Google Pixel 5 is better with its 4,080 mAH of capacity.
As well, another difference is the RAM, where the Google Pixel 5 has 8 GB and the Google Pixel 6 GB.
Google Pixel 4 will have guaranteed updates until October 2022.
