Google announced the Pixel 5 a couple of weeks ago, and after having to deal with misstep after misstep from FedEx, the device is finally here. And frankly, this is one of those devices that I really do look forward to every year. That"s even more so this year, as the Pixel 5 supports 5G. I really don"t use the Pixel 4 much anymore due to its limited connectivity.
Yes, I know, 5G doesn"t make that much of a difference. The sub6 5G that I have access to isn"t much better than 4G LTE, but even if it"s just a little better, why wouldn"t I want that better connectivity? And of course, if you"re on Verizon and can only get mmWave, that"s pretty much useless. Millimeter waves are super-fast, but they only work outdoors, as they can be blocked so easily that you won"t even get the signal with the device in your pocket.
The Pixel 5 also returns to its roots of being made out of aluminum, but that doesn"t mean that it"s without wireless charging. On the contrary, it supports Qi charging just like its predecessor did, thanks to some plastic in the chassis that makes it possible. The big new color is called Sorta Sage, and unlike last year"s Oh So Orange, it looks like Google sent out the new color to all reviewers this time.
It looks awesome, partially because it"s a bit different from anything else you"ll find, and it"s more subtle, unlike the very bold Oh So Orange. It has a metallic green power button and the metallic Google logo, adding a bit of style to the device. And yes, the fingerprint sensor is back, so you can once again unlock your device with a mask on.
Yes, going to all facial recognition and removing the fingerprint sensor sounded like a great idea in October 2019. And then, of course, a pandemic happened a few months later and now we"re all wearing masks.
You might recall that last year"s Pixel 4 debuted a telephoto lens, and there was a bit of outrage over Google not going with an ultra-wide sensor, or even using all three like most companies do. That changed this year. The Mountain View firm swapped out the telephoto lens in favor of an ultra-wide sensor.
Check out the unboxing video below: