With 2019 coming to a close and pretty much every other brand out there having already released their flagship models, all eyes were on Google’s Made by Google 19′ event to see what the pixel 4 series has to offer, or rather, see if everything that’s been leaked about the phone is true or not. Google’s Pixel series of phones are arguably the most leaked device on the planet, with Google even going as far as to leak it’s own device this year.
That being said, the event pretty much confirmed everything we already knew about the phone, though there were some surprises. Let’s start with it’s price. The Pixel 4 will set you back USD799 while the Pixel 4 XL comes in at a 100 dollars more. So what exactly do you get for roughly RM3350?
A great display
Well, for one, you get a 90Hz max refresh rate. The Pixel 4 XL has a 6.3 inch Quad HD display, while the Pixel 4 comes in at 5.7 inches with a 1080p display. In this sense, Google actually took a page from the OnePlus 7 Pro with the high refresh rate. It may not seem like much but once you’ve used a 90Hz screen, it’s hard to go back to using a regular 60Hz one.
How it looks
In terms of the phones design, it actually looks like a hipster version of the iPhone 11 Pro. The pixel 4 has gotten a refreshed industrial design with the square camera element all tucked in neatly around the sides by a slick-looking aluminum band. To top that off, the phone loses the ugly notch that it had in the previous generation. This time, Google opted for a more traditional forehead bezel.
Jam packed with sensors
Speaking of the top bezel, the main reason Google got rid of the notch on the Pixel 4 is so it could house all the sensors the company jammed into the device. These sensors enable two new features- One being Google’s very own face unlock system, which is apparently the first Android phone with face unlock that is secure enough to be used for payments with Google Pay as well as with password apps. On top of that, there’s a new interaction method called Motion Sense. This allows the Pixel 4 to be controlled with hand gestures — Cuz touching your phone is SO last year.
Introducing Google #pixel4, our most helpful phone yet. Built around the Google software you know and love that you won't find on any other smartphone. #madebygoogle pic.twitter.com/JZxU2phmcW
— Google (@Google) October 15, 2019
The Engine & That Dual Camera
Under the hood, the devices sport Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 855 processor, which come with either 64GB or 128GB of storage, and have 6GB RAM, all of which is pretty standard for a flagship today. The biggest noticeable difference about the new Pixel devices is the fact that it now sports 2 cameras instead of 1. Now, it’s dual camera setup is VERY unconventional in the sense that Google opted to go add a telephoto camera instead of a wide angle that literally every other company has done. The main camera is the same 12-megapixel one found on the Pixel 3 and has the same f/1.7 wide angle lens. The new f/2.4 “telephoto” camera has a 16-megapixel sensor and provides 2x optical zoom.
I’m pretty sure the camera performance on the Pixel 4 is going to be out of this world. I mean, Remember how great the picture quality was on the Pixel 3 with just the one camera? I’m rather apprehensive about the Pixel 4’s video capabilities though. The Pixel series has always had shoddy video capabilities and I expect the Pixel 4 to be no different. Time will tell though.
Sub-Par Battery Capacity
The most peculiar thing about the device is the fact that Google actually decreased the battery capacity on the Pixel 4 to 2800mAh from 2915mAh on the Pixel 3. For a benchmark, the OnePlus 7 Pro has a 4000mAh battery. While it may make absolutely no sense on paper, my guess is that Google has something up their sleeves with Android 10 optimization. Meaning the new OS should be energy efficient enough for Google to feel confident about putting a 2800mAh battery on a flagship smartphone in 2019.
Don’t Write The Pixel 4 Off
One thing to remember is that the Google Pixel phones have NEVER been spec sheet champions, but rather rely on a series of software optimizations done by the company to make the phone perform. So while the device may not be the most impressive on paper, you don’t want to write it off.
