GOOGLE PIXEL 5

A compact flagship phone that doesn’t quite hit the mark for photographers

Google has carved out a bit of a reputation for quality, no-nonsense phones with excellent cameras and the brand hopes to continue that with the Pixel 5. However, after the muted reception of the Pixel 4, Google’s taken a bit of a change of direction with the Pixel 5.

For a flagship phone, the Pixel 5 has the smallest display of the four phones here at just 6.0-inches. You certainly lose some decent screen real estate, but the pay off is a much more pocketable device, while the design is less ‘flash’ than rivals, especially if you opt for the ‘Sorta Sage’ finish. It’s also refreshing that Google’s opted to use metal for the body rather than the high-gloss finishes of its rivals.

In an effort to keep the price very competitive, Google seems to have opted to cut back some of the features of the Pixel 5. It certainly feels that way when it comes to the Pixel 5’s camera, featuring just the two cameras. There’s no telephoto optic here which is a shame, but two wide-angle lenses. The wide 27mm f/1.7 lens with a 12MP sensor

(with 1.4µmm pixels) acts as the Pixel 5’s primary camera, and there’s an ultra-wide 16.5mm f/2.2 lens with a 16MP sensor

(with 1.0µmm pixels), while there’s no depth sensor to assist with bokeh shots. The pixel pitch on both sensors is pretty conservative with Google relying on its backend software to make up the shortfall. Despite some clever processing, the Pixel 5 can’t overcome the hardware shortcomings and it struggles to control noise as well as its rivals.

Dynamic range could be better as well, but it’s not all bad news as detail and colour rendition is handled nicely here. There are plenty of auto modes on tap, but it lacks manual control, though there is the option to shoot in RAW if desired.