Google's 2020 flagship is something of an oddball. Sure, it's a very competent phone with the power, camera, performance and build quality. But there are downsides - such as the poor ear speaker, and the larger and cheaper Pixel 4a 5G being much the same - that detract from the overall package.

IP68 dust/water protection; Great display; Plenty of power; Free from bloat; All-round camera performance;

Its larger sibling - the 4a 5G - is cheaper and much the same; Speaker quality is poor; No zoom camera;

Any other year, it would be reasonable to mistake Google's Pixel 5 for a Pixel 5a. Rather than sporting flagship-level specs with a price to match, the Pixel 5 has the midrange hardware and $699 price you typically expect from Google's more affordable a-line. But there is no Pixel 5a—at least not yet—and in 2020, the smartphone market changed rapidly. The year started with $1,000+ flagships and quickly adapted to meet our pandemic-ravaged economy with less expensive models. That makes the Pixel 5 the right phone for now, if not quite as strong a value as our Editors' Choice, the similarly priced Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G. Design and Durability  In terms of design, the Pixel 5 looks similar to the $499 Pixel 4a 5G. And at 5.7 by 2.8 by 0.3 inches (HWD) and weighs 5.3 ounces, it’s almost the same size and weight as the $349 Pixel 4a. It’s currently available in black or sage, though Google showed a gray model at its launch event that we hope will be available in the future. The fron...

The Google Pixel 5 delivers 5G connectivity, excellent cameras, long battery life, and an outstanding Android software experience for a relatively affordable price.

Excellent cameras; Top-notch software experience; Durable build; Long battery life; Approved for C-band connectivity

Lackluster audio quality; Unimpressive processor for the price

I’m all for getting rid of gimmicks on smartphones, first to reduce the price and second because not everyone uses these “features” very often. That’s why I was pretty excited about the Pixel 5, which concentrates on the camera, battery life, software, and most importantly this year, the price. I’ve been using the Pixel 5 for a little while, and frustratingly, Google has gone a little too far in its normalization efforts. Gone are the quirks that made some warm to old Pixels, and while the camera is still a winner, it hasn’t moved the game forward in the way the Pixel 4 did. I’m getting a bit ahead of myself here, so let’s go into detail. Google has never been one for giving the Pixel a wild design, but it is very good at making a sensibly sized phone, and the Pixel 5 is exactly right. The metal body is welcome, as it’s warm to the touch, doesn’t get covered in fingerprints, and should be durable too. The nicely rounded sides make it easy to grip and hold, and the overall size and 8mm ...

Compact and lightweight; Detailed 90Hz screen; Highly capable camera; Two-day battery life;

Dull design; Missing that special quirky Google feature;

Consistent camera quality; Uncluttered take on Android; Gets the essentials right;

Performance only average; Hardware doesn’t excite like previous Pixels; No 3.5mm jack, expandable storage;

The Pixel 5 offers more of the same from the Pixel series, keeping the best bits of the Pixel 4 – excellent photo-taking, clean software – and packaging it in a cheaper phone. It's not perfect though, and the competition around this particular price point is getting stronger.

90Hz refresh rate screen, Premium-quality build, Usual excellent camera

No optical zoom, Not much better than the Pixel 4a 5G, Relatively small screen

Google’s budget-friendly approach has changed the competition, but arguably not its place in the pecking order Punchy, clear OLED screen Class-leading camera Ergonomic, waterproof design Lacklustre sound No zoom lens

The Google Pixel 5 is a great smartphone but we've been spoiled with past Pixels and as a result, the Pixel 5 just doesn't have the same 'wow' factor past Pixel smartphones have had.

Price, Compact size, Easy to use camera, Metal casing (no fingerprints), Brilliant camera AI

No telephoto lens, No headphone jack, Not as ground-breaking as Pixel smartphones once were

This is the latest 5G SmartPhone from Google, in comparison to some recent offerings it is quite small and because of the lack of size it is also quite light. So apart from being one of the first units to have Android 11 what else does this have to offer.

Google goes back to its old tricks, mostly for the better

Excellent photos, especially in the dark, Clean, simple Android software experience, Good battery life

Slow image processing, The mmWave tax increases the price, Panel audio “speaker” is weak and tinny for video and games

The Google Pixel 5 solves my two biggest complaints about the Pixel 4, which to be fair, weren't complaints last year. One is that there's a fingerprint sensor; as I said earlier, any company that made a phone without a fingerprint sensor in 2020 would have to be completely tone-deaf.

Edge-to-edge display, Fingerprint sensor, Camera, 5G support

No XL model, Bland design, mmWave tax