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“The Pixel 5, which Google announced this week, has a lot to recommend it. But the best thing about it might be that it’s not trying to compete with the iPhone 11 or Galaxy S20 at the trendier, celebritized end of the market.”
Gather ’round, avid tech observers, and behold the fresh new face on the smartphone stage: the charming, humble yet charismatic Google Pixel 5. Unveiled recently, this nifty little guy is jam-packed with attractive features, but what really makes it noteworthy isn’t its determination to vie with the popular iPhone 11 or the glitzy Galaxy S20. No, the Pixel 5 doesn’t vie for glamour; it’s far too busy setting its own trend.
The Pixel 5 is not about snooty, high-end features meant for Silicon Valley elites. It isn’t hell-bent on producing dazzling photos that would not look out of place on a glossy magazine cover. And it doesn’t share the ambition of its peers to transform into productive workstations. Quite the opposite. What the Pixel 5 offers, is the quintessence of what a smartphone should be – reliable, user-friendly, and a tool that makes your life easier without you needing an instruction manual thicker than a Tolstoy novel.
With a compact size that actually fits your hand (remember one-handed phone use anyone?), the Pixel 5 doesn’t confuse you with a perplexing array of lenses. It keeps things neat and clean with just two. While it does offer 5G connectivity, it’s more of an ‘nice-to-have’, not a main highlight or a reason to jack up the price the way some brands seem to be doing these days.
But what’s truly endearing about the Pixel 5 is the way it bridges the gap between basics and conveniences. Specs like water resistance, reverse wireless charging, and an OLED screen, might seem to be offered reluctantly, as though Google wanted to keep the Pixel 5 simple but also didn’t want die-hard techies to feel left out.
And speaking of the price, you’re in for a pleasant surprise. At $699, it’s surprisingly affordable in a world where a grand for a phone has become the norm. Not cheap, but without the scary price tag that makes you wonder if you accidentally purchased a small island.
In a nutshell, Pixel 5 is here to woo us back to the basics and remind us that sometimes, less is more. Like that unpretentious guy at the party who doesn’t care about the latest fashion trends, but catches your attention anyway.
Read the original article here: https://www.wired.com/story/gadget-lab-podcast-651/