Pixel 4 Pixel 4 and its sibling, the Pixel 4 XL share several similarities but there are some features that make them different offers for different needs. For a longer battery life, users should definitely opt for the 4 XL. Pixel 4 was released on October 15. However, the handset is not launched in India. Display Pixel 4 has a smaller screen than most of other flagship Android phones on the market. However, it is by no mean a bad handset. The phone features a colorful and bright OLED with resolution of Full HD+. Google has a not so positive experience with Pixel 2’s screen so this time, while packing a higher resolution, users will probably not notice any difference with this size. For an average user, Pixel 4’s screen is large enough for most tasks but for those who stream videos or play games often, it may feel cramped sometimes. Overall, the display is beautiful, bright, and with 1080p resolution. The wow factor of this device is the 90Hz refresh rate, higher than that of most handsets released in the same year. This ensures a smooth transition when you play game or surfing social media. Most smartphones have refresh rate of 60Hz, except for the Pixel 4 and some newer OnePlus devices. The differences are quite visible when you scroll through your Instagram or Twitter feed. Chipset Pixel 4 is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, complimented by Google’s boost in the amount of RAM. The phone is speedy, is able to load apps and games fast, and do other tasks with a speed you would expect at a modern smartphone. With Geekbench 5, Pixel 4’s score is 2,183. That performance is good but not great. With score of 2,584, OnePlus 7T Pro can easily beat Google’s handset. At the time of writing, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 isn’t the best chip on the market, that spot belongs to its Pro variant, which is tailor-made for gaming. However, the Snapdragon 855 can still load apps and games with ease. RAM Unlike its three predecessors, Pixel 4 packs 6GB of RAM, putting it in line with other competitors on the market. However, in this particular respect, the Google’s handset is still not the best. We have seen smartphones with 8GB or 12GB. Battery One of the most significant letdown of Pixel 4 is its battery. When we take it off the charger at 7 A.M, the phone can barely last a full day with moderate use. With intensive use, expect to put it back on charge by early afternoon. The reason for this disappointment is the 2,800mAh power cell. That battery is too small for a modern smartphone, even if the handset does not have a particularly large screen to power. In a test, the Pixel 4 lost 19% of its power after 90 minutes of video at full brightness. That is not so bad but still worse than OnePlus 7T Pro, which lost only 10%. To make up for a weak battery, Google offers a lighting fast charging technology to top up the smartphone quickly. From 0%, the charger can boost the power cell to 50% in only 39 minutes. Leave it on charge for an addition of 1 hour and 14 minutes and you will have 100% of battery. As with other fast charge technology on the market, Google’s main focus is to provide users with an impressive speed at first, and then slow down to finish charging the device. However, even with that tech in place, Pixel 4’s battery is just not enough, even for an average user. If you adore Pixel phones, opt for the Pixel 4 XL is a wiser decision. Camera The biggest upgrade with Pixel 4 is the second lens on the back. This is also the first time Google offers a dual-camera setup with its handsets. However, two snappers is not exactly something impressive as many other smartphones nowadays have three, four, or even five cameras. What you have is a 12MP primary camera with f/1.7, 77-degree field of view and a secondary 16MP with f/2.4, 52-degree field of view. The Pixel 4 has better zoom, portrait mode, and low-light performance compared to its predecessors. Pixel 4’s camera hardware is not so much different from that of Pixel 3 but there is a new camera setup to deliver as detailed as possible shots. The telephoto lens enables users to zoom in without sacrificing photo quality. While it works well for most users, this feature cannot rival its counterpart on other top-end Android phones, like the Huawei P30 Pro. On the other side you have an 8MP selfie camera with f/2.0, 90-degree field of view. While there is no problem with its performance, the lack of wide-angle innovation available on the Pixel 3. Google’s focus in the last few years to improve the cameras is the software, not the hardware. What we have is the neural learning AI chip to help the software better manipulate the shots. The HDR+ is also a plus, which allows you to see in real time what the image is going to look like after you capture it instead of enhancing it after the photo has been taken. Another camera update is Dual Exposure, which decouples foreground’s shadow controls and the background’s brightness controls. The portrait mode is a highlight of the camera department with the cameras being able to identify the subjects from their background. Even with difficult situations, the camera is still able to focus on the subject. Pixel 4’s Night Sight mode is also upgraded, bringing users clean and bright shots. This is a necessary move as Google’s opponents, Apple and Huawei, have caught up with it by offering their own night mode. Plus, there is something called astrophotography mode, which allows you to shoot bright and clean pictures of the galaxies, the Moon, and stars. However, to take full advantage of this feature, users will have to be somewhere with a clean air, so rule out the polluted cities. The Pixel 4 must be mounted on something stable, like a tripod for example. Only when the phone is fully stable can it take 15 long-exposure shots for a detailed image.