Weekly poll results: the Pixel 5 faces an uphill battle, the Pixel 4a 5G headed for disappointment

Last week’s poll shows that there is not much enthusiasm for the two latest Google phones. The reasons why are pretty varied, though some did find things to love about the new models.

First, let’s get this out of the way – Google’s limited distribution network means that even if you want one, Pixels just might not be available in your country. This has been the case for years and Google has shown little desire to fix the situation.

The most popular option in the poll suggests that the 2020 Pixels are not worth your money. The most common reason is just that – money. The Pixel 5 is just too expensive for many (more so in the US where mmWave support drives up the price).

You can buy a Samsung Galaxy S20 FE for that kind of money and those who reject the FE over its size point to the Sony Xperia 5 II (though that one is a good deal more expensive). There’s also the new iPhone coming next week, that should cost around the same as the Google phone.

Still, there is relatively strong support for the Pixel 5 – it’s only a couple of percentage points below the top spot in the poll. As mentioned, people like its size and, of course, the Google camera software is a major draw.

The Google Pixel 4a 5G may be $200/€130 cheaper while still offering the same chipset and camera as the 5, however the phone is proving difficult to like – it was dead last in the poll, behind even the Pixel 4a.

This goes to show that value-for-money is difficult to balance – the $350 4a may not have the best hardware in the world, but it is priced just right. Meanwhile, the 4a 5G offers a larger screen, faster chipset with 5G, an extra camera and larger battery, but that isn't worth the extra $150, according to voters.

Perhaps a proper Pixel 5 XL would have gone over better with potential buyers? If nothing else, Google needs to make the Pixels available in more countries if it’s serious about selling phones.