KPH tech blog

Pixel 4a

No introduction, I’m going straight in…

Firstly, water resistance is non-existent. No IP rating, and various reports on Reddit – like mere raindrops killing phones – means the Pixel 4a’s unfortunately out of the running.

It’s a shame, because the Pixel 4a is the phone that’s solely responsible for making this decision so hard. It’s also the first Google phone that made me sit up and take notice.

I remember holding the first Google Pixel, and although it was heavier than I’d imagined, I liked it. But, it was too expensive for me.

Here was Michael ‘Mr Mobile‘ Fisher’s review of the original Google Pixel, from day one of its launch:

After agreeing a deal with my network at the time, I ended up with a Galaxy S7. Although the Galaxy S7 was similarly-priced, I felt I was getting a lot more phone for my money than if I’d chosen the Pixel 1.

My opinion on Pixel’s changed when Google released the Pixel 4a in August 2020. I wanted one. I yearned for it. And my time playing Watch Dogs 2 amplified my want of a cleaner, simpler device that was ‘fun.’

But it wasn’t just my experiences with the in-game ‘Nudle‘ base (a fictional version of Googleplex) in Watch Dogs 2 that had influenced me.

In The Big Bang Theory, a TV show I watched from from start to finish (despite only starting Season 1 three years after its debut), Leonard and Sheldon lived in apartment ‘4a.’

Inadvertently, it meant that even before I’d played Watch Dogs 2, and even before Google released the Pixel 4a, the name ‘4a‘ was already on my mind.

The Pixel 4a is simplicity at its best, and its approach to Android actually appealed to me.

That’s why it’s such a shame that, according to user reviews on sites like Reddit, it apparently can’t even handle a few rain drops. And in the UK, where rain is more common than sunny weather, for me that’s unfortunately a huge deal-breaker.

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It’s a sad way to end the journey for the Pixel 4a – the device that started this process, but it is what it is!

I think I’m going to end this blog here, but in my next blog post, I’ll post my thoughts on the Pixel 5.

Stay tuned for more!

– Chris JK.