Not so long ago, Apple caught almost everyone by a surprise with their latest iPhone, the iPhone SE. The formula is very simple: old-school hardware, upgraded internals for cheap. And in an era where a $900 OnePlus 8 Pro is considered a great value for the money, a $400 brand new iPhone looked like the bargain of the century. I, for one, believed that Apple might have stolen Google’s thunder before even releasing their own Pixel 4a. But, as the dust settled, I began to think otherwise. Without further ado, here is where the Google Pixel 4a could give the iPhone SE a good run for its money.
Display
Quality OLED displays with high refresh rate screens have become a recurring theme in the realm of budget-friendly smartphones. Thanks to the recent advancements in the mid-range processors, these phones have the necessary oomph to power these demanding displays as well. The iPhone SE, however, couldn’t stray further from its Android-powered counterparts in this regard. Instead, the iPhone SE ships with a 4.7” 750p IPS LCD panel, the exact same specs of the 3-year-old iPhone 8.
In comparison, the Google Pixel 4a is rumored to have a 5.8” 1080p OLED display. There is the usual argument that pixel density does not really matter as much as other factors like color calibration and brightness levels, which Apple consistently nails. But given Google’s recent record of their displays on the Pixel 4 and last year’s Pixel 3 devices, Google seems to know a thing or two about nailing these aspects as well. And that puts the Pixel 4a firmly ahead of Apple’s latest iPhone SE when it comes to one of the key features of any smartphone.
Battery
The Pixel 4a is rumored to have a 3080 mAh battery, the same capacity of its predecessor. This might not sound all so impressive at first when compared to other mid-range smartphones. However, when compared to the laughable 1812 mAh battery stacked inside the iPhone SE, the Pixel 4a is almost certain to have better battery life. True, Apple’s new A13 Bionic chipset is one of the most efficient processors to date. But once you push it hard, it will sip this measly juicer quite fast — the A13 Bionic is still considered the most powerful processor to be put in a smartphone, and it won’t back down once triggered. A particular use case that can let this beasty processor off its leash is using the camera, something that some people use quite frequently.
As weird as it may sound, Google’s decision to stick to a mid-range processor could pay dividends here, given how efficient Qualcomm’s mid-tier processors have got while still proving to be capable enough.
Camera
Just like quality OLED displays, multi-lens camera systems have also become a recurring theme in the mid-range smartphones category. Rather bizarrely though, both phones feature a single-lens camera system on the back, which definitely raised some eyebrows. But, one could argue that this lack of versatility could be offset by putting some software wizardry at the helm. Indeed, both companies showed us the power of computational photography in their recent lineups, with Google being the first to inspire the rest of the companies to follow their path. I expected this category to be a very close tie between both phones. But by the looks of it, Apple might have just let Google run away with it.
Despite stacking the most powerful smartphone processor to date, Apple’s own night mode remains a no-show in the iPhone SE till the time of writing. Even more surprising, Apple did not promise to bring it later on via a software update. As a result, the low-light performance of the newly released iPhone SE evidently trails the Google Pixel 3a from last year. This alone gives Google the upper hand when it comes to stills altogether — daylight shots are not that challenging anymore.
To be fair, Apple can still comfortably claim the videography territory. Google still has a lot to catch up with Apple in this area even in the flagship space. But if you don’t take a lot of videos with your phone, then the iPhone SE is not your best choice. There’s just no getting away from it.
Design
One of the features the iPhone SE retained from the iPhone 8 is the overall design. Frankly speaking, to say it looks archaic is a massive understatement. Huge top and bottom bezels housing an old-school 16:9 aspect ratio screen, it couldn’t get any more uninspiring. On the other hand, according to the latest leaks, the Pixel 4a seems to feature a more modern design, very similar to its flagship siblings albeit with a few key differences. The Pixel 4a features a more conventional rear-mounted fingerprint sensor, with the screen extending all the way up top bar a small cut-out on the top left corner. On the back, the Pixel 4a has a slightly protruding, square-shaped camera hump housing the single-lens camera and flash modules. If I am to choose between both designs, I would choose the Pixel 4a’s looks over the iPhone’s in a heartbeat — my 4-year-old OnePlus 3 looks more modern than the iPhone SE.
Despite sticking to the same form factor of the iPhone 8, there is one glaring omission that might stick out like a sore thumb: the headphone jack. Mercifully, Apple ships the iPhone SE with a pair of wired earphones that can be connected via its proprietary Lightning port. But in case these earphones don’t live up to your expectations, you probably have to shell out more bucks to buy Apple’s own adapter, or go for a pair of wireless earbuds on discount. Thankfully, the Pixel 4a still has a headphone jack housed on the top, just like its predecessor. And I couldn’t thank Google enough for it. Not everyone can shell out more hard-earned money on an adapter or wireless earbuds.
Conclusion
In the end, it all boils down to your personal preference. Apple should still be credited for sticking in one of the most powerful chipsets to grace the smartphone world in such an affordable phone. Even after downclocking the A13 Bionic chipset to its predecessor’s speeds, it still has a considerable lead over its contenders at this price range. And given Apple’s track record of software support, the iPhone SE definitely knocks the Pixel 4a out of the park. While Google pledges to provide 2 years of major Android upgrades with an extra year of security updates, Apple promises a whopping 5 years of software updates. Other than that, there is nothing else to write home about. It might be argued that both devices only share the mere tag of being a mid-tier smartphone. What Apple is trying to sell is a more affordable permit to the entry of its premium walled garden via a skimped package — the iPhone SE still ships with a dreary slow 5W charging brick by the way. What Google is trying to sell though is a much better overall phone.
