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The Pixel 4a 5G was one of those smartphones that did not get a lot of attention and that's probably due to the climate the world was in 2020. That's too bad because the 4a 5G was and still is a good device and I would debate still a good option in 2022. Google doesn't sell the device anymore but if you can find it somewhere don't hesitate to pick one up. With it due to receiving at least Android 14 on the software side and its excellent hardware coupled with a modern design the Pixel 4a 5G has a lot of good going for itself.  Check out the video for my thoughts on the device in early 2022.

  2021 was a less interesting year in tech than I originally thought it would be, however, that doesn't mean that it was a bad year. For Google, in particular, I believe they have laid the groundwork to have an even better 2022 hardware year than in 2021 with the advancements they made in software development. Think Jetpack Compose. The following are some items I purchased in 2021 or was released in 2021. First up we have is probably my favorite device for 2021 and that's the Pixel 6. A clear upgrade over the Pixel 5 with a gorgeous all-new design, upgraded cameras, and a whole new UI called Material You. Google really went for it this year and it seemed to have worked out for them with the phone being mostly unavailable to buy. Although the Pixel 6 is not perfect I believe Google is moving in the right direction with design and software. After introducing their first pair of truly wireless earbuds in 2020 Google followed up the Pixel Buds with an awesome entry-level pair of ea

  Long story short a prominent leaker leaked a story on Twitter. A website not known for leaks corroborates the story citing two independent sources but something is telling me that one of them was the original leaker. In the end, Google had to come in and clean up this mess by announcing the existence of an unreleased Pixel phone. The Pixel 5A 5G.  Here's what a Google spokesperson said via The Verge Pixel 5a 5G is not cancelled. It will be available later this year in the U.S. and Japan and announced in line with when last year’s a-series phone was introduced. Leaks are cool but they can go horribly wrong fast. It sucks that Google has to respond to stories like these from time to time and in this case I'm glad that they did. Link(s) The Verge

I’ve been using the Pixel 5 for more than 5 months as my only daily driver and I have some thoughts. To date, I can say that the Pixel 5 is my favorite Made by Google smartphone. Google got the basics right with this phone while adding in the AI and ML features. So while the phone may seem boring and understated I would clearly be on the opposite end of that opinion with a different perspective.  For example, the Pixel 5 has a near-all screen display with a punch-hole display in the upper left of the display. The Pixel 5 features a decently sounding under-display speaker where the earpiece is. This serves as an earpiece for calls to your ear and a speaker for stereo sound. All this seems cool already but Google didn't stop there but also put an Ambient Light Sensor under the display as well. See you can look at the phone and dismiss it however you can choose to loot at the other end and appreciate some of the unique things Google brings to the table.  I’ll touch on some things I fi

Alongside the March Security Patch Google released a Feature Drop for Pixel devices today. This is probably my favorite thing about owning a Pixel phone. If you didn't know Feature Drops are released once a quarter and include some pretty handy features exclusive to Pixels. The last Pixel Feature Drop was in December 2020. Pixel Feature Drops are a way for Google to update our devices to some cool new features without waiting for the next major OS update. Check out what's included in today's Pixel Feature Drop below. A more shareable Recorder. You can now share links to your Recorder files, allowing anyone to hear recordings and see transcripts at recorder.google.com , even if they don’t have a Pixel*[2]. You can also back up recordings to your Google Account to help keep them safe*[3]. Take your Pixel under the sea. Your Pixel now supports the Universal Smart Phone Housing for scuba diving by Kraken Sports*[4]. Get access to your Pixel’s camera features, like Night Sight,

  As a watcher of Google and a fan of the Pixel lineup of phones, I must say that the leaked render of the Pixel 5a has me excited for the Pixel 6. With phones set to debut later this year, I tend to believe that the renders are accurate. It seems that Google finalizes their new phones in the 1st quarter of the year based on past leaks and rumors. So, what do we have? Not much we can tell from a picture beside the obvious. Design cues are definitely similar to the Pixel 4a and Pixel 5 from 2020. And I'm cool with that! Google typically introduces a new design with each iteration of Pixel phones but I like that we are getting some consistency. The design of a phone does not need to change every year, in my opinion. Other than a similar design the other apparent change we can see is the camera setup and this is why I’m excited for the Pixel 6. So, why am I excited about a dual-camera setup? To put it simply, we should see a triple-lens setup for the Pixel 6. If last year is any indic

  Look, this may sound fanboy-ish but it's true. It's the little things that makes the Google Pixel line the smartphone for me. I appreciate that Google tends to focus on the experience and deliver real world quality of life features. Some of these features are added over time and some have been existing for awhile now. Nevertheless, here are some Pixel features I rely on day to day. At a Glance - Located at the top of the homescreen. Here you will find relevant and timely information. Such as upcoming calendar events and reminders, birthdays, weather and severe weather alerts. Having this information on my homescreen and lockscreen keeps me on track throughout the day. I recently received a severe weather warning and appreciated that I could properly prepare myself prior to leaving the house that morning. See it's the little things.  Now Playing - not critical but a nice feature that displays song title and artist information when music is being played around. The cool t

Typically Google releases the Android Security Patch on the first Monday of every month and here we are. The February 2021 Google Android Security update is now available to Pixel 3 devices and newer. I tend to look forward to the Google Feature drops for Pixels and we should get one next month.  More details on the February update can be found below.   Happy updating! Link(s) Google

  If you own a Pixel device you can expect monthly Security and Functional updates. Today Google released its first update of the year for the Pixel 3 and newer. This update brings Security fixes to Pixel devices but I tend to be more interested in the Functional side of the update. Functional updates bring specific fixes to certain aspects of the device. I was especially waiting on this update because I’ve been having issues with the auto-brightness on my Pixel 5. For some reason, the auto-brightness would turn off the screen on my phone when I was in a poorly lit room. I've already installed the update and that problem seems to be resolved now. Other issues have been reconciled and a list of those items can be found below. So far performance appears to be solid and a wee bit more optimized.  Happy updating!   Build numbers: Global: Pixel 3 (XL): RQ1A.210105.003 Pixel 3a (XL): RQ1A.210105.002 Pixel 4 (XL): RQ1A.210105.003 Pixel 4a: RQ1A.210105.002 Pixel 4a (5G): RQ1A.210105.003 Pi