Amazon.com: Customer reviews: Google Pixel 5 - 5G Android Phone - Water Resistant - Unlocked Smartphone with Night Sight and Ultrawide Lens

Reviewed in the United States on October 29, 2020

I purchased this through Google and received it last week. Have been using it for a few days now. I'm coming from a Pixel 4 which has a better and faster processor.

Battery life is amazing. I started the day with 100% battery and after 16 hours of heavy use, I was still left with 30-40% every time! With the Pixel 4, I would have to recharge at least once.

Camera and video quality is similar to the Pixel 4, which means that it is still high quality!

The build quality doesn't feel as premium as the Pixel 4. It's actually smaller than my old Pixel 4 and is a lot lighter. I actually prefer this feel than the heavy premium feel of the 4.

All in all, I am very satisfied with this phone. Love it!

171 people found this helpful

Helpful

Alberto Jose Urieta

Received wrong color, but kept it

Reviewed in the United States on October 31, 2020

Color: Sorta SageStyle: Phone OnlyVerified Purchase

I was disappointed that I received the Just Black color instead of the Sorta Sage I ordered. But I waited so long for this phone that I decided the color wasn't that important and I kept it. So, the 4-stars is a knock against Amazon warehouse management (and a few other details).

Other than that, the phone is a great Android phone. A few hiccups here and there when loading a few websites (had to reload or go to home screen and back to the app for them to load/show).

Fingerprint reader is consistent.

The size of the phone is perfect for one hand, and its weight doesn't tire the hand out.

Within the first 30 minutes, the phone would force close all apps (it would do actions on its own). I wasn't able to figure out whether it was because I installed the screen protector before turning the phone on or maybe my fingers were causing the actions inadvertently/accidentally. Then again, the phone was installing 90+ apps and copying 1000s of photos from my old pixel to this new one at the same time. Point: a lot was happening within that first hour. I restarted the phone and it's been smooth ever since (with the exception that some websites just won't load properly, but nothing game-breaking).

The Pixel buds paired well, and I haven't experienced any issues within the first 24 hours.

The camera is good as always.

The new gestures are an upgrade, a bit of a curve to get used to, but once you get going it is better than the 3 button configuration from the previous pixels.

Battery life is good, too. Charges approximately 3% every 2 minutes. So you won't have to wait long.

Overall, a solid phone. You can't go wrong with this phone. I'm definitely enjoying it.

*****
Update: almost 20 days later.
Yesterday I spent the day working around the house. I had my phone and the Pixel buds playing music nearly continuously, all day, from 10AM until they died at 9PM (with a starting battery life of 85%). This is to give you an idea of how good the battery life is.

93 people found this helpful

Helpful

Craig

Display Issues and Data Issues

Reviewed in the United States on October 30, 2020

Color: Just BlackStyle: Phone OnlyVerified Purchase

UPDATE:
After having issues with both the display and data I replaced the phone. The new one does have very, very slight display lift on the left side near the SIM tray... but it’s much better than the last phone. (I will live with this)

Someone pointed out that the speaker is very low sounding. I tested it against my iPhone 12 and the speaker on the iPhone is way better quality and louder... however I do not find the volume too low on the Pixel 5. If I had nothing to compare it to I wouldn’t know otherwise.

The good:
Feels nice to hold
Battery lasts a long time
Software is stable (mostly)
Camera features are great

The Bad:
Display was separating from the enclosure on the left side (out of box)
Using Google Fi service I got no Data and spent 2 days with Google support trying to fix this issue. (Putting the SIM card in a different phone data worked fine)
Fingerprint reader doesn't always work

76 people found this helpful

Helpful

Tom Art

Pleasure to use; all the Pixel smoothness with only minor tradeoffs and a great price.

Reviewed in the United States on November 6, 2020

Color: Sorta SageStyle: Phone OnlyVerified Purchase

I'm coming from a Pixel 2 XL, so that's my point of comparison.

Good:
- 90hz screen: It's wonderfully smooth. The phone feels incredibly responsive and the difference between this and the 2 XL screen is very noticeable. Gives you just as much usable space as the 2 XL, but with so much less weight/bevel.
- Pixel software: It's as usual, excellent. No bloatware whatsoever and none of the "slow feeling" you get over time on other Android manufacturers, though of course this phone is still new to me.
- Camera: It's very good. Pay no mind to the concerns about the sensor--what matters is real-life usage, and the lack of an absolutely bleeding-edge sensor does not negatively impact the camera at all. See note about processing speed in below.
- Price/value: Closest competition in the price range Samsung S20 FE. Hardware wise, the Samsung gives more for the price, but it's still not worth it to me, because I like to hold onto my phones for 3+ years and the Samsung software just does not stay snappy and smooth for that long. Never mind that you have to deal with a bunch of preloaded bloatware on Samsung. The 4a and 4a 5G are nice and much cheaper, but you miss out on a 90hz screen + waterproofing + the more resilient screen, which are all very valuable to me.

Bad:
- Camera processing: The lack of a separate chip for processing images means that the time it takes for a picture to be visible in perfect quality after you take it is noticeable. It's not a problem at all if you're taking three or less pictures (or if you're not immediately checking to see what the picture looked like), but if you're taking a bunch at once, you may occasionally find yourself getting frustrated by the seconds it takes to actually be able to flip through all the pictures.
- Speaker quality: Not great, especially compared to the two front-facing speakers of the 2 XL. If you rely heavily on speakers for music you may want to look for another phone. I personally use headphones most of the time and the quality of the speakers is good enough for the occasional song, YouTube video, or podcast that I use it for.

63 people found this helpful

Helpful

Khaled

Great phone overall, recommended

Reviewed in the United States on November 8, 2020

Color: Just BlackStyle: Phone OnlyVerified Purchase

First impressions this phone feels amazing and the screen look very beautiful but i will write my advantages and disadvantages below

Good stuff:
1. Display
2. Battery life (reviews werent lying regarding easy 7hr SOT) attached photos
3. Size is perfect
4. Light weight
5. Camera.. every photo blows me away and the portrait mode is almost as good as my Sony A6400.
6. Volume adjustment location on right side which makes it very easy to reach.
7. Speakers aren't as bad as they say. Sound really decent at least my unit, you can switch to Mono Audio in dev options to make it sound better. (it is not the best though, if you care so much about audio you won't like it)
8. Fingerprint reader is very quick

Stuff that I didn't like:
1. Google doesn't support my country for 5G (Bahrain)
2. Google doesn't support my country for WiFi Calling
3. Storage UFS 2.0 (not a deal breaker but 3.1 would've made apps and update install way quicker)
4. Camera sensor, i would imagine how even better the camera will be if they added a new sensor. Even though the camera will be the best thing about this device for sure.
5. No face unlock
6. Phone calls can be annoying sometimes because you don't know where exactly to place your ears as the speaker is hidden under the display

My phone did not have a screen gap at all and google said even if it did it wouldn't affect water resistance.

I will update this review once i find anything to add

EDIT:
If someone is facing proximity sensor issue which is being on at all times (I didn't), make sure to disable Flip to Shh, if that didn't work, factory reset your phone but do not copy data using a Cable, continue the setup and restore your data through WiFi.

For some reason, my WhatsApp voice notes activates the sensor and the screen will go black if i hover over it, even though its just a voice note, and in Clash Royale game the sensor is always on but does nothing. I tried on COD Mobile it wasn't on. so its kind of weird i hope its fixed in software update :)

-UPDATE- 15 Nov: The WhatsApp voice note sensor issue is gone somehow maybe it was caused by some app, the phone is still running strong and haven't noticed any hiccups, just sometimes in Instagram (only), everything else seems great and I'm so happy that I switched to this phone from Galaxy Note 10 Plus. I don't think i'll go back to a non pure android phone.

-UPDATE- 23 Nov: added number 6 in stuff that i dont like, still very happy with this phone and everyone is saying the photos that ive taken are really nice, in all situations this camera will make you happy. Still running smooth and battery life is great.

-UPDATE- 12 Apr 21: The phone is still good but i have noticed few things that bothered me,
1. When holding the phone horizontally my hand covers the camera therefore auto brightness becomes low and dims my screen so i have to adjust my hand.
2. Instagram stories sometimes lag, audio and video is not in sync (not sure if its an app issue or my phone),
3. Saving TikTok videos lags the app it causes it to freeze for about 10 seconds then comes back to normal (weak processor issue), I wasn't facing those issues in my previous Note 10.
4. Updating the phone takes ages, due to slow storage probably and im in an unsupported country so I have to use LTE + VPN to download the update.
5. There is a weird bug sometimes if you play a video in instagram the sound of it will keep playing in the background even if you're out of the app, it stops when you close the app from the recent opened apps.
6. The storage won't last you long if you don't clean it from time to time.

This phone would be perfect if it was supported here (for updates and 5G) ,had fast storage, a flagship processor and a new camera (even though the camera is still the best thing about this phone).

I hope this is going to be in the next Pixel phone, but for now I might consider the S21 Ultra Matte Black.

44 people found this helpful

Helpful

Ryan

"Dream" Phone 2020

Reviewed in the United States on November 1, 2020

Color: Just BlackStyle: Phone OnlyVerified Purchase

This is the best choice for a modern phone in 2020! It has great power-efficient specs, 90 Hz display, long-lasting battery, all-screen design (no notch!), very responsive fingerprint reader (for those who cannot use face unlock), minimum 3 years software support from Google (stock Android!) and 5G (for those who really want that). It also has other features you would expect like USB-C and it supports all of those higher bitrate Bluetooth codecs like aptX and LDAC. Note that with the all-screen design, there are limited options for positioning the built-in speakers (not front facing), so there is one at the top under the display and the other one is on the bottom side. The speakers are plenty adequate although I use Bluetooth headphones a majority of the time with phone calls, listening to music, or really anything.

42 people found this helpful

Helpful

R. Silvouplait

Pixel Perfect (Cliché, I know)

Reviewed in the United States on November 6, 2020

Color: Just BlackStyle: Phone OnlyVerified Purchase

I've been a long time Pixel user, having used all the Pixels since the original Pixel & I have to say this is the best one yet.

First off, my primary reason for switching to the Pixel 5 was battery life. Coming from a Pixel 4, the battery life is atrocious, I usually get about 2-3 hours of screen on time at most & would have to top up at least once during the day to ensure I have enough to last me through the night. Upon using the Pixel 5 for about a week, I can confirm that the battery life is no longer an issue. Thanks to the upgrade in battery size this time around, I can easily get about 4-5 hours of screen on time, with heavy usage(ie. bluetooth, music, social media, etc.). I don't tend to game on phones, hence i cannot opine on that front, but I am confident that the battery will handle that just as well.

Pixel phones are among the best, if not the best, for taking photos, hence you can rest assured that it's quite easy to take awesome quality photos, without putting in much effort. The dual camera setup, features the standard wide angle & an ultra wide angle sensor. Coming from the Pixel 4, I wasn't too happy when Google opted for the Telephoto lenses instead of the ultra wide, hence I'm glad they updated that setup this year. I will say that the ultra wide isn't as wide as compared to other smartphones(which may be due to the effort to minimize image distortion) but the quality is on par with the usual Pixel quality you would expect.

I was a bit worried with the punch hole cutout for the front facing camera, but turns out it's not really noticeable unless you really look for it, as the UI blends in quite well with the symmetrical bezels, creating the impression that you're using a bezel-less screen., which is quite pleasing.

Overall, I feel like this is the most matured & well balanced Pixel phone that Google has designed so far. It doesn't have all the bells & whistles of the more expensive "premium" phones, but I think that wasn't the mission here. The Pixel 5 was designed with the fundamentals in mind, which means executing all the day to day stuff well, without throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks. If you're looking for a well balanced, all around Android phone, the Pixel 5 is Pixel Perfect.

36 people found this helpful

Helpful

GM

Eh...Google could have done better.

Reviewed in the United States on November 2, 2020

Color: Just BlackStyle: Phone OnlyVerified Purchase

Coming from a Pixel 4XL, I was missing the fingerprint reader and ultra-wide lens. So I thought I would give the next gen Pixel a try. Here's my thoughts...

1. First and foremost, Google should be making a 5-XL variant of this phone for those who want the larger format, like me. They are not going to though.
2. The phone is too small, even for a smaller version of Pixel...it's too small IMO.
3. They should have kept the zoom lens AND added the ultra-wide for a 3 lens setup.
4. Face ID should be an option, however it doesn't exist on this phone.
5. The cheaper processor is ok, it gets the job done.

All the above warranted a return of the device for me. I'm back on my Note 20 Ultra, with my Pixel 4XL as a backup.

19 people found this helpful

Helpful

Abdallah

Design Flaw

Reviewed in the United States on November 8, 2020

Color: Just BlackStyle: Phone OnlyVerified Purchase

The phone has a design flaw whereas a lot of customers are facing an issue with the proximity sensor affecting the always on display, tap to wake, lift to wake, speakers, etc. rendering them useless. This is not the flickering issue, this is an issue with the sensor itself not doing what is it supposed to do. Amazon customer service was great again and offered me a replacement or a refund, I went for the replacement and will update when the new unit arrives. Very bad #google.

UPDATE: So I received the replacement unit and I've decided to give up on Google. I'm attaching several photos to show the ugly green white tint at the top of the display. The replacement unit didn't come with a defective proximity sensor, but I can't use the phone with this ugly tint, I cranked the exposure in one of the photos so that the tint appears clearly. I didn't pay this amount to get a defective phone. I'm returning the case too.

23 people found this helpful

Helpful

Tim Burrell

This phone is not good.

Reviewed in the United States on November 19, 2020

Color: Just BlackStyle: Phone OnlyVerified Purchase

This phone is an awful piece of hardware. I've always had pixel phones and thought I'd "upgrade" from my aging pixel 3 XL.

I knew it wasn't a flagship but I figured it's gotta be better than a 2 generation old phone?

No. This phone is garbage and worse in every measurable way than a pixel 3. Screen is so bad... so bad. The speakers are worse, the camera is worse, the phone is slow, it feels cheap, it's light as a feather, it's tiny.

Don't order this. Save up for something better.

12 people found this helpful

Helpful

5 star		81%
4 star		10%
3 star		4%
2 star		2%
1 star		4%

Google Pixel 5 - 5G Android Phone - Water Resistant - Unlocked...

›

Customer reviews

Customer reviews

Google Pixel 5 - 5G Android Phone - Water Resistant - Unlocked Smartphone with Night Sight and Ultrawide Lens

Top positive review

Top critical review

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

From the United States

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

Questions? Get fast answers from reviewers

Google Pixel 5 - 5G Android Phone - Water Resistant - Unlocked... › Customer reviews

Customer reviews

Google Pixel 5 - 5G Android Phone - Water Resistant - Unlocked Smartphone with Night Sight and Ultrawide Lens

Top positive review

Top critical review

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

From the United States

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

Questions? Get fast answers from reviewers

Google Pixel 5 - 5G Android Phone - Water Resistant - Unlocked...

›

Customer reviews