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Pixel 5 unveiled: Google officially joins the 5G game with new flagship phone

The search giant announces its new premium phone and all the specs, from cameras to colors.

Richard Nieva Former senior reporter
Richard Nieva was a senior reporter for CNET News, focusing on Google and Yahoo. He previously worked for PandoDaily and Fortune Magazine, and his writing has appeared in The New York Times, on CNNMoney.com and on CJR.org.
Richard Nieva
3 min read
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The Pixel 5, Google's newest premium phone.

Google

Google on Wednesday launched the $699 (£599, AU$999) Pixel 5 and the Pixel 4A 5G, its first phones with 5G wireless capabilities. The release marks the first time the search giant will take advantage of the technology, which boasts anywhere from 10 to 100 times the speed of 4G cellular networks. Virtually all other Android phone makers, including Samsung , LG and Motorola , have introduced 5G phones over the past year and a half. Apple 's upcoming iPhone 12 is expected to be 5G as well.

The Pixel 4A 5G is a new version of the  Pixel 4A , the midtier phone Google announced last month, which can connect to 5G networks, too. The Pixel 4A 5G costs $499 (£499, AU$799), or $150 more than the non-5G version. Google showed off the new phones during a virtual event, when it also unveiled a new Chromecast streaming device and a Nest Audio smart speaker. The company usually introduces its new gadget offerings every fall during a launch in New York City, but took the event online due to the coronavirus pandemic

Google previously teased the Pixel 5, as well as the 5G-compatible version of the midtier 4A, last month. But the company on Wednesday unveiled the rest of the details of its flagship Pixel 5. They include a 6-inch display that stretches across the front of the device, with an 8-megapixel hole punch camera at the top left corner. On the back the Pixel has a new ultrawide angle camera with a 16-megapixel sensor, a standard camera with a 12.2-megapixel sensor and a fingerprint sensor. The device is waterproof, has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G processor and 128GB of storage.

New features include "Hold for Me," which will prompt someone when a business is ready to take their call so they don't have to wait and listen to hold music. A tool called Night Sight is now available for portrait mode, for taking better pictures in low light. The phone comes in two colors -- "Just Black" and "Sorta Sage" -- and ships in October. 

Watch this: Google unveils Pixel 5 and Pixel 4A 5G

Selling devices is crucial for Google because the company knows that people don't only search for stuff on desktop computers anymore. They're telling their smart speakers to play curated playlists, using their phones to order takeout from their favorite restaurants, or creating jogging routes with mapping apps.

The more Google knows about people and their interests, the more valuable its ads become to marketers who pay the company to target potential buyers based on their likes, dislikes, age, interests and location. The company's massive digital advertising operation, which has been under investigation by antitrust regulators, generates the vast majority of Google's $160 billion in annual sales.

Google's Pixel 5 faces serious pressure as the search giant continues to struggle in the premium phone business. When it comes to smartphone software, Google's Android, the world's most widely used mobile operating system, powers almost nine out of every 10 smartphones shipped globally. But the company hasn't been able to gain traction with its own branded phones, and Pixel sales have been lackluster for years. Google executives have blamed the slump on fierce competition in a premium phone market dominated by Apple and Samsung. 

The challenge of selling its high-end phones led Google to create its midtier line last year. The Pixel 3A helped to lift Google's smartphone business but was discontinued in July. The Pixel 4A will face stiff competition from budget phones from Apple and Samsung -- the iPhone SE and the Galaxy A51 -- both going for around $400. 

Google Pixel 5 specs


Google Pixel 5
Display size, resolution 6-inch FHD+ OLED; 2,340 x 1,080 pixels
Pixel density 432ppi
Dimensions (Inches) 5.7 x 2.8 x 0.3 in
Dimensions (Millimeters) 144.7 x 70.4 x 8.0 mm
Weight (Ounces, Grams) 5.33 oz; 151g
Mobile software Android 11
Camera 12.2-megapixel (standard), 16-megapixel (ultra-wide)
Front-facing camera 8-megapixel
Video capture 4K
Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G
Storage 128GB
RAM 8GB
Expandable storage No
Battery 4,000mAh
Fingerprint sensor Rear
Connector USB-C
Headphone jack No
Special features 5G enabled; water resistant (IP68); 90Hz refresh rate display; dual-SIM capabilities (nano-SIM and e-SIM); reverse wireless charging; fast charging
Price off-contract (USD) $699
Price (GBP) £599
Price (AUD) AU$999