The Pixel 4a is a great starting point for anyone looking for a basic, capable smartphone. You get a modern design, a great camera, a headphone jack, good enough performance, and a great software build with timely, day-one updates direct from Google.

The $350 price tag. You could buy three of these for the price of a $1000 smartphone., From the front, it's the best-looking phone Google has ever produced, with slim bezels, a hole punch camera, and no crazy design decisions. It's a rare Pixel phone that just looks... normal.

It's a budget phone, so don't expect wireless charging, water resistance, or a fast 90Hz or 120Hz display., The back, which is plain and cheap-looking, and not because it's plastic. An exact copy of the Pixel 3a back would have been a huge improvement.

There’s a good chance you already know the Google Pixel 4a is cheap at $350, that the Android software is often upgraded and easy to use, and that the little phone is a solid enough everyday companion. You’ve probably also heard the camera is good too, but are you aware exactly how good it is? It’s so good that it’s really the only reason you should consider buying the Pixel 4a. Because here’s something else you may not know about the Pixel 4a: It’s a bit dull otherwise. I’ll explain. The Google Pixel 4a’s camera is staggering to the point of disbelief in terms of its ability, and it embarrasses cameras on phones that cost two or even three times what the Pixel 4a costs. There’s just one 12.2-megapixel camera on the back of the Pixel 4a. It’s a no-nonsense sensor with optical image stabilization (OIS), and that’s about it. There’s no wide-angle mode, no optical telephoto mode (although it will digitally zoom in by cropping the image), and no fancy features like 8K video recording. Inst...

Superb camera; Great software; Regular software updates; Long battery life;

Dull, cheap design and materials; Screen disappoints;

It’s official: you don’t need to splash the cash for a great camera on a phone anymore. Instead, you just need ...

Much of the money spent advertising smartphones typically centers around flagships, and that makes sense for the most part. It’s the bleeding-edge tech, heavy with hardware and coupled with the latest software. It’s big sexy designs with curves and gorgeous colors.

As a mid-range phone we can hardly fault what the Pixel 4a offers. It's very capable and delivers a great camera experience. Some people might find it a little too small, but for those looking for a compact phone we can't really see why you'd need to look any further.

Great camera; Plenty of power; Great display; Compact format; Clean Android software; Great speakers;

Battery life a little variable; Might be too small for some; Not the latest hardware;

The Pixel 4a is one of the best phones you can buy right now. For AU$599 you get an Android phone with the best single lens for still images on any phone, all-day battery life, a compact design, and guaranteed three years of software updates.

A much better buy than the normal Pixel 4, the well-priced 4a packs in an amazing camera and solid battery life with the promise of three years of software support.

Great display; Superlative camera for stills; Affordable;

No waterproofing; No wireless charging; Plain design;

Super camera, low price. In the past, Google's Pixel smartphones have always had a couple of aspects to be criticized for. With the Pixel 4a, however, the points of criticism have been reduced to a minimum, and a budget smartphone has been created that among other things can shine with its excellent camera.

With the Pixel 4a, Google succeeds in creating a suitable smartphone that has many strengths and onl...

compact size; good camera performance; good battery life; solid system performance; USB 3.2;

no microSD card reader; display flickers at a low frequency; no face recognition;

The Pixel 4a might not tick all the techy boxes, but certainly has a unique charm that will appeal to many buyers.

Compact design; Great cameras; 3 years of Android updates;

No 5G; Screen limited to 60Hz;

But they are pricier, and for what you’re paying the Pixel 4a is a great handset. Though if you look beyond Google’s offerings you can get some very tempting alternatives for similar money, such as the OnePlus Nord and Moto G 5G Plus.

Flagship-quality camera, Great interface, Good value

Plastic back, 60Hz refresh rate, Average battery life

The compact size, clean interface and great point-and-shoot camera of the Pixel 4a will appeal to those looking for an affordable, reasonably sized handset with enough grunt to handle the basics, plus the ability to capture some excellent pictures.

One-handed use possible; Powerful single camera; Headphone jack;

Mediocre battery life; No 5G (yet) or wireless charging; Cheaper-feeling design