Pixel 4a

[...] When my pixel 4a died of a bad screen crack a couple years ago, I replaced it with a random used 4a on ebay for $80. Two years later and it's still completely fine for all my purposes (texting, phone calls, chrome browsing, tolerable camera, etc.), although I still haven't accepted google's deal for a free battery swap yet from sheer laziness. I've learned that I can accept a 90 minute screen-on phone battery, though it's an odd adjustment to make. [...]

I did! As much as I could as someone who can't stand iOS, anyway. I used the Pixel 1 and then the Pixel 4a, for 4 years each.

My last pixel (4a) started falling apart after about a year and a half. [...]

I use ACCA[0] to select my charge rate and limit. This can also set battery idle mode (power from USB without using the battery) when the charge limit is reached if the hardware supports it. I usually limit it to 60%, and charge at 500mA when I'm not in a hurry. Maybe that's too much fuss for most people, but I'm still using a five year old Pixel 4A on the original battery and its showing no signs of reduced battery performance. I probably wouldn't put in the effort if it was easy to replace the battery, but it is not. [...]

[...] I have been a user of android for 15+ years and have had a pixel 4a for the past three years and was happy with it. In january they had a cryptic announcement that some 4a's needed a software update to deal with an unspecified battery issue. [...] The software really nerfed the battery on the phone and it often refuses to charge or lies about the level of charge, and it needs to be charged five times a day. [...] and they won't just accept my credit card which they have on file and routinely charge things against it. It turns out, to use the code you have to send a picture of your credit card and front and back of your driver's license! Last night I bought an 8a without the discount code because I don't want to send that info. And today they announce the 9a at the same price. [...]

I've been using a Google Pixel 4A for 7 years and love it. Camera is super good especially for being that old. Will probably upgrade to an 11 this year

So I've had my pixel 9 pro for a little over a year now. [...] That one was perfect for my giant hands Runner ups being the Pixel 4a iPhone 4

Well, I bought that Pixel 4a with that idea. [...] But the 4a started having battery issues after about a year and it got worse and worse. When they pulled support for it (meaning: no updates), it was time for a new one. [...]

I’ve got a Pixel 4a as a second phone just for work… it’s a perfectly fine phone I’ve stopped using it because Google abandoned it after 18 months There are plenty of Android phones out there that are usable but get abandoned by the makers

I've been using it for more than 2 years, and I can't think of ever going back to a stock OS. I had to send my phone for a screen repair, in the meantime I picked up my old Samsung, and the sheer amount of apps I didn't want, notifications and dark patterns to tricking me into handing over my data made me anxious. I couldn't finish setting the phone up and drove to my parent's home to pick up their old, remotely nerfed by Google, Pixel 4a so I could install GrapheneOS into it and use it while I waited for my repaired Pixel 8.

[...] Some have keyboards but they don’t flip open (no moving parts). They also don’t provide regular software updates and their phones are easily damaged. [...] Newer SE models have 5G but ditched the home button, headphone jack, and got bigger, all downgrades imo. Another phone in this area is the Pixel 4a 5G, which I’ve considered buying to replace my ageing 2016 SE but haven't yet. [...] These people are drawn to dumbphones for help with screen addiction, minimalism, or just the aesthetic, which is different for me because I'm looking for a flip phone that is just as capable and well-supported as the mainline smartphones but that actually fits in my hands and my pockets and has a long battery life. [...] I've had my SE for nearly 10 years at this point and would like to be able to keep my next phone for just as long, even if 4G LTE becomes sparser/gets sunset. [...]

[...] One iPhone that was wifi only, had my entire music library local, used for car play and a few exclusive apps. [...] -even though I despise how little customization iOS lets you do, without social media or game apps, the only actual pain point with it was the nightmare of managing notifications/alert/vibration/screen wake settings -god it made me miss small phones so much. The android was a pixel 4a, the last real phone with real hardware that released at the actual ideal size for my hands(that has an unlocked bootloader, I really can't do the Samsung hellOS experience again). [...]

The most exciting thing for me about this phone is the physical size. It's not a "phablet" like every other phone these days, it's basically Nexus 4 sized (perfect size for my big hands) which means easy one-handed use. Not sure if I will actually get one since my Pixel 4a 5g (w/ LineageOS + microG) is still going strong, but I will admit that I'm tempted by this.

I did a lot of research in this field and additionally in audiobooks. [...] For 60 bucks it is a remarkable non Android device (in fact it is buildroot based with a publicly available toolchain and a modding community). I have to prepare for my iPod nano collection slowly dying over the next years. I also use an old Android GrapheneOS phone (Pixel 4a) along with some apps as a backup: Substreamer APP (cross platform) DSub Navidrome (Backend) Audiobookshelf (Backend) Prologue (iOS) Voice (Android, Paul Woitaschek) Navidrome backend even supports smart playlists while Substreamer App supports Offline Sync, this is very handy to use. [...] Obtaining Audio CDs (cheap, high quality) 2. [...] use a shell script to download to USB for my old car without Bluetooth Works pretty well and after the ripping step pretty much full auto. [...]

My experience with Google hardware is that they shipped an update for Pixel 4a that crippled the battery. In Australia, they announced a safety recall due to a discovered battery safety issue, but in the rest of the world, it seems they wanted to save money by crippling people's phones of their own volition without much explanation. But no worries, they're offering 3 methods of compensation: free battery replacement to restore it, $50 cash, or $100 credit for another Google phone. I went to redeem my compensation - free battery replacement unavailable in your country, $100 credit unavailable in your country. [...] In effect it's as if they hacked into my phone and installed a virus that cripples the battery and there's nothing I can do about it, like this is just a normal way to do business now. [...]

My Pixel 4a would also still be fine. If Google had not killed the battery. I think by now Google has asked (=paid) people to swap batteries on at least 3 different Pixel phones.

That's why I had kept my pixel 4a for years until is finally kicked the bucket 2 years ago. [...] I worry this will kill off the still-decent battery life, as has happened with my OG Pixel. [...]

Yep, same boat. That's why I had kept my pixel 4a for years until is finally kicked the bucket 2 years ago.

[...] I am also using a used Pixel 4a which I got from eBay. Still has good battery. [...]

[...] The Pixel 4a was the perfect phone for me: Light, screen exactly the right size to navigate with a single thumb whilst holding the phone in one hand, enough battery life, small enough to fit in my jean pockets comfortably. [...]

I switched from Pixel 4a to Unihertz Max (5G phone with 5 inch screen from a small Chinese startup). Love the form factor, I can keep the phone in my front pants pocket again, next to my keys or wallet. I'm somewhat reluctant to put anything sensitive on that phone (like my email), but happy overall.

[...] Last year they ruined my Pixel 4a by pushing that battery patch to everyone (even to end of life devices). Their official repair center replaced the battery as per Google's guidelines and offer but during the battery swap they managed to physically break other parts of the phone over the course of multiple visits. Each visit broke a new component. [...]

I had a Pixel 4a until I got a 10 a few months ago... they had a couple updates even after support officially ended.

It's more frustrating because my partner's pixel 4A cannot use google pay or the bank apps because it is an invalid os - I am guessing due to lack of updates? So, perfectly fine hardware, but crippled in functionality due to the lack of software updates.

[...] I'm here with my Pixel 7 mourning my Pixel 4a, which was exactly the same to me as every other phone but had the fingerprint unlock sensor on the back which is the only meaningfully differentiating feature. [...]

Google have burnt me twice by abandoning phones… first was Nexus 4, next was Pixel 4a Both were abandoned within two years of me buying… never buying a phone from Google again

After the battery problems that the Pixel 4a, 6a, and 7a have had, I'll stick to the regular Pixel phones (well - who knows far this sideloading clampdown will go). I know people have had battery problems with non-a Pixel phones, but the number of 'a' phones with battery problems caused Google to publicly respond.

Apple is miles ahead of Android when it comes to phones and tablets Eh, I had to use a variety of iPhones for work recently, don't remember which models, from probably the last 7 years though, and they really felt limited and frustrating on the software side. My already years old Pixel 7 feels miles ahead, and so did my Pixel 4a, even with the worse hardware of the latter. [...]

This is very exciting to me, I have been reluctant to upgrade from my Pixel 4a because I've been looking for a small form factor phone, and those seem to have gone extinct. [...] It seems like they're aiming it towards people that want a second device for work, which -in my mind- means there might be some compromises, so I'll be waiting for reviews to decide if it can hold up as a daily driver or not. It should be noted, they claim that the keyboard is touch sensitive and can be used for scrolling, so it might actually solve some of the usability issues that immediately come to mind. [...] The fact is that this company has seen success with their phone cases (I don't get it either), and has now announced two new products that should reach more of the market (the other is a magsafe slide out keyboard, it's very cool). [...]

[...] There's no input delay when typing or performance related nonsense that bugs me all day. [...] I have no lag when I'm editing 1080p videos even with a 4k display showing a very wide timeline. I also record my screen with OBS to make screencasts with a webcam and have live streamed without perceivable dropped frames, all while running programming workloads in the background. [...] ======== PHONE ======== I had a Pixel 4a until Google busted the battery. [...] The camera was great. I recently upgraded to a Pixel 9a because the repair center who broke my 4a in a number of ways gave me $350 and the 9a was $400 a few months ago. It also runs everything well and the camera is great. [...] It even has the same storage space of which I have around 50% space left with around 4,500 photos saved locally. [...] I use it every day and for most tasks I feel no real difference vs my machine. [...]

[...] Coupled with the recent "mandatory" (read: forced) upgrade of my Pixel 4a, I get the impression Google's attitude towards phones has become equivalent to Apple's: namely, the illusion of choice. Since there are no viable alternatives, I guess it's time to go back to owning a cheap corporate/government approved phone for official business (i.e. [...]

Hi, my name is PickyAndPrincipled. Ha, that describes me perfectly and is the reason why I still use a Pixel 4a. It works still great and has a nice form factor.

So here's a fun story on how Google completely ruined my Pixel 4a and will not help resolve it over the last 7 months. In January 2025, Google pushed an emergency Android update to Pixel 4 devices which completely killed the battery's life. They offered an extended warranty to get the battery replaced at any official Google repair center for free. They claimed a new battery would resolve the issue and your battery would drain at a normal rate. [...] --- VISIT 1: I went to their official repair center and they swapped the battery. [...] The new battery was put in and it did help but it still drained faster than pre-any updates. However it was usable from a battery life perspective. After the repair I noticed my phone's display stopped turning on when I picked up and angled the phone towards me. I also noticed that more often than not if I got any type of notification (even an incoming call) the display would not turn on. Lastly, my phone would not unlock normally. Normally I would flick the bottom of the screen with my thumb maybe 1 inch and it would turn on and prompt me for my pin. [...] They replaced the display of the phone and it made little difference. [...] The owner of the store told me it's unfortunately common for this to get damaged during a battery replacement. [...]

Oh goodie. My 6a has had terrible battery life (and actually overheated about a month and a half ago while charging) yet my phone doesn't qualify for the replacement for whatever reason. This is my 3rd google phone in a row with issues: Nexus 6p - Had to have the battery replaced and then inexplicitly died, dead to the world Pixel 4a - Similar battery issues + a screen that physically fell out of the phone Pixel 6a - Battery woes BEFORE this update in the near future

Absolutely! I can't bring myself to buy a new phone when my current one still works perfectly. Still using my Pixel 4a!

Yeah! I use that quite a lot on my Pixel 4a. It's particularly useful to close the system quick settings, since I can just scroll once instead of 4 times x)

This might be a minority experience but I used to use the Pixel 4a with the reader on the back and now the Pixel 8a with reader inside the display and I find the fingerprint reader of the 8a marginally faster and much more reliable. From an UX perspective I also find it slightly more practical on the front so I can unlock the phone without picking it up.

I’ve got a Pixel 4a… released August 2020, discontinued in Jan 2022 and updates stopped in Aug 2023 Perfectly good phone but Google just abandoned it why would I ever buy another phone from them again

I installed GrapheneOS on a spare Pixel 4a recently...through a browser window. I thought at first that I had to download a firmware flasher or something, but no, it updated the device from that webpage! [...] Yes, we are far, far away from PWAs being a complete replacement. [...]

Paired with the Pixel 4a "update of death" it feels like Google is throwing in the towel on smartphones. I don't care about Pixel but I do worry about Android - as flawed as it is, it's still the only viable option for an "open" smartphone. I've been playing around with a Pinephone lately and it's lots of fun but obviously not ready for use as a daily driver.

Google has forcefully updated everyone's Pixel 4a with their new battery of death update, which destroys the phone's battery life to near zero. [...] Google is not compensating as they said they would be Here is my experience where they permanently destroyed my phone and offered no help: Here is a recent Hacker News post about the battery update: All Pixel 4a factory images have been wiped (except the battery of death): Note: This has not been officially confirmed by Google yet, but with the Pixel 4a battery update fiasco that kills the battery, it may be true and this was not supposed to be leaked. [...]

The files aren't the only issues, it's that now I have to buy a new phone for no reason. It was working perfectly. I can't even buy a used Pixel 4a as all the phones now have the update of death.

My files on my Pixel 4a are very important, and the battery barely lasts so even upgrading wouldn't work, it will surely mess up, and I am scared to lose or screw anything up with the phone. [...] Luckily the news sites now are talking about how the update made the phone bust and Google has no batteries right now. If someone can post this on the pixel4a and GooglePixel subreddit on Reddit I would be grateful as reddit is thinking I am a bot. [...]

In late 2024 when my phone began to flake, I bought another used one of the same pre-2023 model, specifically bc it was before any of the un-removable crapware had AI in it Google Pixel 4a, still love it. [...]

I actually have a pixel 4a specifically for the jack and the plug in $8 headphones I bought about 15 years ago still work great in them

[...] my phone. [...] Solution: spent the afternoon jailbreaking an old Pixel 4A in my desk drawer to make it into a fancy MP3 player, basically.

Currently xferring all my phone pigcs to my Pixel 4a so I can add them to my google storage for free 😈

This is why I still buy cheap/older electronics & have a TV from 15 years ago. My phone is the only "Smart" device in the house; I'm still rocking a Pixel 4a, & will until it stops working. My PC (that I built myself) will stay on Win10 til it can't anymore.

I planned on keeping my Pixel 4a for as long as I could, but Google artificially borked my battery to force me to buy a newer Pixel that could handle AI. I hate that companys can just push an update and break my stuff. I bought a Samsung instead, here's hoping they don't do the same.

My desire for a headphone jack on a phone I can easily install a custom rom on is so strong I bought an unopened pixel 4a 5g earlier this year when my motorola started falling apart