Google Pixel 5 Review: Software Special!

Material Choices

The Google Pixel 5 showcases a blend of innovative and traditional material choices that impact its durability and feel. Marques Brownlee notes the phone's understated design, featuring a six-inch edge-to-edge display and a clever cutout for wireless charging 1. Despite stepping back from premium hardware, it maintains water resistance and a reliable fingerprint reader 1. The phone's metal build is coated with a soft-touch textured plastic, offering a clean, well-built design without seams 2.

The back material, we kept getting told by Google that it's metal, right? And it is. But then that metal is underneath, a coating of this kind of soft touch textured plastic.

--- Marques Brownlee

This combination of materials results in a device that feels solid yet approachable, aligning with Google's focus on software excellence over hardware extravagance.

   

Aesthetic Appeal

The Pixel 5's aesthetic appeal lies in its simplicity and functionality, setting it apart from other flagship devices. Marques Brownlee highlights the phone's thin, symmetrical bezels and the absence of unnecessary hardware features, which contribute to its clean design 2. The phone's smaller size compared to competitors like the iPhone 12 is appreciated by many users 1. Despite some compromises in hardware, such as a standard vibration motor and lack of a headphone jack, the Pixel 5 remains a well-received device due to its focus on delivering a seamless software experience 1.

It's a pretty nice phone. Not some mind blowing, bleeding edge, hard ass phone. Just a nice phone.

--- Marques Brownlee

This approach reflects Google's strategy to prioritize software innovation, making the Pixel 5 a compelling choice for those valuing practicality over flashy features.