Pixel 4a vs iPhone SE (2020): Here's how the two compact phones compare

Google recently announced the Pixel 4a, its second budget Pixel. The Pixel 4a arrives with a ton of upgrades and some much-needed improvements over its predecessor. The successor to the Pixel 3a makes a very compelling case, especially for compact phone users. But while the Pixel 4a is significantly better than its predecessor, the big question is "how does it compare to one of its biggest rivals, the iPhone SE (2020), Apple's budget iPhone?".

Design

When it comes to design, there is no question about it; the Pixel 4a definitely has the advantage. Not only does it look better than the iPhone SE (2020), but it also loses the thick bezels from Pixel 4. The Pixel 4a looks more like a modern smartphone as opposed to the new iPhone SE's dated design.

Build

In terms of build quality, we'd have to side with Apple here because of the glass front and back and aluminium frame as compared to the Pixel 4a's plastic back and frame. Additionally, the budget iPhone also has an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance.

Display

The OLED display on the Pixel 4a is more vibrant and colour accurate than the sub-par HD+ LCD panel on the iPhone SE (2020). Moreover, the lack of thick bezels on the top and bottom of the Pixel 4a also offers more screen real estate.

Google Pixel 4a vs Apple iPhone SE (2020)

The Snapdragon 7 series chip on the Pixel 4a is a big improvement over its predecessor but still lags behind the iPhone SE (2020) flagship-grade SoC. The Bionic A13 is arguably one of the fastest mobile chipsets out there. However, both phones should be able to handle day to day tasks, including gaming, without a hitch.

Camera

In the camera department, both the Pixel 4a and iPhone SE (2020) fare particularly well. The camera quality of the single rear camera on both phones is hard to replicate even by phones that utilise three and four cameras. But while both cameras can get amazing shots in the day, the Pixel 4a has 'Night Sight", while the iPhone SE (2020) does not have a night mode. It's hard to pick a clear winner during the day without testing both phones, but because the Pixel is so far ahead in low light, we definitely suggest going with the Pixel 4a if you want the best camera.

Battery

Both these phones have relatively small batteries as compared to their competitors. However, Google does an excellent job at battery management, and despite the smaller battery, we still think you should get about a day of average use. It is worth noting that iOS is the undisputed champion of battery management, although the new iPhone SE's battery is simply too small, and we aren't confident that it can survive a full day of use. Both phones also support fast charging, while the iPhone SE (2020) also supports Qi wireless charging.

Conclusion

If we had to pick one of the two devices, it would have to be the Pixel 4a, primarily because of the design. Google doesn't veer too far off from the design of the flagship Pixel 4; one can argue that the Pixel 4a looks better than the Pixel 4 because of the hole-punch camera cutout. The iPhone SE (2020), on the other hand, is modelled on the original iPhone SE and not the iPhone 11. So, Apple has definitely compromised on design, even by their own standards.

We've left out software from our comparison as both these phones run on different operating systems and that's mainly down to preference. Moving on to the other features, the iPhone SE (2020) has the upper hand in terms of performance and build quality, while Google comes out on top on the camera, display, and battery fronts.