The Google Pixel 4a is a great phone at a great price, but is it too late to matter?

Time isn’t on its side.

- MICHAEL SIMON

At long last and longer rumor, the Google Pixel 4a has arrived, adding another strong entry to a very crowded midrange market. As premium phone sales continue to plummet due to the coronavirus, the Pixel 4a should be the 2020 value phone to beat, with surprisingly good looks and an aggressive $349 price tag.

But while the Pixel 4a brings all the things you’d expect from a Google phone—namely an optimized UI and an excellent camera—it might be too little, too late. Google has built an excellent phone for an excellent price, but so have so many others. In just the time since it was originally rumored to launch at Google I/O in May, the Samsung Galaxy A51 (go. pcworld.com/gasr), OnePlus Nord (go. pcworld.com/1nrd), and TCL 10 Pro (go. pcworld.com/tc10)—not to mention the iPhone SE (go.pcworld.com/12th)—have brought extreme value to the non-premium smartphone market.

Since the Pixel 3a (go.pcworld.com/pl3a) launched in May 2019, midrange smartphones have gained bigger screens, better cameras, and more premium features, making it easier for customers to resist the call of the four-figure titans. Android phone makers have also gotten much better at pushing updates. So while there’s enough about the Pixel 4a to make it a very intriguing addition to the Pixel family, it might need to offer a little more to lure buyers. Namely, a months-ago release.

CHEAP PRICE AND CHEAP PLASTIC