Pixel 4A 5G review

When choosing Android smartphones, amongst the main criteria that I look for is stock Android for the user interface. Not a lot Android phones come with stock Android or near stock experience nowadays except for the Pixel (obviously), Motorola, Nokia, OnePlus, Sony and previously a few Xiaomi One series phones. So is it any wonder that my new secondary phone of choice is the Pixel 4A 5G? Getting a Pixel 5 is still a bit expensive for my budget, even for the second hand unit so I opted for the slightly cheaper 4A instead.

The 6.2” OLED screen is big enough for me with a 84.1% screen to body ratio and a hole punch camera at the top left side of the screen. It has always on display, Android 11 and 127GB of space coupled with 6GB of RAM so it’s more than a capable device for casual gaming. The 12.2 MP camera is excellent as always and you can trust the Pixel line to cater great looking pictures with its phones. The battery is slightly small at only 3885 mAh and you could hardly last a day without charging at least once.

The body is unmistakably plastic, presumably to save cost. There’s no face recognition on this phone but the usual fingerprint scanner at the back. I suppose the plastic build also rules out wireless charging, a feature I always treasure on a smartphone. Without wireless charging, you’re stuck with the inconvenience of plugging in the USB-C cable into the charging port. Sure you have quick charging with a supported charger but I still like the freedom and convenience of wireless charging better.

In spite of the 5G moniker, there’s no 5G support yet in this country at the time of writing (thanks to this inept government) so I can’t test out any 5G networks on this phone. There is not much else to review about this Pixel phone because it’s not much different from other previous and current Pixel phones. I like the stock Android UI experience and always on display is a welcomed feature. However, the lack of wireless charging could be a dealbreaker for some. Especially if you have got so used to wireless charging.

Kindle Basic 10th gen review

I love my first gen Kindle to bits but it has a glaring downside compared to newer models which is lack of backlighting. Reading books on the Kindle using a reading lamp or with the room lights on is somewhat a chore. The clip on reading lamp makes the Kindle kinda heavy and most of the time I read late at night so I only have a single bedside lamp on which is not too bright to light up the Kindle.



Hence why I started looking for a newer Kindle model, something with a backlight. I would love to get a Paperwhite version but it’s still too expensive for my budget so I settle with the Kindle Basic 10th gen instead which does actually have a backlight.



This new Kindle Basic looks a bit larger yet slimmer than its predecessor. The bezel is much smaller and the weight in your hand feels a lot lighter. It still sports a plastic body and a single button at the bottom next to the micro USB port. It comes with a modest 8GB space but even then I only use around 400MB of space with more than 2 dozen books uploaded. The best thing about this 7th gen Kindle Basic is of course the backlight. Gone are the days that I had to have some kind of direct light on while reading my ebooks. I can virtually read in the pitch darkness if I want to (but I won’t).



Is it the best thing since sliced bread? No but in terms of reading experience, it’s nearly there. With the backlight on, I’m encouraged to read more often, anywhere, anytime. Of course if I had the budget, I would have preferred the Paperwhite with more storage space, brighter screen, water resistance and USB-C port. Perhaps that will be my next Kindle. As for now the 300 ringgit Kindle Basic 10th gen works pretty well for me. For its price, it offers the most bang for my buck.