The Downgrade Test: OnePlus 9 Pro vs. Google Pixel 4a 5G (Premium)

On the surface, it’s not at all fair to compare the flagship OnePlus 9 Pro to the mid-range Google Pixel 4a 5G. But I have my reasons.

Key among them, of course, is the downgrade test that I wrote about ahead of my review of the OnePlus 9 Series (which includes two phones, the OnePlus 9 and the OnePlus 9 Pro). The Pixel is the phone I was coming off when I started my evaluation of the new OnePlus handsets, and a key component in my personal evaluation of the OnePlus 9 Pro, which is the model I’d choose because of its slightly better camera system. That is, is the OnePlus 9 Pro superior to the Pixel 4a 5G in enough ways that it can “pass” the downgrade test?

Again, it sounds unfair given how heavily skewed this comparison should be to the handset, the OnePlus 9 Pro, that has the vastly superior hardware. That it isn’t speaks volumes about the quality of the Pixel 4a 5G. And perhaps even more broadly to that of Google’s largely unloved and unnoticed 2020-era Pixel lineup, which also includes the Pixel 4a and Pixel 5.

But this is personal, too. The various factors that I weigh and consider to be most important when judging any product for my own use will often vary from yours. With smartphones, I’ve mentioned photography being my primary consideration, and it is. But there are other concerns, too, and of course, any smartphone I use has to pass certain bars related to basic quality, performance, and functionality. This is what makes the most recent generations of Huawei smartphone flagships non-starters for me: While I’m positive that they still have the best camera systems in the market, something I care about quite a bit, their lack of the Play Store and Google apps and services removes them from any consideration. That’s the harsh reality.

Anyway, a few days after I posted my OnePlus 9 Series review, I did something that I almost always do, which is to throw a wrench into a carefully calibrated machine: I removed the Mint SIM from the OnePlus 9 Pro, put it back in the Google Pixel 4a 5G, and starting using the latter handset again.

Here’s what I discovered.

First, I was happy to have the smaller and lighter Pixel back in my hands: After using this smallish, not-quite-XL-class smartphone for roughly four months, I had really gotten used to the form factor. This is interesting because I’ve embraced the thin and large smartphone flagships that are common these days, and because my eyesight is poor enough that larger displays are advantageous. On a small display, I have to bump up the scaling too much.

And there really is something special about the Pixel 4a 5G form factor. It’s pleasant to hold, and I love the matte polycarbonate body, which I place in a very thin and minimalist case mostly just to preserve whatever little resale value it will have. By comparison, the OnePlus is big and heavy, and it's made even more so by the bulkier case it requires to protect all the glass. It felt top-heavy to ...