iPhone 12 mini vs Google Pixel 4a: Specs, Prices and More

Apple and Google are, today, the kings in the mobile operating systems market, in addition, they are also two of the leading companies in hardware with their devices, the iPhone and the Pixel, which have the advantage, in greater or to a lesser extent, to have software made “to measure” for that hardware. Today we want to compare two devices that try to capture a specific market share, those users who are looking for a top-of-the-range smartphone but with a “small” screen. Today we compare the iPhone 12 mini and the Pixel 4a.

Differences in specifications

Before entering with the technical specifications of each of the devices, we have to put you a bit in context, and we can consider that both smartphones are in different product ranges since the iPhone 12 mini is a high-end device , while the Google Pixel 4a would be in a middle line between the high-end and the mid-range.

iPhone 12 mini vs Google Pixel 4a

iPhone 12 mini Google Pixel 4a
Dimensions -Height: 13.15 cm
-Width: 6.42 cm
-Thickness: 0.74 cm
-Height: 14.4 cm
-Width: 6.94 cm
Thickness: 0.82 cm
Weight 135 grams 143 grams
screen 5.4 “Super Retina XDR OLED. 5.8 “OLED.
Resolution 2340 x 1080 pixels 2340 x 1080 pixels.
Processor A14 Bionic chip with next-generation Neural Engine Qualcomm Snapdragon 730G
Internal memory -64 GB
– 128 GB
– 256 GB
-128 GB.
Autonomy 2227 mAh battery. 3140 mAh battery.
Frontal camera 12 MP camera 8 MP camera
Rear camera -Wide angle: 12 MP, aperture f / 1.6.
-Ultra wide angle: 12 MP, f / 2.4 aperture and 120º field of view.
-Main: 12.2 MP, aperture f / 1.7.
Connector Lightning USB-C
Biometric systems Face ID Rear fingerprint reader
OS iOS 14 Android 10
Connectivity 5G mmWave 4G
Price From 809 euros From 494.56 euros

The technical specifications are not everything, you would make a big mistake if you only based your opinion on the technical data of one device and another, especially considering that we have a big difference in terms of the operating system and therefore, to how optimized are both devices. We commented in the introduction of this post that both Google and Apple, with Android and iOS, and with the Pixel and the iPhone, part with the advantage that, in a certain way, they can make their hardware, based on their software, and you We said that this advantage was to a greater or lesser extent, this is the result of the fact that, in the end, iOS is much more optimized for the iPhone, than Android for the Pixels. In the end, Google also has to take into account that its software, Android, will work on many more devices and therefore, the optimization for its Pixels does not reach the level of the optimization of iOS for the iPhone.

Therefore, to really value one device and another, we not only have to take into account the technical data, but the user experience they provide is vital, to really be able to make a comparison as fair as possible.

Screen size, who does it favor the most?

iPhone 12 mini con 5G

As we said, both devices seem destined to compete for the same audience due to the screen size they offer the user, although here, we could conclude that the iPhone 12 mini has an advantage over the Google Pixel 4a since its 5.4 inches of Super Retina XDR are the claim of a huge number of users who have been crying out for years for the possibility of enjoying a top-of-the-range smartphone in a reduced size, that’s why the iPhone 12 mini is really, far from its small appearance, It is a device loaded with almost all the great advantages that its older brothers, iPhone 12, 12 Pro or 12 Pro Max have.

However, just as we say that the great advantage of the iPhone 12 mini is the screen size, for a certain sector, the great disadvantage is iOS. In the same way that many users asked for a top-of-the-range device with a reduced screen, part of this audience asked for it with a specific operating system, Android, and to take advantage of this advantage, we have the Google Pixel 4a, which, despite not come to offer a device the size of the iPhone 12 mini, we remind you that the Pixel 4a mounts a 5.8-inch screen, it does not exceed too much and can meet the demands of that audience to a certain extent, since this smartphone, perhaps not we can classify it as high-end, although, precisely, it is very close.

Cameras, quantity matters

pixel 4a

In the cameras section, for many years the Pixels have been the kings, above all, not so much for the cameras themselves, but for the magnificent processing that Google got from the photographs they took. However, in this case the Pixel 4a has a disadvantage due to the number of lenses it incorporates.

Both devices, both the iPhone 12 mini and the Pixel 4a have a camera module, which makes sense in the Apple device since it incorporates two lenses, one wide-angle and the other ultra-wide, but that we do not understand in the smartphone of Google, which has only one lens, we assume that the incorporation of this module is motivated to preserve the same aesthetic with respect to its older brothers.

If we compare the main lens of both, in the case of the iPhone the wide angle, we see that in specifications they are very similar, both have 12 MP, they record video at 4k, they reach up to 240 FPS … but they differ somewhat in the aperture , being an f. 1.6 on the iPhone and an f. 1.7 on the Pixel. As we mentioned before, these are nothing more than specifications, the results, in both are really good, however, the iPhone surpasses the Pixel in this section, since it has one of the best photographs on the market and, surely, with the best video, to which, in addition, comparatively speaking, we have to take into account that the iPhone 12 mini has the ultra wide angle lens, which offers brutal perspectives although in low light conditions it is far from being the best ultra wide angle on the market .

Battery, does more mAh equal more autonomy?

iPhone 12 mini blanco

Again, we begin by commenting on the differences on paper, and here they are substantial, at least in numbers. The Pixel 4a mounts a 3140 mA battery, while the iPhone 12 mini stays at 2227 mA. However, again, numbers are not everything, since this is one of the points where the optimization of the operating system comes into play, first, and second, the processor of each of the devices.

In the case of the iPhone 12 mini, the battery has surprised, slightly, for the better, since users have reported not having autonomy problems with this device, always taking into account who is the usual public that is going to use and uses the iPhone 12 mini as a personal device, but in any case, Apple has done quite well to offer a decent autonomy to a device of a fairly small size compared to what we are used to.

On the part of the Pixel 4a, its 3140 mA mean that the autonomy of the google smartphone can be considered sufficient, again, looking at the public who usually use this device for their day to day. The fact of not having such a well optimized operating system supplies it with a good amount of mA.

Therefore, we can consider that comparatively speaking, both devices are quite even in terms of autonomy, offering a sufficient number of hours of screen for those who want to carry in their pocket and enjoy in their hand a smartphone that feels very comfortable to use in any place and situation.

Price difference and aspects to consider

caja pixel 4a

If you have reached this point in the comparison, you will have verified that in most points, the iPhone 12 mini surpasses the Google Pixel 4a, but this, like everything, has a reason, and that is that the price difference between one and the other it is very substantial. The question is, is the price difference between the two devices proportional to the existing differences? Well, it depends, it depends on your requirements, it depends on the demands that you have when choosing a device. The iPhone 12 mini starts at 809 Euros, while the Google Pixel 4a can be purchased from 494.56 Euros, as we were saying, a substantial difference in price.

However, there is still a point that you have to take into account, and it is like this price, it devalues over time. Apple products have the advantage that their price in the second-hand market does not drop as much as that of the competition, you just have to see and see how “easy” it is to sell a second-hand iPhone at a reasonable price, something that does not usually happen with Android devices since, even the price of the new device usually drops several times during the year.