Amazon.com: Google Pixel 5 5G, US Version, 128GB, Sorta Sage - Unlocked (Renewed) : Cell Phones & Accessories

For many generations, Google has skimped on some of the details with their phones. They do have some of the best cameras, and also because Pixels use the base version of Android unmodified by the other manufacturers (i.e., Samsung's Touchwiz interface), updates to Google Pixels come much faster. But in an attempt to build "flagship" phones at lower prices than the competition, Google has been notorious for cutting corners. For example, the Pixel 3 and Pixel 4 both got low ratings due to small batteries that didn't last much past lunch, or for limited RAM.On the Pixel 5, they put in a good battery and decent RAM, but went with an aluminum housing instead of glass like the competition, and they used a step-down microprocessor rather than the top-of-the-line chip in the competition. It's that slower microprocessor that's earned this phone most of its lukewarm attention, but I'm here to tell you, for 99.9 percent of us users, the chip they went with is still plenty fast and capable.My previous phone was a Pixel 3 that eventually the battery pretty much just bulged until it burst out of the case. It never had good battery performance so I was constantly keeping it charged (hence the battery exploding), and I ran into some issues with crashing because there was only 4GB of RAM. But otherwise, it was a solid phone that I enjoyed a lot. So when it was time to upgrade, I went with a newer Pixel. But my budget didn't allow me to go with the shiny new Pixel 6 Pro, I had to settle for a refurbished Pixel 5. And I'm here to tell you, I don't feel like I've compromised one bit in that decision. This is also a good phone, which fixed the things that were broken about the Pixel 3. I like that, unlike the Pixel 4 and Pixel 6, it has the fingerprint sensor on the back, similar to the Pixel 3 - right where my index finger intuitively finds it every time I need it. I find the phone plenty fast - the step-down chip keeps up with all I need it to do. I kind of like the aluminum case; it's not as slippery and easy to drop as phones housed in glass. It's a good solid performer all the way around. And even though it's refurbed, it feels completely new.Want a great phone but don't have a lot of bucks to spend on the Pixel 6 or a Samsung Galaxy S22? Get a refurb Pixel 5 and don't look back.

I was worried it wouldn't really be unlocked based on some of the reviews here, but I decided to try it out since we get 90 days to return if anything. Went to Cricket and successfully activated - hooray! Waited to order my screen protector and case until I knew for sure.The phone literally looks and feels new. If you look closely, the screen does have some very light scratches, but once I put the screen protector on, you can't see them at all. I'm so glad I went for it. It came with a charger, but I found it charged very slowly, so I just am using my same charger from Amazon that I used for last phone.I was able to transfer over most of my apps, contacts, and messages from my previous phone (galaxy 9) within about 15 minutes maybe less. Super easy, the phone does all the work for you. I love that the only apps it comes with are google apps, most of which I use anyway. I also noticed it has pretty good battery life. When it first arrived, I charged it and left it on (although didn't really use it at all) and that charge lasted for a week and 3 days before I went to Cricket to activate. I charged it that Saturday night and used it a considerable amount to transfer/ setup everything to my liking, did some Amazon shopping, note taking, little bit of Youtube and Spotify. Now it's Monday noon and I'm still at 44% . That far exceeds my expectations. The phone itself lives up to all the spec descriptions and has been easier than I thought to get used to navigating. The only thing I miss from my samsung s9 is the LED notification light, but I can get used to that. So glad I was able to get my hands on the pixel 5, I think it's so much prettier than the 6 and it's practically the same size as the galaxy s9, which is perfect for me.This is a great value for your money. There are a lot of cheap phones out there, but I think this one is on par specs and feature-wise with the more expensive flagships. Overall, highly recommend.If I don't update this with negative feedback in the future, that means I'm still happy with my purchase!Update: originally purchased Jan 2022. It's now August 2024 and this thing is running just as smoothly as the day i got it. I have run out of storage a couple times, which did make some apps run a little slower, but I backed up my photos & videos and deleted a bunch from my phone and it went back to normal. It doesn't have all the cool new camera features as the new pixels, but I still really like the camera and the photo magic eraser tool is really handy! It does rarely heat up more than normal, but if you leave it alone and let it cool down, it tends to be fine for heavy usage again. I will also note that I have dropped my phone plenty of times (with case & screen protector) and it is practically unscathed, still going strong after 2 and a half years. Normally the 2 year mark is when i start to have strange issues with a phone screen or performance but haven't had any with this one. Honestly, I think this is the first smart phone i haven't had any weird malfunctions with.