Pixel 5’s Best Feature is Still Battery Life

The Google Pixel 5 is never going to win any awards and likely isn’t the best option for the majority of people looking for a new smartphone. There are phones with bigger and better displays, more advanced camera systems, more software features, and designs with more unique or dazzling personalities. Hell, there are phones that will see updates for longer, which is weird to think. But there is one area that I can’t find a phone better in: battery life.

After expressing my joy in continuing to use this phone on several occasions now, I’m back to tell you that the battery life on my Pixel 5 is still nothing short of remarkable. It is the most important, if not best feature of Google’s highest-end phone from 2020.

You see, the Google Pixel 5 gets by with a solid camera that we all know we can trust. It works with its minimal software experience that doesn’t try to do too much. It doesn’t even feel bad in the hand, because of this weirdly satisfying-to-touch textured back that surrounds this supposedly metal phone. The size is perfect. There is a lot to like even if, as I said above, this isn’t close to being the best Android phone available.

But all of that aside, I will never not love the fact that as each day passes, I never worry about whether or not this phone will last a day. Actually, that’s a bit of a lie and the reason for this post is because yesterday was the first day I had to watch the battery percentage in that top right corner.

For whatever reason, my Pixel 5 was put through an excessive amount of use on Sunday. The display stayed on for over an hour straight while I worked out. My kid used it for a long period of time at the taphouse we visited. I did my normal Twitter/Instagram/Google News browsing throughout the morning. There might have been other stuff. All I know is I hit 5% around 9PM and was like, “Whoa, this is a  feeling I haven’t had in a while and I don’t like it.”

I can say that after all these months because I don’t often look at my battery percentage anymore. I’ve really trained my brain to not have to think about battery life on the Pixel 5. It’s a wonderful place to be, but it brings a bit of a shock each time I review a new phone like the Galaxy S21 or OnePlus 9 Pro, both of which were pretty bad in this category.

I know that we don’t often buy phones solely because of their rated or tested battery life results, but when you own a phone that lasts this long, it creates a base that can be built upon. You get to use your phone more without hesitation on the fun stuff. You can play more games and watch more videos or take more pictures or Tweet extra bad takes without wondering if your phone will make it until you get home or go to bed.