A few weeks ago, I completely reset my Pixel 5, packed it up, and sent it to my mom to replace her old, dying smartphone. Even though I hadn’t used that Pixel 5 for over a year as my daily driver, I still felt a pang of nostalgia as I let it go. Sure, knowing it’ll be used every day and that my mom will get the Pixel’s exclusive features and excellent camera is better than leaving it in a drawer for months on end, but still, this particular Pixel was pretty dang special.
Google released the Pixel 5 at the most uncertain of times. 2020 was a weird year for most humans and smartphones weren’t the top priority for those of us stuck in the middle of a pandemic. The phone was a child of its time — small, unassuming, and practical. To date, I think the Pixel 5 is the most underrated phone in Google’s line-up and it got so harshly treated by everyone who didn’t use it. Or those who barely used it for a week and then moved on to the next hot thing.