2020 Google Pixel 5 128GB - Just Black (Renewed)

Bought as a "refurbished" phone, to replace a 15-month model from a different manufacturer which I just could no get along with. The phone arrived very promptly, very well packaged, and in excellent condition (as advertised). I find it a very good phone, easy to use, and very reliable. So far I'm very happy with it - and certainly have no reservations about the swap.

I bought this refurbished Pixel 5 as mine had a cracked screen and had some other issues. I love the Pixel series but this is the last one with the fingerprint sensor on the back, which I like. So rather than try and get my other one repaired, it seemed more cost effective to get a refurbed model. Condition when received was excellent, as new, no marks. The incorrect charging wire was included (iPhone) but as I had my other wires, it wasn't an issue worth pursuing. At first I was a little concerned about battery life as it seemed to have less than my other handset with a full charge. However once I started using it and the phone got used to my charging habits (adaptive charging) it settled down and I'm very happy with the battery life. I bought this in August 2023 but waited to post a review. Works exactly as it should. Excellent value for money.

For the past few years I've had a multitude of cheap Chinese phones whether from Huawei or Xiaomi and all of them cause stress and problems in some shape or form. So I promised myself that my next purchase of a phone would be stock android and what better stock Android experience can you get than a Pixel Phone? Upon booting up for the first time and installing the Google system apps, you're experiencing a totally different setup of a phone compared to other android phones. The Pixel experience is a delightful one. The camera is simply incredible. Amazing quality photos and videos. The sound is utterly remarkable and I've had a RAZR phone in the past which came with Dolby Atmos. You get to be the first to get new android updates. Within a week of getting this phone I was testing Android 14 beta and helping improve it by working with Google reporting bugs and issues. And Google take all this very seriously. Reporting bugs via the Android beta app that comes with the Android 14 update, you get assigned a Google representative within minutes who keeps you regularly updated on how progress is made. You get dedicated Pixel Google staff who are available 24/7 within a minute or two who will help you with any issues. I found getting hold of Google staff when you have another phone manufacturers android phone is virtually impossible but with a Pixel phone it's almost like having your own dedicated help team who will spend as much time as necessary to help you. Pixel phones also come with various enhancements for battery charging, sound etc that adapt to your usage. It has an excellent extreme battery option where you can choose a few apps and games you don't want not working in background but unlike other phones where everything seems to be off and you're left with a basic functional phone, you can still open up any app you wish and immediately after use, it force stops in the background so everything is available when you need it but you also get to take advantage of your battery staying charged for longer. Unfortunately I've found out to my cost that battery power is awful with this phone and so it seems to be for Pixel phones in general. Just playing a simple online game or having a social media app open, your phone gets very hot and the battery quickly goes down making the extreme battery saving option a necessity at the moment. But Google are working on it and keep me updated so hopefully it will improve soon. All in all the Pixel phone can be recommended to any android user whether it's a hardcore gamer playing Call of Duty or Minecraft, someone who uses Facebook all day long or a parent who only uses the phone for emergencies. The price is quite reasonable for Pixel 5 now and mine came with 5G out the box and as I say the latest Android updates before anyone else. Very happy with my purchase and highly recommended especially to people who have had to suffer like me with cheaply manufactured Chinese phones in the past.

After four years of ownership, bought from new and treated with terrific care, the battery started bloating. Wouldn't recommend if you want a long-lived smartphone.

Literally the only thing that caught me out was the absence of a 3.5mm audio jack. Not the phones fault, I didn't notice that it didn't have one. If I had, and didn't buy this phone I would have missed out on a great phone. All the quality of the best other makes but without the over whelming quantity of bloatware (are you reading this Samsung). Still updating to latest Android. As for the headphone thing, Bluetooth headphones are easily acquired so this isn't really a problem. My next phone will be another Pixel.

Please don't buy it if you wanna flash ROM. I bought one, but the OEM was greyed. They only offered refund to me, but not product replacement.

If there's a phone that should never have gone out of production; this is it. Perfect size and still a good performer in 2025.

Great condition, works fantastically. Brilliant price