So I've been looking forward to buying a new phone after 3 years with a Moto g5+. My budget is a bit better this time, and I've assumed Pixel 4a would be my choice, ever since it launched with a price well below last year's Pixel 3a. I figured based on where 3a was last November ($275) it would be a slam dunk. But a strange thing happened. Pixel 4a's price is not going down, but Samsung Galaxy A51 5G is, and has already matched Pixel 4a at $350.
So now I'm facing a dilemma. On paper Galaxy A51 5G is better than, or as good as, Pixel 4a in every way, even promising the same three major software upgrades. My phone plan doesn't offer 5G, so that in itself is not a big selling point, but Exynos 980 still runs circles around the Snapdragon 730. Assuming the price is going to stay comparable (and hopefully drop a little) is there any reason I should still look at Pixel 4a?

 

I've never used either flavor (as I said, I'm coming from a budget Motorola phone), so I don't have a pre-existing preference, though I hear that One UI has improved greatly in both performance and usability in recent updates. My needs aren't too great. I want a phone with good performance (the lag on the Moto g5+ is terrible) and a decent camera. I am not a heavy phone user. As long as the common apps (phone, browser, music, fit, maps, messenger) are responsive, and remain so over time, especially after OS updates, I'm happy.