The Pixel 4a is already at a disadvantage against the iPhone SE 2020 even before its launch. Google won't be able to match Apple's powerful A13 Bionic processor, but the Pixel 4a has its own not-so-secret weapon in the battle over who has the best budget phone.

As good as the iPhone SE's camera is, the Pixel 4a should have a huge advantage when the lights go down. For some reason, Apple decided to include a camera night mode on the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro. And that leaves a huge gap for the Pixel 4a.

Google included a night-sight mode on the mid-range Pixel 3a last year, and this feature should return on the Pixel 4a. The iPhone SE does indeed have a flash, but it does not illuminate the entire scene from a distance like Google's phones. You can see the difference between the iPhone SE and the Pixel 3a in the following outdoor photos.

As you can see, the Pixel 3a photo does a better job of depicting the grass in the foreground, the trees, the cars parked at the curb, and the house across the street; it is much harder to make out these things in the iPhone SE photo.

In this photo of a candle in a room with little or no lighting, the iPhone SE captures the candle itself well, but the table and the black-and-white runner on the table are not visible; the Pixel 3a captures the entire scene, although the wick itself is blown out.

This last example is admittedly extreme, as I took this photo in almost total darkness. However, it does show how amazing Google's computational photography technology is. The plant holder made of wood and glass in the center and the white plants on either side are all visible. The spherical glass balls are also visible.

In the iPhone SE photo, the object is almost completely black, although some of its edges are visible when the slider is dragged back and forth.

The Pixel 4a will probably have an even better rear camera, perhaps with improved Night Sight this time around. And we have already seen some purportedly very impressive Pixel 4a camera samples in various light conditions.

Of course, those familiar with iPhone and iOS will stick with the Apple ecosystem. But for those who want to try, or have tried, Android, the Pixel 4a's camera and its unique Night Sight mode will be the biggest reason to get the Pixel 4a over the iPhone SE.

And if you are willing to sacrifice some performance, the Pixel 3a with Night Sight mode has dropped in price to $239