Google Announces Pixel 4a (5G) And Teases Pixel 5 For This Fall

pixel 4a 5g pixel 5
Google today announced the availability of its long-anticipated (and very late) Pixel 4a budget smartphone. The device uses legacy 4G LTE connectivity, but comes with a very enticing $349 price tag.

However, Google also announced two other smartphones that have been expected based on previous leaks: the Pixel 4a (5G) and Pixel 5. With regards to the Pixel 4a (5G), Google says that the smartphone will launch this fall with a $499 price tag. In other words, you’re looking at a $150 upcharge to go from 4G LTE to 5G technology.

The standard Pixel 4a comes with a 5.81-inch OLED display, 6GB of RAM, 128GB of storage and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 730G SoC. We don’t at this point know any specs for the Pixel 4a (5G) other than the fact that it has a 5G modem. Its $499 price point is shared with the OnePlus Nord, which means that it could very well use the Snapdragon 765G SoC. However, one other possibility is the Snapdragon 690 5G SoC, which features an integrated Snapdragon X51 modem (sans mmWave support). However, overall system performance could be hampered with this 600-Series SoC.

As for the Pixel 5, it will also feature 5G connectivity, although Google hasn’t provided any guidance on pricing. Previous rumors have suggested that the phone will carry a Snapdragon 765G SoC, as the Snapdragon 865 is out of the question due to Google’s value-play with this generation. We’re likely looking at a price tag of $599 or $699, but the latter may be pushing the boundaries of what folks are willing to pay for a Snapdragon 765G-powered smartphone. 

Google typically announces its new flagship Pixel smartphones in October, but it remains to be seen if that timetable will stick given the COVID-19 related delays that we’ve seen sweep across the tech industry in 2020. When released, Google says that both the Pixel 4a (5G) and the Pixel 5 will be available in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Germany, Japan, Taiwan and Australia.