Google Pixel 4 And Pixel 4 XL: Everything We Know So Far

Google's current Android smartphones are the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL. Rumors are swirling that Google is getting ready to unveil new flagship devices in the coming months. The new phones, logically, are expected to be named Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL. And there of course has been a swirl of rumors hinting at some of the features that these smartphones will offer.

One of the features that folks who travel internationally frequently, or have a line for personal and a line for business, will appreciate is support for dual SIM cards. The Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL do offer a sort of dual SIM functionality with a single physical SIM and an eSIM, but the catch is that both SIMs can't be used at the same time. This reportedly is changing with the Pixel 4 series.

With the Pixel 4 devices, Google is being tipped to support a feature called Dual SIM, Dual Standby. With that support, the device would be able to use one SIM as primary, and the secondary SIM will be able to get calls and texts along with data, if the primary SIM isn't in use. Additional scuttlebutt has to do with the display used on the devices.

Notchless With Dual Front-Firing Speakers?

Claims are that Google has worked out how to go notch-free for the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL. The notch-less displays were tipped by a patent filing that turned up in January. The patent drawings also show what appears to be two front speakers. One curiosity of the patent app was that there seems to be no front camera. That could mean a couple of things, one could be some sort of under-the-screen camera, or the other is a potential for a sliding or pop-up camera.

The patent application gave us a glimpse at the rear of the device hinting that the next-gen Pixel devices will stick with a single camera despite that most competition has moved to multiple cameras. Something that may disappoint, depending on your perspective, is that the fingerprint scanner is on the back of the device, which means no in-screen fingerprint scanner like some of the competition.

As for the chipset inside the new smartphones, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 is expected. Google is also expected to launch the Pixel 4 family running Android Q. Along with the rumors of the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL have come rumors of cheaper versions of the current Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL. The devices are tipped to be called the Pixel 3 Lite and Pixel 3 XL Lite, aiming at mid-range buyers out there. These will be different devices than the current Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL; the Lite devices will give up the Snapdragon 845 and go with a Snapdragon 670 or 710 under the hood, with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage, according to reports. As for the launch, the Pixel 4 line is expected to arrive this October.