Here’s everything we know about the Google Pixel 4a so far

Google’s next mid-range Pixel entry is right around the corner, and plenty of rumours and leaks have already made their way out. We have a pretty good idea of what it looks like, we can assume some of the specifications using trends from last year, and we think we might know what it will cost. Here’s everything that’s been rumoured so far about the forthcoming Google Pixel 4a.

Design and device features

The first thing we know for certain at this point is what the device is going to look like. Thanks to a leak from the ever-reliable OnLeaks, we know that the Pixel 4a is going to carry some very familiar external design flourishes. In many ways, this mid-ranger is a bit of a mix between last year’s Pixel 3a and the Pixel 4 — and there are practical reasons why this is the case.

As you can see above, the phone is going to have a camera bump that is very similar to the one on the standard Pixel 4. But there are differences too — the device is also going to ship with a rear fingerprint sensor and a 3.5mm headphone jack, both of which were skipped by the Mountain View company on last year’s flagship. There’s also the usual USB-C port and bottom-facing speakers.

Pixel 4a specs rumours

What about the specifications? We don’t know much about the internals yet, but we can make some strong assumptions based on previous trends with flagship Pixel and mid-range Pixel devices. Expect the same or similar camera quality, a larger, longer-lasting battery, and a mid-range Snapdragon processor.

As for the display, OnLeaks suggests that the smaller model will come in somewhere between 5.7 and 5.8-inches diagonally. And as for its dimensions, the standard Pixel 4a is going to measure 144.2 x 69.5 x 8.2mm. There have yet to be reliable leaks for the larger Pixel 4a XL — if it even exists.

Camera

As for the camera specifically, the renders provided by OnLeaks suggest strongly that the Pixel 4a is going to be shipping with just two camera sensors — one on the front, and one on the back. That back camera window is also going to house what is apparently the flash and likely a microphone, too.

We don’t know anything about how the Pixel 4a performs camera-wise, but if there’s anything we learned last year, Google’s messaging with this device is likely to be something along the lines of “get all the camera prowess of the flagship at half the price!” Will we? That’s yet to be seen.

Colours

We don’t know what the physical colour options will be for the Pixel 4a, but we can assume there will be three if last year’s trend continues. Last year, there were the usual white and black models, but Google decided to throw in the “Purple-ish” model as the curveball (and best model, if you’re asking me). One sketchy rumour suggested that this year’s third colour might be a blue hue of some sort.

Pixel 4a and 4a XL pricing rumours

Pixel 4a pricing is another thing that hasn’t been rumoured much, but we did get word — also mentioned during episode 79 of the Alphabet Scoop podcast — that the larger Pixel 4a XL model might be slightly more expensive than it was last year. Our sources suggested $400 and $500 price points for the smaller Pixel 4a and 4a XL, respectively. That’s just a rumour, though. Pricing likely hasn’t been finalized yet.

Release date and availability

Another thing we can say with near-certainty is that the Google Pixel 4a is going to make its official appearance at Google I/O 2020. That is the same event where Google announced the Pixel 3a, and we’ve been told via rumour — as we mentioned during an episode of the Alphabet Scoop podcast — that this is around the time we should expect the mid-range 4a to materialize.

Google I/O 2020 marks a halfway point in the annual Google Pixel release cycle, and it’s one of the only other opportunities throughout the year where Google has significant press hands on deck for a significant hardware launch. Some have suggested that the company chooses this timeframe for the mid-range launch as to not over-shadow (or under-shadow?) the flagship Pixel release.