Pixel 4a News: It's Finally Here!

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The Pixel 3a was the first for its kind from the MadeByGoogle team, straying away from the premium flagship segment the previous generations were pampered with. It showed that Google acknowledged the mid-range market and was ready to start catering to a wider set of needs for those who want it. The first made a great and lasting impression on the smartphone market in various economies, providing a competitor for other European and American mid-range smartphones. Even as the device was in the early stages of leaking, we knew the Pixel 4a would deliver on the same principles as the previous generation. Alas, it went under a lot of delays internally and Google kept its launch date under wraps. Then, sometime on July 31st or August 1st, Google leaked a new device via a Lorem Ipsum post on the Google Store. As of writing, this link is still working, but it may be taken down by the chance you see this article. Basically, it was an official date from Google for the Pixel 4a launch event. What they didn't say on the site was that the Pixel 4a wasn't going to be the only device announced on the day. Find out what this means and information about the handsets further in the article. 

Pixel 4a: Specs

The device was never meant to be an absolute powerhouse, but it also was not meant to be under powered either. The device packs enough punch to power day-to-day activities, a host of games at average quality, and keep a few tabs open in Chrome without it affecting the performance much. The battery life, while not stellar, is certainly enough for many, with an average of 5 hours of screen-on-time despite its 3,140 mAh battery. It shouldn't take too long to charge either, just don't expect to be able to wirelessly charge it.

The device runs the latest Android 10 with Qualcomm Snapdragon 730G and Adreno 618 processors paired with 6GB LPDDR4X RAM powering it. While the processor is a little dated, it allowed the battery life to be a little better than if the device came with, say, a Snapdragon 765. Last years Pixel 3a only featured 4GB of RAM, however, that was at the same time the Pixel 4 was announced with only 6GB of RAM, and you can't exactly have a mid-range device with more RAM than the main-event flagship device. You also get a generous 128 GB of storage (does not have UFS), which is double both the entry level Pixel 3a and iPhone SE (2020). 

Mid-range devices come with cheaper price points because the manufacturer either cuts corners or uses cheap parts. Most of the devices in this category feature an LCD IPS display, with some featuring a regular 60 Hz panel and a few others upping it up to 90 Hz or even 120 Hz. Google, instead, chose to do something a little different. Instead of upping the refresh rate, which is what they did with the Pixel 4 series, they chose to bring a 19.5:9 5.81" 1080p 60 Hz OLED display to bring a better viewing experience to budget friendly users. I think they finally learned that a huge forehead does not work well with devices, as it was ditched, alongside the experimental Soli radar chip, from this device. A single, left aligned, punch-hole replaces this old design which houses an 8 MP camera sensor for shooting selfies and video calling. 

Now, on to the rear. Just like the 3a, the rear of the device features a singular 12.2 MP 4K30 camera and an LED flash. However, these are housed in a similar square camera bump to the Pixel 4. It's not exactly ugly, but it's also not the best design I've ever seen. Though, if anything else regarding the devices' design changed, I'm not sure if you could call it a Pixel 4a. For biometrics, it reverts back to the good ol' rear-mounted capacitive fingerprint scanner, nicely embedded into the back of the black carbonate unibody. 

As mentioned previously, the entire rig is powered by an average 3,140 mAh battery which, despite its size, should deliver up to 5 hours of screen-on-time. To charge up, it does feature 18w fast charging from the bottom mounted USB-C port. This isn't the only port though, as there is a top-right mounted headphone jack. It was likely placed at the top to make space for the dual bottom-firing stereo speakers. The device also features the usual Titan M Security chip, Bluetooth 5.1, USB PD 2.0, and is guaranteed for three years of Android OS and security updates. 

Guess the price? $349. No, this is not a joke. There aren't any other variants (yet), any other colours, and no XL version of this device. Just one, vanilla, Pixel 4a with no strings attached. 

Where's the Pixel 4a XL?

It's not coming, so don't get your hopes up. In its absence, the Pixel 4a 5G shall emerge. All we really know for sure about this device is that it will start at $499 and launch alongside the Pixel 5 with some presumably similar specs. The design will likely be almost exactly alike, but with some more drastic internal differences to consider for each device. 9to5google have speculated a Snapdragon 765G for both devices (which hopefully also means larger batteries), considering their 5G cellular capabilities and some premium features for the 5. Reverse wireless charging has been found within the Android 11 Developer Previews and Beta's, as well as hints at an IP rating and either a dual or triple camera setup. Other than that, we don't have much information regarding either device. We will see them at another launch event, likely in October, by the MadeByGoogle team. Stay tuned for more information regarding both devices. Stay safe!