The line of smartphones Google’s mid-range has been a hit in recent years and as soon as the Pixel 4a arrived, rumors started to start about the Pixel 5a for 2021.
Although little has been known about the phone for some time, the makes and the leaked specs now seem to reveal a phone that doesn’t visually stand out from last year’s lineup, so don’t expect this to be a drastic leap.
Don’t expect a full-scale launch either, as Google has confirmed that the Pixel 5a will launch in far fewer countries than previous Pixel phones.
That’s all we know so far.
Have you canceled the Pixel 5a?
No. But more or less yes, depending on where you live.
In April 2021, famous (but not always reliable) leaker Jon Prosser made headlines claiming that the Pixel 5a was scrapped due to the current global shortage of chips, which has caused delays and problems. production on everything from phones even to game consoles in the last year.
Bad news.
“Barbet” (Pixel 5A) has been canceled. 😞
I am told that it is due to the shortage of fleas, and since this morning, it does not progress.
The Pixel 4A and 4A 5G will continue to be sold throughout 2021.
– Jon Prosser (@jon_prosser)
April 9, 2021
Within hours, Google responded, issuing a statement to 9to5Google, denying that the 5th had been canceled, but admitting that it might not launch in the usual range of markets:
“The Pixel 5a 5G is not canceled. It will be available later this year in the US and Japan and will be announced in line with last year’s A-series phone unveiling.”
So yes, the Pixel 5a (or 5a 5G to give it its seemingly full name) is on the way, but it’s only coming out in the US and Japan. It remains to be seen whether it will launch in other markets throughout the year as well, but a smaller-than-usual launch certainly looks likely.
What is the Pixel 5a release date?
The above Google statement confirms that the 5th 5G will be announced “in line with the unveiling of last year’s a-series phone.”
The Pixel 4a launched in August, so it seems likely that the 5a will follow in August 2021 or around that time. Some expected it to appear earlier at Google’s I / O conference in May when we saw the launch of Android 12, but it wasn’t that lucky so we kept waiting.
Leader Mark Gurman agrees with us, writing in Bloomberg that we should expect the 5th “to be announced and released in August.”
We expect the Pixel 5a 5G to launch on its own, and other supposed Pixel products, such as the Pixel 6, the foldable Pixel phone, and the Pixel Watch, are more likely to follow throughout the year.
How much will the Pixel 5a cost?
It’s too early for rumors, but we believe Google will target something between the Pixel 4a’s $ 349 price tag and the 4a 5G’s $ 499 price tag.
Here are the prices for current and previous Pixel phones:
- Pixel 3a – $ 399
- Pixel 4 – $ 669
- Pixel 4XL – $ 829
- Pixel 4a – 349 $
- Pixel 4a 5G – $ 499
- Pixel 5 – $ 699
What features will the Pixel 5a have?
With a pretty drastic design change for the 4a, we don’t think Google is going to do anything too drastic with the Pixel 5a.
And indeed, that’s exactly what we saw in the first leaked renders of the phone by the generally trusted OnLeaks, which point to a remarkably familiar phone – albeit closer to the larger Pixel 4a 5G than the normal 4a.
It makes sense now that we know it will be called the Pixel 5a 5G, positioning it more as a continuation of that phone than the standard 4a.
At 156.2 x 73.2 x 8.8mm, it is very similar in size to the 4a 5G (it’s slightly taller and thicker, although narrower at the front). Again, it has a flat screen, supposedly a 6.2-inch FHD + OLED, just like that of the 4a 5G, and with a similar bezel.
Again, there’s a single punch-hole selfie camera, with a set of dual cameras on the back. We don’t know for sure the specs of these cameras, although Google itself may have disclosed some key details.
In a blog post promoting the HDR capabilities of Pixel phones, Google accidentally shared two images that could be of the Pixel 5a.
This photo of the city almost certainly is, as it contains EXIF data that indicates it was taken by a Pixel 5a. Clearly this is a shot from an ultra-wide camera and has an aperture of f / 2.2, the same as the ultra-wide 4a 5G.
More seriously, Google removed this image from the blog post’s photo album (but not before GSMArena took it), so the company realized its mistake.
This second photo is less secure: it’s still in the photo album, but it’s the only image that doesn’t include the EXIF data of the device that captured it, and it was taken on the 16th. February of this year, so it’s at least possible that it’s a Pixel 5a.
The 5a could also be remarkably similar to the 4a 5G on the inside. 9to5Google dug into the code for Android 12 Developer Preview 3 and found several references to the 5th codename “barbet” next to “sm7250”, the part number for the Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G chip.
It’s the same 5G chipset found in the Pixel 4a 5G and Pixel 5, which makes us wonder what exactly will differentiate this year’s model from last year’s.
OnLeaks claims that the rear fingerprint sensor will also remain, as will the headphone jack and stereo speakers.
If you don’t trust the renderings, leaked photos have appeared on Slashleaks that apparently show the Pixel 5a, but we think they’re unlikely to be real.
They only show the front with a “5a” wallpaper – which could easily be a mockup – and there is no trace of the hole-punch camera, which on other recent Pixels is in the upper left corner. to take selfies.
We also take this with a big pinch of salt, as the cartel, Slavakov, only has a 30% trust rating. It’s also strange that the phone appears to have the codename “starfish” instead of the expected “barbette” and that the serial number “0123456789ABCDEF” is, well, unusual.
Wish List for the new Pixel 5a
What we would like to see are additions like wireless charging and waterproofing as they would make a bigger difference to the user experience. The iPhone SE has them, albeit at a higher cost, so maybe one, but not both, is a realistic prospect.
Although rumors suggest that Google will use the Snapdragon 765G again, we expect it to upgrade to the Snapdragon 780G with decent RAM and storage like in the 4a.
That would be good news for potential buyers, as the processor supports 5G, 120Hz refresh rates, 4K HDR recording and playback, as well as a maximum of 12GB of RAM.
Granted, we don’t think the Pixel 5a necessarily comes with these features, but the processor would mean anyone is possible if Google wants to offer its customers updates.
However, don’t expect Google to change its Apple-like policy on expandable storage.
Camera tech will likely be one of the Pixel 5a’s biggest lures. Google has done a great job of delivering a flagship camera at an affordable price. The big question is whether Google will add a secondary camera.
The Pixel 4 has a telephoto lens, which could be pushed to 5th place if Google can manage to make it work profitably.
The Tech Advisor team would prefer a wide-angle lens, but we wouldn’t be too surprised if Google stuck to a single lens to differentiate itself from its flagship phones.
Original article published in English on our sister site TechAdvisor.
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