Google Pixel 4a release date, specs, price and rumors

The Google Pixel 4a has some big shoes to fill following in the footsteps of the very successful Google Pixel 3a. And the stakes are even higher now that Apple has raised the bar on mid-range phones with the launch of the iPhone SE 2020.

It’s hard not to conclude that Apple brought back its low-cost compact phone in part because of the Pixel 3a’s success. After all, Google’s $399 device proved to be one of the most popular phones the company has ever sold, thanks to that low price and a camera that compares very favorably to Google’s flagship Pixels that cost twice as much.

So what does Google do for an encore with the Pixel 4a? A a bigger display, faster processor and and even better camera. The Pixel 4a is also rumored to have a lower starting price of $349, undercutting Apple’s bargain of an iPhone.

If Google can get the right amount of premium functionality in the Pixel 4a at an aggressive price, then it may have another great winner on its hands. Read on to learn everything we know about the Pixel 4a, including its potential release date, price, specs and more.

Google Pixel 4a latest news (updated June 8)

• We’re not expecting an XL version of the Pixel 4a, with rumors suggesting Google is going with just one model. But here’s a look at possible Pixel 4a XL specs if Google goes ahead with the larger phone.
• A listing for a clear Pixel 4a case has been circulating online, courtesy of accessories maker ESR. One of the images on the page suggest the Pixel 4a will be able to charge wirelessly, but given everything we know about the phone thus far, that would appear to be an error.
• A new Google Fi ad appearing on YouTube depicts a graphic of a phone that looks suspiciously like the Pixel 4a. Meanwhile, a notice about the Car Crash Detection feature rolling out to Verizon Pixel 3 units also makes a mention of the Pixel 4a, even though the phone hasn’t been announced yet.

Google Pixel 4a release date

Talk about your moving targets. We expected to see the Pixel 4a at this year’s Google I/O conference in May. After all, the Pixel 3a made its debut at the 2019 developer conference. But Google I/O was cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak, and May drew to a close with no Pixel 4a in sight.

A German tech blog then reported that the phone was on track for a June 5 launch. (That same blog had earlier indicated that the Pixel 4a would reach store shelves on May 22.) The June 5 date made sense, as it was two days after a scheduled June 3 online event to show off an Android 11 preview. But that event was ultimately postponed, too, with the explanation that “now is not the time to celebrate,” referring to protests over the death of George Floyd while in police custody, which have led to unrest across the U.S.

We are excited to tell you more about Android 11, but now is not the time to celebrate. We are postponing the June 3rd event and beta release. We’ll be back with more on Android 11, soon.May 30, 2020

Even before Google postponed its June 3 Android 11 event, reports courtesy of phone leaker Jon Prosser claimed that we wouldn’t see the Pixel 4a until July 13. There was no word on the reason for the delay, though Prosser said it was because of “market conditions” and not because the phones aren’t ready to release.

More confusing still, the Pixel 4a may not even hit stores in July, according to Prosser. He says the Just Black version of the Pixel 4a would hit stores on August 6, with the Barely Blue model showing up months later on Oct. 1. If this unconventional schedule is accurate, we’d guess it’s Google trying to anticipate when foot traffic returns to retail outlets.

The Pixel 4a figures to enter a competitive market for budget phones if it doesn’t come out until later in the summer. The OnePlus Z — a lower-cost version of the Android phone maker’s flagship devices — is reportedly arriving early July.

None of this has stopped the Pixel 4a from being hinted and, in some cases, downright revealed by carriers. Verizon, for example, recently mentioned the Pixel 4a in a notice about the Car Crash Detection feature making its way to the Pixel 3 via an over-the-air update — a slip up uncovered by Droid Life. Perhaps Big Red assumed the phone would be known about by now, and never adjusted its schedule of materials to reflect delays in the 4a’s announcement.

All the while, Google is still going forward with the Android 11 beta, even though the company postponed its June 3 event. Mishaal Rahman of XDA Developers revealed that the latest beta began reaching users on June 1, and it looks to give us a comprehensive preview of  features that will one day make their way to the Pixel 4a, like chat bubbles, a “power menu” for accessing payments cards and passes easily and app suggestions embedded in home screen shortcuts.

Google Pixel 4a price

According to a leak from 9to5 Google’s Stephen Hall, the Pixel 4a will start for as low as $349. This would be $50 cheaper than the Pixel 3a and $50 less than the iPhone SE. Plus, the leak says to expect 128GB of storage to start, which would be double the 64GB offered by the iPhone SE. The Pixel 3a also started with 64GB of storage.

If you want more proof that the Pixel 4a could cost $349, a Reddit user shared a pricing survey Google reportedly sent out, which mentions a Pixel phone made of plastic that seemingly refers to the Pixel 4a. That phone is listed as $349 in the survey.

“What about the Pixel 4a XL?” you may be asking. Reportedly, Google’s not coming out with a larger version of its budget phone as the Pixel 3a XL didn’t sell as well as the 3a. Jon Prosser confirmed as much when reporting on the new July 13 release date for the phone. (A newly leaked Pixel 4a XL render shows what we’re missing without that model and we’ve got a look at potential Pixel 4a XL specs if the phone happens to appear after all..)

Google Pixel 4a design

Like the Pixel 3a, the Pixel 4a is expected to have a full plastic body, which is not a premium material, but can still feel pleasant to hold. Jon Prosser reports that the Pixel 4a will come in two colors — Just Black and Barely Blue.

Leaked photos of the device that have surfaced on Twitter via TechDroider highlight how Google has evolved the Pixel 3a’s design into its next midrange handset. The two most noticeable design discrepancies with this year’s model appear to be the hole-punch camera cutout — evoking the Infinity-O displays on Samsung’s Galaxy S10 series of phones — and the square rear camera module, which strangely only carries one lens. This may have been done to establish a design lineage with the Pixel 4, which employs a dual-lens rear camera embedded in a similar-looking patch.

Google Pixel 4A .. Small + Powerful Camera + Better Design than Pixel 4/XL pic.twitter.com/aEdeyhgR9CMarch 7, 2020

On the top edge, the headphone jack from the 3a still appears to be present. That’s a pleasant surprise in the smartphone ecosystem, and one that users on tighter budgets who don’t already own wireless buds will appreciate. On the bottom, the usual USB-C port can be found, now the standard for all smartphones unless you’re Apple.

Meanwhile, at the back is the rear fingerprint sensor as well as the signature Google logo. This sensor was dropped in the transition from Pixel 3 to Pixel 4 because Google wanted people to use the Face Unlock facial recognition system. But since there’s no longer a big bezel at the top of the display to house Google’s Motion Sense radar tech, and no doubt the Soli radar sensor is too expensive to install on a mid-range phone anyway, this is likely why Google’s decided to go back to the old method.

If you want the specific measurements, Dave Lee provided some numbers: 144.2 x 69.5 x 8.2mm (5.7 x 2.7 x 0.32 inches). Comparing this to the current Pixel 3a, the phone is noticeably shorter, presumably thanks to the rumored swapping out of the bezel for a camera punch-hole, while the other dimensions are near identical.

All the above is further lent credence by new design renders created by Pigtou and xleaks, who developed the images below based off leaked CAD drawings. 

Much like previous images, the design render shows an evolution of the Pixel aesthetic, mixing in a modern near bezel-less display with the rounded utilitarian design of previous Pixel phones. And the rear fingerprint scanner is also present and correct, which some fans will welcome as the sensor has been praised for being responsive and able to reliably unlock a Pixel phone in a split-second. 

I’m pretty certain I mentioned this before but I can confirm that Pixel 4a doesn’t have Active Edge. First of the Pixel line to leave it behind.May 18, 2020

One design difference between the Pixel 4a and previous Google phones is the lack of an Active Edge feature which allows you to squeeze the side of the phone to summon Google Assistant. 9to5Google’s Stephen Hall says the Pixel 4a won’t have that feature — one possible way Google is keeping costs down on this phone.

Google Pixel 4a display

Renders based on leaks provided by 91mobiles and Twitter user @OnLeaks have tipped us off another subtly changed Pixel handset. Having finally ditched the signature heavy bezel, the Pixel 4a will apparently have a punch-hole selfie camera in the top left corner, set in a display that’s somewhere in the 5.7 to 5.8-inch range depending on who you listen to.

The most definitive word on the Pixel 4a’s screen size thus far has come from 9to5Google, which posted the rumored specs of the Pixel 4a. That report claims the phone will have a 5.8-inch OLED display with a full-HD+ resolution.

Google Pixel 4A AgainCredits – @raude2210 pic.twitter.com/jDzWCXsIQdMarch 8, 2020

That claim is backed up by benchmarks for a phone that fits the Pixel 4a’s description showing up on Geekbench. That post includes specs for the device, where the display is described as 5.81-inch OLED panel.

Some initial photos that appeared on both Twitter and Slashleaks, reportedly of the Pixel 4a, back up the rumor that the oversized top and bottom bezels are gone from Google’s upcoming phone. Those images show a punch-hole for the front camera replacing the bezel on last year’s models.

The Pixel 4 has a 90Hz AMOLED display, in either a 5.7-inch or 6.3-inch version. The Pixel 3a had an AMOLED panel too (albeit a not very bright one), so we should expect another one on the Pixel 4a. 

Whether Google will bring over the 90Hz technology it introduced with the Pixel 4 is debatable. It would be a great selling point for a mid-price phone, but the price of implementation, plus the fact it didn’t work that smoothly on the Pixel 4 may mean Google plays it safe and leaves the Pixel 4a display at the standard 60Hz.

Google Pixel 4a cameras

Google’s last two phones, the Pixel 3a and the Pixel 4, had one and two cameras respectively. It looks like the 4a will take after the 3a, using only a single main sensor, presumably the 12.2MP one it used on its previous phones. That is a small pity since the Pixel 4’s 16MP telephoto lens is pretty good. 

Fortunately the Pixel series has always held Google’s amazing photo processing software as a secret weapon, meaning that often a single lens can do the job as well as multiple ones working together. That gives us faith that the Pixel 4a will ultimately land on our list of the best camera phones.

Fotos: #Pixel4a vs #RedmiNote7 12MP vs 48MPCual te gusta mas? pic.twitter.com/ULsU8pOlRoApril 30, 2020

A number of Pixel 4a camera samples have already leaked, and both sets of results look pretty impressive compared to the Redmi Note 7. The Pixel 4a particularly excels in low light, but even outdoor shots look more colorful and sharp. This bodes well for Google’s phone in its battle against the iPhone SE, which will relies on a single rear camera augmented by neural processing. 

On the front, and as far as we know nestled in a brand-new punch-hole cutout, the selfie camera is likely to once again be Google’s 8MP sensor. Whether the front camera will be the same as the 3a, or employ the slightly wider field of view of the Pixel 4’s lens, has yet to be determined.

The Google Camera app, which also contains references to code names likely to be the Pixel 4a models, was also shown by XDA Developers to contain code for a 24fps video mode. This, joining the 30 fps and 60 fps video modes that are staples for smartphone video, will be welcome news for videographers who want extra versatility in their frame rates for various mechanical and artistic reasons.

Google Pixel 4a specs: CPU, RAM and storage

Dueling rumors suggested that there were different CPUs headed to the Pixel 4a. XDA Developers found during its investigation into Google’s code names that one version uses the Snapdragon 730, while another uses the Snapdragon 765, a 5G-ready processor that poses exciting possibilities for this new handset.

XDA Developers have since confirmed that the codename “sunfish” relates to a Pixel 4a with the Snapdragon 730 chip, but cannot yet confirm if there will be other versions. For what it’s worth, the 9to5Google report on Pixel 4a specs only mentions the Snapdragon 730 and many of the leaked benchmarks we’ve seen so far refer only to that processor. The Snapdragon 765 chipset model discovered above may instead end up being the Pixel 5. There have been rumors that Google is moving away from the Snapdragon 865 chip found in most 2020 flagships in a bid to make the top-end Pixel phone more affordable, and this chip would be a sensible step down in power while retaining 5G connectivity.

The Pixel 4a benchmarks posted to Geekbench are for a device powered by a Snapdragon 730 chipset. More interestingly, the phone is listed as having 6GB of memory, which would be an improvement over the 4GB of RAM in the Pixel 3a. As for performance, the rumored Pixel 4a posted a Geekbench 4 multicore score of 6,366, which is about what you’d expect for a phone powered by a Snapdragon 730.

Additional benchmarks carried out using AnTuTu by TechnoLike Plus reveal similar information. Overall the Pixel 4a’s performance lies between the Pixel 3a and the Pixel 4. This is respectable, but it won’t get it far compared to the iPhone SE’s mighty A13 chipset, which beats even flagship Android phones using the Snapdragon 865 CPU.

Google Pixel 4a 5G

With evidence mounting that the Snapdragon 730 will power the Pixel 4a, it’s increasingly unlike that Google’s next budget phone will be able to connect to emerging 5G networks.

That wouldn’t be the case if Google surprises us and uses a Snapdragon 765 chipset. The 765 features a built-in 5G modem, so any phone powered by that system-on-chip will have 5G connectivity.

Should the Snapdragon 765 appear in the Pixel 4a, that would make Google’s cheapest phone its first 5G offering. It might also help speed up adoption of the new networking standard, since most 5G phones are far more expensive or are made by less well-known brands. 

Obviously Apple’s move to 5G will be the final step that moves a lot of people over, but for Android users, Google has a chance to be their guide to a new high-speed and low-latency data world.

If, however, Google opts for just one model of the Pixel 4a powered by a Snapdragon 730 chipset, that means the company is passing on adding 5G to its midrange lineup for now. Instead, the Pixel 5, coming in the fall, would be Google’s first 5G phone.

Google Pixel 4a battery and charging

More battery is always good, but it’s quite desperately needed in the Pixel series. The standard Pixel 3a came with a rather small 3,000 mAh battery, and the XL a below average 3,700 mAh battery. 

Pixel handsets have used 18W fast charging since the original Pixel debuted, and it wouldn’t make sense for Google to take a step backwards here. Therefore, the Pixel 3a will almost certainly be compatible with 18W charging too.

The 3a did not feature wireless charging, and that feature also looks unlikely for the Pixel 4a. A new listing for a clear Pixel 4a case with a kickstand from accessories firm ESR does feature an image of the handset charging wirelessly, but given that no other rumors about the phone have raised the possibility of wireless charging, we chalk this one up to an oversight on ESR’s end.

Google Pixel 4a outlook

The Pixel 3a has been a popular phone, increasing Google’s handset sales by a large margin. Therefore the sequel has the perfect stage already set for it. However, the Pixel 4’s stumbles reinforce the need for Google to think carefully about which new features it transfers over to the Pixel 4a — especially now that Apple is challenging Google with a sub-$400 phone of its own.

It doesn’t look like the Pixel 4a will offer Motion Sense or Face Unlock, which is just fine with us. The latest camera processing software and Google Assistant improvements should be top of the list of things the new phone needs. 

A performance boost wouldn’t go amiss, and hopefully the two new Snapdragon CPUs rumored would help with that. And while a significantly upgraded display would be nice, it would be better to keep anything too advanced, like the Pixel 4’s 90Hz display, off the Pixel 4a if it’s in danger of raising the price significantly. 

The Pixel 4a doesn’t need to be revolutionary, just a solid update on the Pixel 3a. If Google plays it safe, its next foray into the mid-range handset market will no doubt do very well once again.