Google Pixel 5 release date just leaked — and it could steal iPhone 12’s thunder

The Google Pixel 5 will be unveiled at Google’s event Sept. 30, but it’s actual release date could be before Apple’s new iPhone 12. 

The shipping schedule come courtesy of Jon Prosser, whose Twitter-posted leaks have proved accurate more often than not. Prosser claims to have the shipping details for both the Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G, and the latter could require a pretty long wait.

Pre-orders both new Google phones will begin the same day as Google’s event, according to Prosser, and the Pixel 5 will ship approximately two weeks later on Oct. 15. 

Apple’s iPhone 12 event is rumored to take place Oct 13, and the release date may be Oct. 23. So the Pixel 5 could wind up beating the iPhone 12 to market. 

Prosser’s tweet contains some other information about the Pixel 5, namely that it will be available in Just Black and Subtle Sage. That latter color seemingly confirms the green version of the Pixel 5 tweeted out by others earlier this week.

Pixel 5 5G(Just Black & Subtle Sage)- Preorder: Sep 30- Launch: October 15They made an oopsie with the 4a ??Pixel 4a 5G (Just Black)- Preorder: Sep 30- Launch: Nov 19Pixel 4a 5G (Clearly White)- Delayed to 2021 ?(Will most likely be canceled altogether) pic.twitter.com/Qh4L0TZ3RySeptember 25, 2020

We already know plenty about what to expect with the Pixel 5, thanks to a variety of leaks. The phone should feature a 6-inch screen with a 90Hz refresh rate and a Snapdragon 765G processor. The Pixel 4a 5G has that same chipset with a 6.2-inch display, though its screen will refresh at the standard 60Hz rate.

There seems to be bad news on the Pixel 4a 5G front. A “Just Black” version of the phone isn’t expected to ship until November 19, according to Prosser. That’s a full month-and-a-half after the phone is announced.

“They made an oopsie with the 4a,” Prosser tweeted.

Then there’s the case of the “Clearly White” Pixel 4a 5G. That’s apparently not shipping until 2021 — if it even arrives at all. Prosser believes that version of the phone will just get canceled.

The gap in ship times for the Pixel 4a 5G is puzzling, though it could be that Google’s budget 5G phone has been affected by the coronavirus pandemic that delayed other phone launches this year. The standard Pixel 4a didn’t launch until August after being expected months before.

Google has already told us to expect the Pixel 4a 5G to cost $499. The Pixel 5’s price is unknown, though rumors suggest it will sell for $699.

All will be revealed at the Sept. 30 Google event at 2 p.m. EDT, where we also expect to see the Nest Audio speaker and new Chromecast with Google TV.