Google Pixel 4a rumor round-up: Release date, price, specs, camera rumors

No surprises here — the Pixel 4a will probably follow closely into the Pixel 3a-series and come in plastic. The device will also be the first Google phone with a punch-hole front camera, slimming the bezels. This means that the Motion Sense and dedicated facial recognition sensors will be ditched altogether.

Speaking of colors, the device was initially rumored to come in Barely Blue and Just Black, but sadly, recent rumors claim the blue version is not happening. 

Another important thing to consider is that the Pixel 4a and 4a XL are quite likely getting headphone jacks. This was the big surprise with the 3a series, which was the first Google phone to sport the extincting jack since… the original Pixels.

Display size is tipped to be 5.82-inches, most certainly an OLED. The resolution will be FHD+ according to rumors, with a 1080-by-2340-pixel resolution, but the 90Hz refresh rate that was on the Pixel is quite unlikely to be making an appearance. After all, it’s one of the signature features of the premium Pixel 4 and 4 XL, thus probably remaining an exclusive feature of the flagship Pixels.

A midrange Qualcomm Snapdragon 730 chipset is expected to be in store – an octa-core affair, but with 4G LTE connectivity only. Google is not one to go generous on RAM and storage in its phones, so we’d expect a 4GB/6GB RAM and 64GB/128GB storage models at the most. All that jazz should be backed up be a comparatively smallish 3080 mAh battery, and we really wish that part of the rumor mill get it wrong, despite the fast 18W charging brick.

Here are the full leaked specs at a glance:

• A 5.8″ FHD+ OLED display with punch hole
• Octa-core Snapdragon 730 processor, 4G LTE and NFC connectivity
• 6GB/64GB memory
• 12MP main and 8MP front cameras
• 3080mAh battery
• 18W charging
• July 13 release date
• Priced $349-$399

Features

All Pixel 4-exclusive software features are extremely likely to make their way to the Pixel 4a. Things like Live Captions, Google Assistant 2.0, Astrophotography mode and many others are very likely to arrive on the upcoming troopers. What about the Soli-powered face unlock feature? As evident by the renders we’ve obtained, there might not be enough space to facilitate the Soli sensor. Google could possibly go for image-based face unlock, but that one is not secure and mostly a gimmick. The Active Edge feature is another functionality that’s apparently getting ditched for cost-saving purposes.

On the topic of cameras, we expect the Pixel 4a to closely mimic the Pixel 4 in terms of the camera “island” at the back, but also in hardware, features, and general image quality. We expect the Pixel 4’s square camera module to carry on to the Pixel 4a, along with the 12.2MP standard lens, the 16MP telephoto lens, the hyperspectral sensor for collecting additional data, the dedicated mic, and the flash module. No wide-angle lens here, but Super Res Zoom will likely make up for it. Night Sight will also be present, and hopefully, the astrophotography mode will be on deck as well. 

Here are the full Pixel 4 camera specs:

Generally, we didn’t notice any big differences in image quality between the Pixel 3 and 3a series. Aside from the slightly longer processing time, you could expect similar images to come out of both phones. The Pixel 3a was just as good as the Pixel 3, and we certainly expect the same out of the Pixel 4a in comparison with the Pixel 4.

Camera samples have surfaced as well.

Se que no es una comparación pareja, pero con ella lo que deseo demostrar es que más MP no es significado de más calidad.

PD: Las imágenes con el #RedmiNote7 fueron hechas con la #GCam https://t.co/e21iKOp7Mp

— Julio Lusson (@julio_lusson) May 1, 2020

A tweet from the outfit that leaked the aforementioned Pixel 4a hands-on video in March claims to show photo samples from the Pixel 4a compared to the 48MP camera on the Redmi Note 7. The pictures taken with the Pixel 4a (on the left side of the embedded pictures) are sharper with more realistic color both indoors and outdoors. This year, the mid-range Pixel has a new competitor in the second-generation Apple iPhone SE. 

Also priced at $399 and up, the new iPhone SE has the advantage of being powered by the same A13 Bionic chipset that powers the iPhone 11 series. And while the new iPhone SE also carries a single 12MP camera on its rear panel, Apple says that the combination of a new Image Signal Processor (ISP) and the AI capabilities of the A13 Bionic chipset makes its 12MP camera the best single snapper found on the back of any smartphone.

Take a gander at a few other camera samples that have been allegedly taken with the Pixel 4a.

Now that Google has discontinued the Pixel 3a, all bets are off about the official announcement and release date of the Pixel 4a. 

The Pixel 3a started at $399, while the 3a XL cost $479 at launch. According to recent rumors, the Pixel 4a could have a killer price – $349. This would make it a fairly competitive mid-range phone which will be a direct competitor to the iPhone SE.

Now, the release date of the Pixel 4a seems a bit of a mystery. According to leakster Jon Prosser, the Pixel 4a is prime and ready for release (which was heavily hinted by the barrage of leaks in the past few months), but Google is delaying the launch and release because of the current market conditions. The latest data we have suggests Google will announce the phone on July 13 and release it on October 22, possibly alongside the Pixel 5, and have the two devices be ready for the Holiday season.

We expect the Pixel 4a to be available across all major US carriers, but the chances of the phone hitting many global markets are rather slim.