Pixel 4a and Pixel 5 Leaks

smartphonesshop.com.au - While not in the same league as the mighty iPhone and the innovative Galaxy, Google’s range of Pixel phones have emerged as an interesting alternative to the big two. It’s convenient nevertheless to utilise a device made and integrated with the features of a company we can no longer live without, and our previous experiences with Pixel devices have us approaching the fresh Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a leaks with cautious optimism. Will they be the Pixels that convert everybody into Google fanboys? Let’s take a look at what the leaks say.

Leaking Pixels

The most interesting blunder of today was Google’s confirmation that the Pixel 4a exists, by mistakenly uploading its image to its website, the same way Samsung “revealed” its Galaxy Note 20.  Android Authority reports that in the now-removed listing, the Canadian Google store listed the Pixel 4a with an original release date of May 12. 9to5Google have also leaked billboard design concepts for the Pixel 4a as well as a price at US $399 alongside Google Assistant being included. The leaked images of the Pixel 4a show a single lens on the front and back cameras as well as a fingerprint sensor on its rear. The Verge also reports that both the Pixel 4a and 5 will come bundled with 5G, utilise a Snapdragon 765G processor and perhaps the most interesting revelation, that an XL version will not be released.

Return of the Jack

Leaked renders of the Pixel 4a courtesy of 91Mobiles and prominent leaker Onleaks months ago accurately captured how the Pixel 4a would look according to today’s leak as well as showcasing one returning feature we didn’t expect, the humble 3.5mm headphone jack! Techdroider have also published leaked images of the device that confirm the headphone jack. In a time when even Samsung has scrapped the headphone jack and are trying to push everybody towards their Galaxy Buds, it’s an interesting decision from Google. Perhaps they’ll win back the heartbroken Samsung fanboys who’ve never been the same after the Galaxy S20.

Spec-cial Features

No discussion of leaks would be complete without mentioning specs. 9to5 Google have posted a juicy list of leaks for the Pixel 4a and they’re more than sufficient for a mid-range device:

What is particularly noteworthy though, is Android Central’s report that the Pixel 4a may use Universal Flash Storage, normally included in higher range devices. It looks like Google has learned from the iPhone SE 2020 what a mid-range phone should be!

Snap Happy

TechnoLike Plus and XDA Developers have also leaked a comprehensive camera review for the Pixel 4a with the results being quite impressive for a mid-range device. Expect HDR+ to make your pictures as vibrant as possible as well as improvements to the Pixel 3’s “Night Sight,” allowing pictures to easily be taken in places with less than ideal lighting. An improvement to Google’s “Super Res-Zoom” seen on the Pixel 4 also helps zoomed-in shots look crisp. The camera specs and results show Google’s desire to really push the Pixel 4a as the ultimate budget phone. While there’s still stiff competition from Apple and Samsung in terms of mid-range devices, it’s always great to see a new competitor in the ring.

New Pixels

Hot on the topic of the Pixel 4a being leaked, Rumours for the Pixel 5 have been heating up. While many of it is still speculation, it’s still intriguing to see what Google may potentially have in store. Perhaps we’ll see the Pixel 5 becoming a true competitor to the iPhone 12/20 and Samsung S21/S30.

Reliable leaker Front Page Tech has shown one of the purported prototypes for the Pixel 5, with OLED and higher refresh rates also being a possibility. They also claim that the Pixel 5 will have three lenses with the third being a wide-angle lens. Pocket Lint also believes that the Pixel 5 will have a  Telephoto lens, due to confirmation from the pre-release Google camera app. There are also rumours that Google may leave behind its motion tracking Soli chip.