If you’re a fan of some of the headline features of the Google Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL – like the stunning rear-facing camera with its astrophotography mode to capture the stars, or high refresh rate display – but aren’t keen on some of the compromises that come with this flagship smartphone – namely, the whopping great bezel at the top of the display and the lack of a headphone port – then Google might have just the thing for you.
Yes, the US search company is purportedly building a follow-up to its Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL handset which launched earlier this year and were designed to bring some of the best features from the priciest Pixel handsets to a more affordable price tag. This was a runaway success for Google with sales of Pixel-branded smartphones doubling following the launch of the 3a range.
Reliable tipster OnLeaks, who has a solid track record when it comes to unannounced hardware from companies like Samsung, Apple and Google, has collaborated with 91Mobiles to post some renders that purport to show the final design of the forthcoming Pixel 4a series.
And according to the renders, the 5.7-inch display will have a hole-punch camera cut-out. That means it likely won’t have the radar built into the bezel on the Pixel 4 used to detect hand gestures – to skip tracks and wake-up the touchscreen when it senses that you’re reaching for the phone. However, it does mean that it won’t look quite so outdated when compared side-by-side with the latest handsets from Samsung, OnePlus and Apple.
For those who aren’t massively passionate about waving their hands around above their smartphone to pause Spotify tracks or hang-up phone calls, the more affordable Pixel 4a looks set to have a more attractive and up-to-date industrial design than the costlier Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL, which is a bit of a kick in the teeth. Mind you, Google pulled a similar trick with the Pixel 3a XL last year, which ditched the widely-mocked notch that appeared on the Pixel 3 XL in favour of a smaller, more rounded bezel.
Next up, it appears the Pixel 4a series will return the headphone port to its rightful place on the handset – just like the Pixel 3a did last year. Yes, while those coughing up upwards of the £669 don’t get a USB-C to 3.5mm headphone port adapter in the box – or even a free pair of USB-C headphones, those who opt for the Pixel 4a cause any old wired headphones they’ve got lying around.
That said, from the information shared by OnLeaks, there will be compromises with the more affordable Pixel 4a.
Most notably, the handset will drop the dual-camera set-up seen on the pricier Pixel 4 in favour of a single lens. With the 2x telephoto lens gone, smartphone owners won’t be able to achieve the same level of lossless zoom as their Pixel 4 counterparts. If that’s a dealbreaker for you, it might be worth giving the Pixel 4a a swerve. Despite dropping the second camera from the rear-camera system, Google seems intent on sticking with the same chunky square camera module design, which seems a little perplexing.
Unfortunately, we don’t have any information on the internals of the Pixel 4a. While it seems very likely that it will use a mid-range Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset, it remains to be seen whether there will be any visible drop in performance compared to the pricier Pixel 4.
If history is any indication, we won’t have to wait long to see what Google is planning with the Pixel 4a and Pixel 4a XL likely to arrive in time for the Google I/O developer conference in the spring. Express.co.uk will have all the news on the new mid-range options as soon as we know more. Stay tuned.