Google Pixel 5a: All the credible rumors (July 9)

Updated July 9, 2021 (4:00 p.m. ET): We have updated this article with information taken from the Google Pixel 5a passing the FCC. Read on for more!

Original article: Last year, the Google Pixel 4a and its bigger brother, the Google Pixel 4a 5G, became two of our top five smartphones of 2020. While the vanilla model didn’t take the top crown overall, it certainly has the crown for the Gained value. Now, in 2021, all eyes are on the successor, officially known as the Google Pixel 5a 5G.

Connected: Google Pixel 4a Review: Google’s Best Phone in Years

We expect this new addition to the “a” series to fit in the same shape as the previous models. That said, it should have a similar camera system to the Pixel 5 and be very cheap.

Below is all of the official information and credible rumors we have about the Google Pixel 5a so far. Make sure to bookmark this page so you can stay tuned as we will be adding new rumors here as they land!

On April 9th, Google officially confirmed that the name of its next phone in the “a” series will be the Google Pixel 5a 5G. This isn’t all that surprising as Google has strictly adhered to its numbering system since the very first pixel was introduced in 2016.

The release date for the phone is a lot ambiguous. The first phone in the “a” series – the Google Pixel 3a – was launched in May 2019. We fully expected the sequel to this phone to land in May 2020. However, this did not happen. This is very likely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which was making business difficult for pretty much every industry at the time.

See also: All previously released Google Pixel phones

Finally, the Pixel 4a landed in August 2020. With such a discrepancy between these two launch dates, it’s hard to say when the Google Pixel 5a might hit the market. The only clue we have is that Google says it would hit “later this year” and “was announced when the a-series phone was launched last year”. So that could mean August 2021 or shortly before or shortly after.

Recently, a phone that is almost certainly the Pixel 5a went through the FCC. This is usually a sign that a start is imminent, so a date in August is still our best bet.

Google Pixel 5a: design

Thanks to the frequent and reliable Leaker Steve Hemmerstoffer (aka @OnLeaks) we already have a good idea of ​​what the Google Pixel 5a might look like. According to the leaked renders, the Pixel 5a could be a near-clone of the Pixel 4a 5G.

The renders show a phone that sports the same design elements as the Pixel 4a 5G, including a rear camera with two lenses. If that happens, it would be a nice upgrade over the Pixel 4a and Pixel 3a, which both only had single-lens rear cameras. It’s also nice to see that the 3.5mm port is going nowhere.

However, we can state that the Pixel 5a’s camera system will almost certainly be better than that of the Pixel 4a, simply because of the presence of this secondary lens. That alone could be reason enough for Pixel 4a owners to upgrade, not to mention Pixel 3a owners.

Google Pixel 5a: specifications

As mentioned earlier, the official name of Google’s next “a” device is the Google Pixel 5a 5G. The inclusion of 5G here calls into question the phone’s internal specs. If Google makes the Pixel 5a too similar to the Pixel 4a 5G in terms of specifications and functions, what good is the Pixel 4a 5G anyway?

This dilemma becomes even more extreme when one includes a rumor that the Pixel 5a might have the same processor that powers the Pixel 4a 5G and later the Pixel 5.

If the phone looks like the Pixel 4a 5G and even has the same processor, then how is Google not supposed to make it just a Pixel 4a 5G with a different name? One theory is that Google would remove mmWave support from the Pixel 5a, which would reduce costs. A few other tradeoffs like this one could keep the price low enough.

Anyway, we can’t expect the Google Pixel 5a to have any worse specs than its predecessor. That means it should have at least 128GB of internal storage, at least 6GB of RAM, a 1080p display or better, 18W wired charging or better, etc. It is very unlikely that there would be any wireless charging or IP rating in the cards. It’s also unlikely to have a high refresh rate ad, as Google seems to be excluding this from the “a” series.

Price and availability

Google got us excited last year when it announced that the Pixel 4a would actually be $ 50 cheaper than its predecessor. Considering the multitude of upgrades the Pixel 4a offered over the Pixel 3a, this was a real bargain.

It is very unlikely that we will see a repeat this year. While we don’t have solid pricing rumors yet, we can’t see Google dropping the price of the Google Pixel 5a below the $ 349 of the Pixel 4a. If anything, we should expect the price to stay the same or even go back to the $ 399 price of the Pixel 3a.

Connected: How Google Pixel smartphone prices have changed over the years

That being said, it’s also very unlikely that Google would go much higher than $ 399. The Pixel 4a 5G starts at $ 499 and sold as the premium version of the Pixel 4a (or the weaker version of the Pixel 5 for $ 699, choose). As such, the Pixel 5a would have to be offered at a much lower price tag, and $ 399 seems like the reasonable price cap.

For what it’s worth, Max Weinbach posits that the Pixel 5a will be more expensive than the Pixel 4a. Take this how you want.

As for availability, Google confirmed that the phone would land in the US and Japan. Admittedly, this confirmation does not mean that it is so just Land in these countries makes it unlikely we will see it anywhere else. It is possible that Google planned to launch the phone in more countries but had setbacks due to the ongoing global chip scarcity. We’ll have to wait and see when the phone starts to be sure.

Are you excited about the Google Pixel 5a? Take a look at our survey above! Make sure to bookmark this page so you can keep up to date with the latest rumors.