Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Mobile
  3. News

You can buy a Pixel 4a now, but Google’s already teasing the Pixel 5

Andy Boxall
By

Google is going phone crazy for the remainder of 2020. It has announced the long-awaited Google Pixel 4a and teased a future 5G version of the phone, while also confirming the Pixel 5 will arrive in the fall. Having started off the year by discontinuing the Pixel 3a, this is great news for fans of smartphones that boast awesome cameras.

Pixel 4a Google

The Google Pixel 4a shares a similar look to the Pixel 4, with a square camera module in the top-left corner of the rear panel. The camera will be the big draw for many people, as the Pixel 4a has a single 12.2-megapixel sensor packed with all of Google’s excellent computational photography software, including Night Sight, astrophotography mode, and portrait mode.

Recommended Videos

Around the front is an 8-megapixel hole-punch selfie camera, meaning Google has done away with the large bezels featured on the Pixel 3a. The OLED screen measures 5.8-inches with a 2340 x 1080 pixel resolution, and it has neatly rounded corners that give the phone a modern, slick appearance.

Related

Inside is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 730G processor with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage space, along with a 3,140mAh battery that Google promises will last a full day. Made from polycarbonate, the lightweight, 143-gram Pixel 4a has a fingerprint scanner on the back, a colorful power button on the side, and even a headphone jack on the top.

Android 10 will be installed complete with Google Assistant and other software features including Live Caption for real-time captioning for video and audio, and Recorder for transcriptions. Expect the Pixel 4a to be at the top of the list for Android 11 when it’s released later this year, and for major software updates afterwards too.

What the Pixel 4a doesn’t have is 5G, but Google has let us in on a secret about that: It will release a 5G version of the Pixel 4a later this year, along with a 5G Pixel 5 too. We knew a Pixel 5 would be coming, but it’s nice to hear from Google that it will arrive at some point in the fall.

The Pixel 4a will be available from Google’s online store soon for just $349, or 267 British pounds. That makes it cheaper than the $399 Apple iPhone SE 2020, as well as cheaper than the 379 pound OnePlus Nord. When the Pixel 4a 5G arrives, it will cost $499, but there’s no word on how much the Pixel 5 will cost, or the exact release dates of either phone.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Andy Boxall
Andy Boxall
Senior Mobile Writer
Andy is a Senior Writer at Digital Trends, where he concentrates on mobile technology, a subject he has written about for…
Google is going to change Pixel phones forever, and I can’t wait
Google Pixel 8 in white and pink.

Google's Pixel lineup has never been better. Right now, you can find the Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro available, as well as its first folding phone, the Google Pixel Fold. And for those who want a budget-friendly option, Google also has the Google Pixel 7a. The phones aren't perfect, but they are among the best Google has ever produced under the Pixel name.

While rumors from last year made us think that the Pixel 7a could be the last of the A-series, that may not actually be the case. We are likely getting a Google Pixel 8a in just a few months, which we expect to be revealed during Google’s I/O conference in May. However, there are whispers that Google may shift away from an annual upgrade cycle for the A-series and instead move to a bi-annual cycle, similar to Apple’s iPhone SE.

Read more
Have one of these Google Pixel phones? You’re getting Circle to Search
Someone holding the Google Pixel 6 Pro and Pixel 6a next to each other.

Circle to Search — Google's excellent search tool that debuted on the Samsung Galaxy S24 earlier this year — is about to become available to more people. Specifically, it's coming to a bunch more Pixel devices, giving even more people a chance to use it for themselves.

As the name implies, Circle to Search allows you to circle or scribble anything on your screen to perform a Google Search for it. It's great for those times you see something on your phone and want to know more about it, but aren't sure how to type out a Google Search for it. It launched on the Galaxy S24, S24 Plus, and S24 Ultra in January and then quickly made its way to the Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro.

Read more
Google Pixel 9: news, rumored price, release date, and more
Front and rear profile of leaked Google Pixel 9 renders.

The Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro are Google's latest and most powerful devices, but it won't be that way for long. Rumors of the Google Pixel 8a mean this pair of flagships will be supplanted as the latest Google phones fairly soon — but they'll be able to hold on to the title of "most powerful" for a little while longer. The Google Pixel 9 range, while definitely on the way, isn't due to arrive any time soon.

But when it does, it's sure to be a pair of blockbusters. Leaks for the Pixel 9 family are a little thin on the ground at the moment, but it seems as if Google is planning on making some big changes this time around. If leaks are correct, we expect a new look and some exciting new AI features that go beyond what we've seen before.

Read more