Google Pixel4a leak shows how to stack up to Pixel5

Google Pixel4a leak shows how to stack up to Pixel5

The Google Pixel 4a and Pixel 5 rumors are becoming hard to tell apart without a scorecard. So a prominent leaker is trying to help with CAD drawings showing each of the four rumored Pixel phones side by side.

The drawings come from Steve McFly, aka @OnLeaks, who regularly posts looks at upcoming phones via Twitter; as spotted by Phone Arena, he has shown the Pixel 4a, Pixel 5, Pixel 5 XL and Pixel 5 XL 5G models' He drew several CAD sketches of the four phones, showing how the dimensions look stacked next to each other.

The answer? Almost identical. In these drawings, the Pixel 4a and Pixel 5 are nearly identical, with the former being nearly 1 mm thinner. (The two Pixel 5 models are also nearly identical, as you might imagine given that they bear the same name.

"Not sure if this helps, but here goes..." @OnLeaks said in a tweet. And @OnLeaks tweeted.

The Pixel 4a is pretty easy to wrap your brain around, especially considering the fact that we've been expecting that phone since May. When it arrives - and the latest rumors suggest it will be in early August - we expect to see a 5.8-inch phone with a Snapdragon 730 processor. This would be a step up from the Snapdragon 670 in last year's Pixel 3a, but would mean that the Pixel 4a would not offer 5G compatibility.

The confusion over the Pixel 5 models is partly due to the fact that these phones are not expected until later in the fall and the rumors are not as detailed as the Pixel 4a. Google is expected to stick with two models of its flagship phone (a regular version and a larger XL version); we have heard that the Pixel 5 XL will have a 6.1-inch display, but we do not know how reliable this leak is.

Unlike past Pixels with top-of-the-line Snapdragon processors, the Pixel 5 lineup is rumored to be a Snapdragon 765G. This will allow Google to keep the cost of the new Pixel low while still providing 5G connectivity thanks to the 5G modem built into this chipset.

So what will happen to the fourth model, which @OnLeaks is calling the Pixel 5 XL 5G? One theory is that the 5G model shown here is not the Pixel 5, but rather the Pixel 4a 5G. Rumors of that phone surfaced earlier this month when the Google app showed off the codename for the 5G version of the Pixel 4a alongside the Pixel 5.

Another possibility is that Google is manufacturing two different versions of the Pixel 5 XL, the second being a model specifically designed to work with Verizon's mmWave-based 5G network, like the Galaxy S20 and OnePlus 8. Other phones required a Verizon-specific version with an antenna designed to pick up the carrier's 5G towers. Since Verizon offers so many versions of the Pixel, it is not surprising that Google would want to make a Pixel 5 model that specifically supports the carrier's 5G network.

Of course, this is all speculation. For now, all we can do is wait for more Pixel 5 leaks to see if Google's smartphone plans come into focus before the expected launch of the future flagship model in October.

Categories