The Google Pixel 4a has been rumored for so long, and postponed so often, that it seems like we've heard everything there is to know about this rumored budget smartphone. Like the Pixel 3a before it, this latest Google phone is expected to be priced under $400 while offering the kind of photography capabilities one would expect from a Pixel phone.

But even though we think we know about the Pixel 4a, there are still some blanks that need to be filled, including the not-so-important question of whether we will ever get a Pixel 4a. And if the Pixel 4a is about to ship, as many are saying, we will need answers to these questions ASAP.

Here are five questions about the Pixel 4a that no one has answered yet.

Forget all the other questions about the Google Pixel 4a. This is what everyone wants to know, but no one seems to have the answers.

In another world, the Pixel 4a would already be here. Most people expected it to debut at this year's Google I/O developer conference, like the Pixel 3a in 2019. However, the Coronavirus outbreak forced Google to cancel this year's I/O, depriving the Pixel 4a of its time in the spotlight; the release of the Android 11 beta in June also came without a Pixel 4a announcement.

Rumors from current phone leaker Jon Prosser that the Pixel 4a will eventually debut in July, but that Google may not ship the phone right away and the Pixel 4a release may not be until August or possibly even October That said.

While this may sound like a strange approach for Google, it reflects the fact that there is a lot of uncertainty around the world right now and that Google would likely prefer to wait for retailers to reopen. Since most people in the U.S. buy their phones through wireless carriers, it makes sense that Google would want to time the launch of the Pixel 4a to get the phone in front of those who will be its most prolific customers.

Still, spending the next few months for a ready-made budget phone doesn't seem to have any production issues that would delay the Pixel 4a's arrival by all accounts, especially with rival devices like the iPhone SE already on the market. We expect July to be the month when Google finally gives us a clear answer about the fate of the Pixel 4a, or else the company risks bumping into a big fall flagship release, including its own Pixel 5 rollout.

Google likes to release its phones in pairs; since the first-generation Pixel came out in 2016, the company has released an XL version and a smaller standard model; the Pixel 3a followed that pattern last year, with the larger Pixel 3a XL which debuted along with the larger Pixel 3a XL.

However, all signs point to the Pixel 4a coming out on its own; rendered images of the Pixel 4a XL have been circulating, but there have been few rumors of its features. Given the detailed photos of the Pixel 4a we have at this time, it would suggest that the Pixel 4a XL has been scrapped.

That explanation runs counter to what we know about the smartphone market. But perhaps Google decided it made more sense to offer one model.

The Pixel 4a XL could be a surprise, but in the absence of more clarity, we'll assume the 5.8-inch Pixel 4a is the only model on the horizon.

The success of the Pixel 4a will depend on how Google differentiates this budget smartphone from the flagship Pixel 4, which was introduced last fall. This is a challenge for any budget cell phone. Handset makers need to convince shoppers that the low price is worth the trade-offs that must inevitably be made.

Until the Pixel 4a is officially announced, we can only speculate as to how it will change from the Pixel 4. However, referring to last year's Pixel 3a, it is almost certain that this new model will not have as powerful a processor as the Snapdragon 855 found in the Pixel 4. Rumors suggest that the Pixel 4a will have a Snapdragon 730, which should have decent performance but no 5G connectivity.

Google used an OLED panel on last year's Pixel 3a model, and that will likely continue with the Pixel 4a. However, you probably won't be able to wirelessly charge this budget smartphone, and forget about dual rear cameras like those on the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL.

One area where Pixel 3a shoppers didn't have to compromise was longevity, as both models ranked in our best smartphone battery life list. given how disappointing the Pixel 4 was in our battery tests, it's not surprising that the Pixel 4a should not be too difficult to outlast the Pixel 4a, especially if Google adopts a processor that consumes less power.

We also believe that the Pixel 4a will not have the radar-driven Motion Sense chip found in the Pixel 4; Pixel 4a buyers will not miss out on this feature; the Pixel 4a's power consumption will be much lower than the Pixel 4a's.

The success of the Pixel 3a was not simply due to its low price. By utilizing Google's specialty of computational photography, this budget smartphone was able to offer photos comparable to those of phones that rely on more lenses at twice the price. Therefore, the fact that the Pixel 4a is expected to have only one rear camera is not a particularly big issue at a time when other budget phones are adding more sensors.

However, we are interested to see what features the Pixel 4a will have; some features of the Pixel 4 (dual exposure and live HDR) did not make it to the Pixel 3a because they required hardware changes as well as software updates. It is possible that Google will make changes to the Pixel 4a's camera settings to allow users to manually adjust highlights and shadows or to get live previews of HDR photos, but the Pixel 4a could skip those features.

Figuring out what the Pixel 4a can do beyond established features like Night Sight and Super Res Zoom will go a long way in determining whether the Pixel 4a is a truly significant update.

The Pixel 4a has to compete with the lower-priced iPhone, something the previous model didn't have to worry about. Before Google announced its new low-cost Pixel, Apple released the iPhone SE successor to great acclaim. And not only does the iPhone SE 2020 feature its own calculated photography technology and a sub-$400 price tag, it is powered by the same A13 Bionic processor found in the more expensive iPhone 11 model.

The Pixel 4a is not a mid-range Snapdragon chipset and will not compete with the iPhone SE in performance. Also, when comparing the cameras of the two devices, Apple's budget smartphone is expected to put up quite a fight. On paper, the Pixel 4a should have a larger display (5.8" vs. 4.7") and longer battery life. However, Google could undercut the iPhone SE in price, which is rumored to start at just $349.