The Google Pixel 4a made another early appearance, this time on the list of coronavirus tracing apps. We knew this phone was coming, so this is not so much a leak as it is another sign that the phone's reveal and launch is not far off.

Frandroid (via 9to5Google) found mention of the Pixel 4a in a list of phones claiming to be compatible with the StopCovid contact tracking app recently released in the Google Play Store. The codename "sunfish" next to the simple "x" in the brand column is known to be an alias for the Pixel 4a device.

This seems to indicate that the developer of the StopCovid app Lunabee may be in possession of a pre-release Pixel 4a device for testing purposes. Otherwise, it may be just an assumption that the new Pixel will work with this app, or there may have been an exchange with Google to confirm forward compatibility.

The Pixel 4a has been delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic, but is now expected to be released in July. It would be the successor to Google's excellent mid-range device, the Pixel 3a, and would rival the $399 Apple iPhone SE 2020 in the budget flagship arena.

Fortunately, the Pixel 4a appears to bring a variety of features that will give it an edge in this battle: the OLED punch-hole display (set at 5.7" or 5.8"), unlike the bezels on the iPhone SE and Pixel 4, will look like a proper modern smartphone would look like.

The Pixel 4a will likely have a weaker Snapdragon 730 chipset compared to the A13 Bionic chip in the iPhone SE (the same one found in the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro). However, the Pixel 4a should still be powerful enough for the average user, especially as some leaks suggest it could have 6GB of RAM, an upgrade over the Pixel 3a's 4GB.

It will also inherit the same great camera technology as other models in the Pixel series, although it will only have one rear sensor. However, Google's camera technology has shown that even a phone costing $400 can provide the best smartphone photos.