Almost everything about the Pixel 5a has been quiet on the rumor front, as most of the chatter surrounding the upcoming Google phone has focused on the Tensor chip that is being developed to power the upcoming Pixel 6. However, it looks like the Pixel 5a will be stepping into the spotlight.

Android Police reports that Google's next budget smartphone could arrive as early as today (August 17). Even better, the report included last-minute glimpses of the Pixel 5a specs and the supposed new phone.

We're inclined to believe that report that the Pixel 5a launch is imminent, thanks to Google's statement released earlier this year. When one report claimed that the Pixel 5a had been canceled, Google responded by telling us exactly when to expect the new phone. The Pixel 5a 5G has not been canceled." It will be available later this year in the US and Japan, and will be announced around the same time the a series was announced last year." A quick check of the 2020 calendar shows that the Pixel 4a was released on August 20 of last year.

The silence on the airwaves surrounding the Pixel 5a should not be confused with indifference to this model. Google's A-series phones have proven especially popular since the Pixel 3a launched in 2019, and even CEO Sundar Pichai has noted the impact the device has had on the company's smartphone business. reviews of the Pixel A-series phones show that the standard Google's ability to retain some of the key features of its flagship phones (mainly the excellent camera functionality) in a device that is a few hundred dollars cheaper than the Pixel has been praised.

Whether the Pixel 5a launches today or later this month, we will have to wait until the Pixel 5a launches to see if the new model can continue this winning streak. However, based on the latest reports, here are some of the major changes rumored to be coming to the Pixel 5a and how it compares to previous models.

The previous two versions of the Pixel A series were limited to just one camera, as Google focused on the computational software that allowed its budget phones to take excellent photos. Not that we are complaining, Pixel devices have been a mainstay on our best camera phone list, and the Pixel 4a was no exception.

The Pixel 4a 5G changed things up by adding an ultra-wide angle lens to the mix, and from all the rumors we've heard about the Pixel 5a, it appears that this year's version will also feature a second camera. leaked photos via Android Police show a dual camera array, as well as Google itself had previously posted an ultra-wide angle shot that was supposedly taken with the Pixel 5a. This is about all the corroboration we need.

A dual rear camera would be huge for the Pixel A series. If previous versions of the phone could compete with expensive smartphones with only one lens, imagine what the Pixel 5a could do with better hardware in addition to its amazing photographic capabilities. If this feature comes to fruition, we would have to say it is the one we would most like to try out.

The Pixel 5a seems likely to copy the 5G capabilities of another Pixel 4a. Unlike last year's Pixel A series update, which offered separate LTE and 5G versions, Google appears to be releasing a single model this time that can connect to faster 5G networks. (This is reportedly due to the Snapdragon 765G, the same Qualcomm system-on-chip found in both the Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G.)

For Google, 5G connectivity is becoming old hat, as the Pixel 5a will be the third phone from Mountain View to support this feature. However, the fact that Google no longer feels obligated to offer an LTE-only model is a major step forward for 5G adoption, even in budget phones.

The latest Pixel 5a report from Android Police mentions a feature we had never heard of before: a larger battery for Google's next phone. The Pixel 4a had a slender 3,140 mAh battery, so it didn't surprise us when it fared poorly in our battery test, which involved browsing the web on the phone until the battery ran out.

Now we are told that the Pixel 5a will feature a larger battery - 4,680 mAh according to Android Police - the largest this will ever happen to power a Pixel phone.

Battery life depends on many factors, not just the size of the power pack inside the phone. However, if the reports do come true and the Pixel 5a will feature a larger battery, expect the phone to last as long as the Pixel 3a model released two years ago.

Given the improvements over last year's model, it may be no surprise that the Pixel 5a will be priced higher than the Pixel 4a. Still, any price increase is unlikely to be greeted with joy, as the phone's $349 starting price last year was one of its most lauded features.

The key for Google, as with any budget phone release, is to strike the right balance between features and value. The latest rumors have the Pixel 5a priced at around $450, which is $100 more than last year's model and $50 more than the iPhone SE. Of course, neither of these phones offers 5G or a second camera lean, so Google may be betting that it's a trade-off that shoppers will be willing to make.