Google unveils Pixel 4a, Pixel 4a 5G, Pixel 5; check prices, specifications, availability

Google has finally unveiled its latest line-up of Pixel smartphones. The new offerings from the tech giant include the affordable Pixel 4a, its 5G variant Pixel 4a (5G), and its next flagship smartphone, Pixel 5. While the Google Pixel 4a would ship to some markets later in August, the Pixel 4a (5G) and Pixel 5 would be available later this year.

The much-awaited Google Pixel 4a will succeed the Pixel 3a. It is a low-powered iteration of the Pixel 4 with certain design changes that include a hole-punch screen, a rear-mounted fingerprint reader, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The Pixel 4a promises same camera performance as the Pixel 4, with single camera modules present at the front and back of the device.

The Pixel 4a (5G) would boast a bigger screen than the non-5G version, whereas Pixel 5 will have a footprint similar to the Pixel 4a. Both 5G offerings, the first from Google's stables, will be limited to markets with the next-generation telecom technology.

Google Pixel specifications, features

The USP of Pixel 4a is going to be its camera which offers results at par with the current Google flagship, Pixel 4. The device has a single camera at its front and back - the selfie camera is housed in a hole-punch cutout at the top left corner of the screen, whereas the rear camera is placed in a square camera bump in the top left corner at the back.

The rear camera has a 12-megapixel sensor underneath an f/1.7 lens and a LED flash. The module offers HDR+ with dual exposure controls, Portrait Mode, Top Shot, Night Sight with astrophotography functions, and fused video stabilisation. The rear camera is also equipped with optical image stabilisation (OIS) for cleaner shots. The front camera is an 8-megapixel sensor with an f/2.0 lens.

Thanks to the hole-punch design, the front of Pixel 4a offers more screen real estate with narrow bezels and a very small chin at the bottom. The display is a 5.81-inch OLED panel with full-HD+ resolution at 1,080x2,340 pixels and 19.5:9 aspect ratio. The screen offers good pixel density at 443 PPI. Even the always-on display feature offers HDR capabilities.

The Pixel 4a will ship in only Just Black colour option with the mint-coloured power button. Google will also roll out fabric cases for the device in Basically Black, Static Gray and Blue, made from 70 per cent recycled plastic. The device has a matte finish for a more secure feel in the hand. The fingerprint scanner has been mounted at the back.

The Recorder app on Pixel 4a will seamlessly save and share transcriptions and recordings in English. The device also has a Personal Safety app that offers real-time emergency notifications and even car crash detection in certain languages and countries. Pixel 4a also comes with Live Caption feature that will provide real-time captioning for video and audio content, as well as voice and video calls. This feature has also been rolled out for Pixel 2, 3, 3a and 4.

On the inside, the Google Pixel 4a features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 730G chipset coupled with 6GB of LPDDR4x RAM and 128GB of internal storage. The device also features Google's Titan M security module for on-device security. The Pixel 4a will run Android 10 out of the box with Google promising OS and security updates for at least three years. Connectivity options include 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.1 + LE, A2DP 7, NFC, Google Cast, GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, BeiDou, USB Type-C, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

The device will be powered by a 3,140 mAh battery, with an 18W fast charger included in the box.

Google Pixel 4a price and availability

The Pixel 4a has been priced at $349 (around Rs 26,250) and is currently available for pre-order in the US via the Google Store and Google Fi. It will be available to customers starting August 20 through the Google Store, BestBuy.com, Amazon and other outlets, along with US carriers including Google Fi, US Cellular and Verizon.

Google will bring the Pixel 4a to India in October around Diwali. Pricing details for the device will be released around the time of its release here.

Google Pixel 4a (5G), Pixel 5

The first 5G offerings from Google in the 5G space - Pixel 4a (5G) and Pixel 5 - will be released in fall later this year. The Pixel 4a (5G) will be priced at $499 (around Rs 37,500), whereas the price for Pixel 5 has not been announced by the company yet.

These two devices will be available in the US, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Germany, Japan, Taiwan and Australia, and are likely to give India a miss.

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