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At least one US carrier expects Google to eventually release a Pixel 4a 5G

By Adrian Diaconescu

Published: Jul 21, 2020, 3:12 AM

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Leaked Pixel 4a renders

Although Google has yet to unveil a single in-house smartphone thus far in 2020, the search giant is expected to eventually expand the Pixel family with anywhere between three and six new main variants by the end of the year.

That might include two different budget-friendly models, even though we remain highly confident that the jumbo-sized Pixel 4a XL has been cancelled for unknown reasons. That's right, the smaller Pixel 4a could arrive in a standard, 4G LTE-only version, as well as a 5G-enabled derivation soon, a theory supported by multiple pieces of evidence lately, the newest of which comes from the oddest of places.

The Pixel 4a 5G is "confirmed" by a minuscule carrier

Quick show of hands, who here is familiar with Boom Mobile (or rather, boom! MOBILE)? Nobody? No one at all? That's perfectly understandable, as we're talking about a little-known Oklahoma-based MVNO (mobile virtual network operator) with a measly 1,700 or so Facebook followers and no active official Twitter handle.

At least one US carrier expects Google to eventually release a Pixel 4a 5G

Then again, you'd expect the tiny prepaid carrier, which collaborates with both Verizon and AT&T for wireless service providing purposes, to know what phones will and will not work on its network. And Boom Mobile fully expects a (not so) mysterious Google G025E device to join a relatively long list of 5G-compatible products in the near future (as noticed by the folks over at XDA Developers).

We're pretty sure this is not a 5G-capable Pixel 5 or 5 XL variant, mind you, as the mid-range Pixel 4a has been repeatedly linked to several G025x model numbers in the recent past.

Of course, nothing is carved in stone until Google confirms it, and there's still way too much confusion hovering over the 2020 Pixel lineup to take the existence of a 4a 5G for granted. But the evidence is piling up, and we have no reason to believe this device will have the same fate as the Pixel 4a XL.

How might the Pixel 4a 5G differ from its brother and cousins?

That, our friends, is the million-dollar question, and unfortunately, we don't have a lot of firm answers for you. That's due to the aforementioned confusion and the repeated reported delays of the oft-rumored and thoroughly leaked Pixel 4a.

One typically reliable leaker, for instance, recently hinted at the existence of a single Pixel 5 model and both 4G LTE-limited and 5G-enabled 5 XL variants in addition to the already "confirmed" single Pixel 4a version, mentioning nothing about a prospective 4a device with 5G speeds.

No Pixel 4a 5G in this recently rumored lineup

If the Pixel 4a 5G is indeed real, we can definitely expect it to replace the Snapdragon 730 processor under the hood of its 4G sibling with a 5G-capable Snapdragon 765 SoC, which incidentally could power the Pixel 5 and 5 XL as well.

The Pixel 4a 5G should also upgrade the modest 3,100mAh or so battery capacity of the LTE version, although for the time being, we don't have any firm speculation to share on that front... or any other prospective improvements for that matter. The "regular" Pixel 4a, mind you, is widely expected to come with a modern 5.8-inch hole punch display, as well as a single 12MP rear-facing camera, 6 gigs of RAM, and 64 gigs of internal storage space at a starting price of less than $400.

That makes us hopeful the Pixel 4a 5G could cost no more than 500 bucks in its entry-level configuration, which would make it pretty competitive against the likes of Samsung's Galaxy A71 5G, the LG Velvet, or Motorola Edge.

Compared to the Pixel 5, this budget-friendly bad boy should adopt a lower-quality plastic build and deliver an inferior imaging experience. That's... actually starting to make sense, but alas, nothing is certain just yet.

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Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.