Every new launch this year since March has been an online affair due to the worldwide lockdown and the rumored Pixel 4a on May 22 may be the same. The Pixel 4a has been spotted on geekbench with a single-core score of 2529 and a multi-core score of 6366.
The 4a is expected to come with Android 10 out of the box, 6GB of RAM, a 12MP rear shooter and powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon system on chip, SoC. It could be, most probably, the Snapdragon 730 as per some leaks. While other speculators expect it to be the Snapdragon 765.
Of course, if it’s the latter, then the 4a could become an affordable Pixel with 5G - considered by some as a must have in 2020 though in countries like India where 5G enabled networks are still a distant dream, it may not matter at the moment. Of course, there is no clear indication about an India launch of the Pixel 4a, given that the Pixel 4 never made it to the country.
The Pixel series with the suffix ‘A’ are considered toned down versions of the flagships they follow in terms of processor used, camera sensors, choice of features and of course, the price.
The appeal of the Pixel 4a and the 4a XL would be the Pixel experience minus the flagship level prices. However, if price is the primary contention, it has many contenders in this mid-tier space. This year, more than ever before, most people prefer not to splurge on luxury smartphones due to the worldwide recession brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. A case in point is the dismal sales of the Samsung S20 series.
The 4a is expected to carry a price tag of $ 399, same as the recently launched Apple iPhone SE and a few of Samsung’s mid-tier A-series smartphones. At an even more competitive price we find Motorola’s offerings like the Moto G Power and the G Stylus that cost under $300.
If the Pixel 4a launches with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 765 chipset, touted as an ‘affordable chipset’ it would be a better Pixel, compared to the Snapdragon 730G as the former comes with 5G support and the latter doesn’t. Interestingly, both Coolpad’s Legacy 5G and TCL’s 10 5G are affordable 5G enabled smartphones powered by snapdragon 765G built on 7 nm technology.
