In a startling reminder that billboards still hold some relevance as an advertising medium, Google’s overeager deployment of some New York City ad space was enough to confirm that the upcoming Pixel 4A mid-ranger won’t be bulging from the $399 price tag established by its predecessor.
After all, if even Apple delivers something totally unlike the rest of its portfolio at this particular price point, Google’s decision to avoid gimmicks and steadily following suit, not just accepting, but seeking direct comparisons between the Pixel 4A, Pixel 4A XL, and the iPhone SE (2020) may just be the winning strategy for the Mountain View-based tech giant’s latest attempt at running a viable consumer electronics business.
Are we back in the Nexus days?
Assuming Google isn’t feeling any more experimental about the Pixel 4A XL than its smaller counterpart, the former will likely be available at $479, as was the case with its 2019 prequel. Thanks to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 765, we’re also likely on the verge of seeing Google announce its first 5G-ready smartphones.
Both should be running Android 10 out of the box before promptly getting added to the Android 11 Developer Preview program just in time for those final few iteration cycles introducing some nerve-wrecking bugs threatening the stability of any device whose owner was naive enough not to interpret Google’s stability warnings about DP Android builds as directly as imaginable.
Finally, there are a lot of mixed reports in the camera department, not to mention the handsets were already pushed back from a possible May launch to July. While Google still seems tight-lipped about what’s in the works, the appearance of its freshly glued billboards is evidence enough that the Pixel 4A and Pixel 4A XL are getting announced in a matter of days instead of weeks.