New leak tips more Google Pixel 4a specs, won't be a 5G device

The leaked design takes cues from the Pixel 4 family, rather than the Pixel 3a, and about the only big mystery is how the camera set will perform. After the Pixel 4a appeared at the FCC with the G025A model number, now the same version is making the rounds at other certification bodies, IMDA and BIS, tips MySmartPrice, indicating an imminent announcement. 

As you can see from the listings below, the Pixel 4a is confirmed to have NFC connectivity on board, and was submitted to the organizations' database at the beginning of this month.

In version 7.3 of the Google Camera app, code parsing found references to "sunfish," "redfin," and "bramble" referring to upcoming Pixel models. The chipsets that will power Google's 2020 generation of Pixels were listed there as well. "Sunfish" is built around the lowly "sm7150" platform, or Snapdragon 730, referring to the Pixel 4a model.

"Redfin" and "bramble" will be based on "sm7250," or the new Snapdragon 765 midrange chipset that has Qualcomm's first built-in 5G modem, so the two Pixel 5 models running on the much cheaper alternative to Snapdragon 865 would have a 5G modem, while the 4a won't. This is tangentially confirmed now by the IMDA listing that shows the G025A device to have 3G/4G connectivity only.

Google Pixel 4a specs, price and launch expectations

• A 5.8" FHD+ OLED display with punch hole
• Octa-core Snapdragon 730 processor, 4G LTE and NFC connectivity
• 6GB/64GB memory
• 12MP main and 8MP front cameras
• 3080mAh battery
• 18W charging
• July 13 release date
• Priced $349-$399

The plastic design is actually a breath of fresh air compared to all those heavy glass phones lately that we constantly have to baby, but what else would be under the hood? Well, rumor has it we will get a 5.81 inches OLED panel with Full HD+ at 2340 x 1080 pixels resolution. Thus, we are getting a slight bump in screen size and resolution compared to last year's model.

Moving on to what will make the Pixel 4a tick - a midrange Qualcomm Snapdragon 730 chipset is expected to be in store - an octa-core affair, but with 4G LTE connectivity only. Google is not one to go generous on RAM and storage in its phones, so we'd expect a 4GB/6GB RAM and 64GB/126GB storage models at the most. All that jazz should be backed up be a comparatively smallish 3080 mAh battery, and we really wish that part of the rumor mill get it wrong, despite the fast 18W charging brick.

The main camera of the Pixel 4a is tipped to keep its 12MP resolution, with optically stabilized sensor, as well as software image stabilization. The larger screen in the same package size means that we will be getting something other than a notch this year, and it will likely come in the punch-hole form of the front camera. The selfie snapper is expected to sport a 8-megapixel count with a field of view of 84 degrees, or, the same unit we have on the Pixel 4a predecessor.

Since the phone would most likely be running on a Snapdragon 730 processor, don't expect some video definition or frame rate wonders. The Pixel 4a is probably going to sport the video recording specs of its immediate predecessor, the Pixel 4, namely 1080p video at 30-120 frames per second, slow-motion HD video at 240 fps, and maximum 4K footage at 30 FPS for the rear camera, or 1080p at 30 FPS recording at the front.

The latest rumor is that the Pixel 4a launch and release will be happening more than two months behind the usual schedule, on Monday, July 13. Makes sense, since there was no I/O Developer Conference in May, when Google announced and released the budget Pixel 3a, so a mid-summer release dream is getting increasingly likely by the day.