A mid-range Google Pixel with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 may launch in 2019

According to a comment by notable leaker Roland Quandt from WinFuture, Google is reportedly planning on launching a mid-range Google Pixel device with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 system-on-chip in the first half of 2019.

Off to Taiwan for @computex_taipei today, but here's a tidbit for ya: Google is working on a "mobile" device based on the Snapdragon 710 currently scheduled for launch in the 1st half of 2019. Sounds like this might be the (or one of them) upcoming mid-range Pixel phone.

— Roland Quandt (@rquandt) June 2, 2018

A return to their roots?

• The Google Pixel series of smartphones is a flagship line-up. They all cost a pretty penny because they feature the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset (the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 on the Google Pixel and Google Pixel XL and the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 on the Google Pixel 2 and Google Pixel 2 XL), the latest Android experience from Google with years of guaranteed support, and the best Google software such as the Google Camera app.
• Before the Pixel, the Google Nexus was known for their flagship-tier specifications at a mid-range price (though that’s really only true for the Google Nexus 4 and Google Nexus 5 as phones like the Google Nexus 6 and Google Nexus 6P were priced quite high at launch.) Many have wondered if or when Google would ever return to their roots by releasing at least a spiritual successor to the last Nexus smartphone.

A mid-range Pixel is just what we’ve been waiting for.

• Indian media reported that Google was preparing to launch a mid-range Pixel smartphone around July-August of this year. If true, the mid-range Pixel could be the revival of the Google Nexus we’ve all been waiting for, even if it’s not carrying the same name.
• However, given the launch timing mentioned in Roland Quandt’s tweet, it seems like this previously reported mid-range Pixel and the new mid-range Pixel may not be the same device. It’s possible that the mid-range device that was rumored to launch this year has been pushed back to early next year, or it’s possible that the mid-range Pixel may still launch this year but it will be followed-up by early next year.
• The Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 is the highest-end chipset in Qualcomm’s mid-range lineup. It may not pack the same punch as the Snapdragon 835 or Snapdragon 845, but combined with Google’s prowess in optimizing their software for their hardware, this rumored mid-range Pixel should deliver a similar buttery-smooth experience that existing Pixel owners are used to. The only other Snapdragon 710 device that we know of is the Xiaomi Mi 8 SE.

A lower cost Pixel phone with the Snapdragon 710? Sign me up.