The Google Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL are slated to be launched at an event in New York on October 15, 2019. The devices have been at the receiving end of far too many leaks, and for the most part, the launch event was expected to be without any major surprises. However, it seems that Google might just have one final surprise left up its sleeve, which hadn’t been leaked so far. A new report now suggests that Google might also be planning to use the Pixel 4 launch event as the perfect occasion to unveil the Google Pixel 5G variant.
According to a new report from Nikkei Asian Review, Google has begun test production of a 5G smartphone, one that could be unveiled as soon as next week alongside the two devices in the Pixel 4 series, and possibly a new smartwatch (though we see conflicting information on this) and a notebook. While the Pixel 4 will be available for consumers to purchase shortly after unveiling, sales of the 5G variant might be positioned closer to the launch of the next budget Pixel phone, the Pixel 4a, in 2020. Google’s 5G smartphone is currently being test produced in China, but mass production for phones destined for the US market might shift to Vietnam by the end of this year, to avoid US tariffs from the China trade dispute and to take advantage of the cheaper labor. The 5G phone is expected to come with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, which might not be the best choice for a 5G smartphone in 2020 considering the fact that the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 is presumed to be right around the corner.
We first heard about a third Pixel device back in April 2019 when the codenames of the Pixel devices, coral, flame, and needlefish, were first spotted. While flame and coral ended up being confirmed as the Pixel 4 and the Pixel 4 XL respectively, no new information was spotted regarding needlefish. We still do not know if needlefish is related to the Pixel 5G — the only link between the two is that both of them were/are said to be the third Pixel device. If the production timeline reported is correct, that would explain why we hadn’t heard more about the same until now. A 5G smartphone is a logical step for all major OEMs keeping in mind the direction of the industry as a whole. But since Apple and Microsoft have not yet dipped their toes into consumer-ready 5G smartphones just yet, Google was not expected to jump in at this stage. This report pushes Google ahead of Apple in the 5G race and maintains pressure on other major Android OEMs.
We await more information for further corroboration.
Source: Nikkei Asian Review
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