Pixel 5a: 'Leaked' images tease the next cheap Google phone

It’s February now, meaning we’re just three months from when we’d usually expect the next mid-range Pixel to launch. Of course, with the pandemic putting everything on hold this year and 2020’s Pixel 4a having been delayed until August, it’s tough to say when we’ll see the Pixel 5a for sure. For now, we’ve gathered everything there is to know about the Pixel 5a here in this guide. 
We enjoyed our time with the Pixel 4a, hailing it a great affordable option for anyone after a small Android with a sharp display, fast updates and an ever-reliable camera. Soon after, Google launched the Pixel 5, offering users the flagship package while continuing to challenge its more expensive rivals with a budget-friendly price. 2020 has left us with high hopes for Google’s 2021 line up, with the mid-range 5a first in line to impress us.
Recently, we got our first look at the handset thanks to tipster Slivakov (via Slashleaks) – though we already have our doubts about the design.
Image: Slivakov / Slashleaks
The images, which were posted to the site in January, appear to show off Pixel 5a’s display, along with its camera app and a number of specs. One of the more obvious differences here is the absence of the punch-hole front camera. Rather than leave the camera in the upper left corner of the display as it is on the 4a, the images suggest that Google will ditch the punch-hole design for a chunkier bezel across the top of the phone.
The leaked photos also show off the 5a’s camera settings, including the video stabilisation feature, while another image suggests that the device will come with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage.
Image: Slivakov / Slashleaks
Regardless, doubt has already been cast over whether or not the 5a is the phone pictured in the photos.
NotebookCheck reported that the leaker hasn’t got a particularly reliable record on Slashleaks, showing a trust score consistently below 30%.
Not only this, but the product revision name ‘starfish’ that appears in one of the images, contradicts a previous leak that referred to the 5a’s codename as ‘barbette’. Add to that the not at all suspicious serial number ‘0123456789ABCDEF’ and we’ve chosen to take this leak with a grain of salt.
Image: Slivakov / Slashleaks
Little else is known about the Pixel 5a so far, but we will continue to update this guide as more news and rumours flow in. Read on to discover what we know about the phone so far, and don’t forget to bookmark this page to stay up to date on all things Pixel 5a.
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Pixel 5a release date – when will it launch?
Google usually announces its mid-range Pixel phone at its yearly Google IO event in May. The company was forced to push back and eventually cancel the event in 2020, due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, with the Pixel 4a launching later than usual in August.
It isn’t yet clear whether the pandemic will continue to affect Google’s launches in 2021. Google hosted an online event for the Pixel 5 in September, meaning a virtual Google IO could be back on the table for this May.
For now, we expect the Pixel 5a to be released in summer but we’ll have to wait to see when exactly Google will host the event.
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Pixel 5a price – how much will it cost?
There’s been no official word on the Pixel 5a pricing just yet, but we expect it to cost around $349/£349/€349.
The Pixel 4a was priced at $349/£349/€349 when it was announced last summer, while the Pixel 3a launched for $399/£399/€399 the year before, so we’d expect the 5a to land in a similar range.

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