With the arrival of the Google Pixel 4a, conversation unexpectedly turns to the next flagship version of Google, the highly anticipated Pixel 5. While Google fans have some detailed wish lists for the Pixel 5, rumors point to a more muted upgrade over the previous generation . The Pixel 4a refines two generations of Google’s vision, sets a very high bar for the Pixel 5 to justify its existence – especially considering you can buy a Pixel 4a for just $ 349. The next flagship of Google needs something be special, but that looks dubious.
Google Pixel 5: Everything we know so far
A big part of the issue is that Google does not make flagship phones for powerhouse. Last year its Pixel 4 was not as fast as other flagships of 2019, perhaps to extend its dubious battery life. This year, the Pixel 5 is rumored to be forgetting a flagship tier chip altogether, and instead opting for the mid-tier Snapdragon 765G, we recently saw the power of the OnePlus Nord.
The 765G offers ample performance for most users, with longer battery life, and integrated 5G. However, the Pixel 4a’s Snapdragon 730G already offers pretty similar performance, even compared to the finely tuned implementation of OnePlus’s 765G.
Deep dive: Google Pixel 4a benchmarked: Is it powerful enough?
Plus, with the $ 499 Pixel 4a 5G arriving this fall with its own rumored 765G chipset, every slim advantage to the Pixel 5 goes completely out of the window. Customers looking for a bigger, more powerful Google workhorse can simply wait for the Pixel 4a 5G.
With minimal reliance on performance lovers and a high price all but guaranteed, Google should double or even double on its greatest strength: photography. Large cameras sell phones, as shown by Apple, Huawei, and Google’s very own affordable 3a. To stand out, the Pixel 5’s camera has to be a big leap forward.
The Pixel 4a refines the last two generations of Google, the Pixel 5 should be something new.
Sticking to the zoom lens from the Pixel 4 series seems very essential, and a wide angle lens could help the Pixel 5 compete on flexibility. An extra ultra wide camera ranks high on apparently every Pixel 5 win list, but it’s more of a catchup upgrade than something groundbreaking. Likewise, the series is long overdue for a new head sensor. 12MP is good, but surely Google can process a lot more pixels. But really, Google has some features that have never been seen before to get headers, like Astrophotography did. Perhaps the company of the long-promised technologies for object segmentation will finally appear. Again, the problem will be that these software features are likely to run on other Google phones as well, albeit a bit slower.
5G alone will not cut it
Of course, we fully expect the Google Pixel 5 to have the classic range of flagship features to separate it from the mid-range. 5G network support has already been confirmed by Google. The same IP68 rating and Qi wireless charging as last year seem given. That said, 5G is still not a big selling point, given the limited availability even in Google’s home market. Plus, Pixel 4a 5G offers a more affordable entry point for faster data, which justifies the Pixel 5’s higher price with other hardware.
It’s hard to see how Google could successfully break the hardware mold, given its reserved approach to product design. The Pixel 4a addresses many of the drawbacks of the Pixel line by offering enough RAM, storage and battery capacity to keep up with the competition. Google has a patchy history with its premium phones, but if it uses the Pixel 4a as a blueprint, it would at least expect the same from its hardware.
Reviews: The Pixel 4a is the phone that Google needs to make
Of course, Google will never completely go out with its hardware and produce a truly ultra-premium phone with thriving hardware. It’s just not the Google way. Instead, the Pixel 5 will have to focus on software, another of Google’s strengths, but also a wildcard we know nothing about. Assistant is an important part of Google’s computing approach, so we can probably expect some news here.
Google also has form for building custom hardware to enhance its own software. A new Titan security chip as AI processor could see the Pixel 5 take steps in security, photography and assistant technology. These behind-the-scenes features are not the most exciting sales to customers outside of Google’s fanbase.
Although unique and interesting, the Pixel 4’s Motion Sense radar system ran on a little too much battery to be usable. Hopefully Google will build on this foundation and create a must-have feature this time around. It’s not clear if Google will keep Sense of the Pixel 5 for the Pixel 5, but the lack of an Indian release – where the 60GHz spectrum used by the system is limited – suggests that it hangs around.
Adventurous hardware is not the MO of Google. Maybe new software features will separate the Pixel 5 from the 4a?
Finally, the Pixel 4a and 4a 5G already meet the essence of the smartphone. To enhance the Pixel 5 experience, Google needs to be bold on the side of hardware as well as software, preferably both. Something new in photography, assistant technology or Motion Sense might do it, but it would have to change game.
Alternatively, Google has always been selling its broader product ecosystem with the Pixel 5. A bundle of Google One, YouTube Premium, like Stadia Pro for 12 to 24 months would add a lot to the value proposition of the phone. Not to mention ending Google’s ever-growing, ever-scattershot portfolio. The U-turn on lifelong lossless photo storage and preference for free, limited-time files suggest that Google sees its ecosystem as an after-sales revenue generator instead of part of its hardware package.
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The big unanswered question is if consumers are willing to pay $ 300 or more for one of these extras compared to the cost-effective Pixel 4a. I’m not convinced about the hardware statement. That leaves new software features and the ecosystem value as the Pixel 5’s best bet when making waves.
Get caught up in a Google-made trap
2020 will be the year where value for money finally trumps flagship flambyancy. The $ 1000 + handsets like the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra do not sell well compared to their more affordable siblings. Not to mention the mass-market appeal of the iPhone SE and the aforementioned OnePlus Nord. Even after much, much delay, the Google Pixel 4a still arrived at just the right time. However, it is the same statement of value – such as the promise of the Pixel 4a 5G – that now risks undermining Google’s flagship Pixel 5 launch.
Of course, the Google Pixel 5 will showcase the latest updates from Google, and that will appeal to a subset of consumers. But without the latest hardware as a killer new software innovation, it will be difficult to justify the Pixel 5’s higher price point.
