Google just announced Pixel 4a 5G and Pixel 5 — and they’re coming this fall

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By Philip Michaels
published

More phones are on the way from Google this fall

(Image credit: Google)

Google just launched the Pixel 4a, a $349 budget phone that brings many of the camera features in its flagships to a more affordable handset. But that's not the only phone release Google has planned for this year.

Later this fall, the company says that two more phones are coming — the Google Pixel 5 and the $499 Pixel 4a 5G. The former is a successor to the Pixel 4, while the latter will be a 5G-ready edition of the smartphone Google just released.

"Pixel 4a (5G) and Pixel 5 will be available in the US, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Germany, Japan, Taiwan and Australia," Google announced in the Pixel 4a's release. "In the coming months, we'll share more about these devices and our approach to 5G."

Google didn't provide any further details about either device, though the rumor mill is happy to step in with that info. The Pixel 5 is expected to potentially add an ultra wide angle lens to the main shooter and telephoto lens currently on the Pixel 4. Google's next flagship will be a 5G-capable device, though Google is rumored to be going with a Snapdragon 765G processor as a way to keep the cost of the Pixel 5 down.

The Pixel 4a 5G may get the same Snapdragon CPU as the Pixel 5, but it will likely feature the same plastic design as the current Pixel 4a. It's not clear what other upgrades Google may have planned. Software updates from Google have mentioned the Pixel 4a, Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G, but not the XL version of Google's flagship.

It may seem an unusual move to announce two more phones at the same time you're rolling out a new handset. But Google's approach to phones has always been a little unconventional, as the phone maker has confirmed details of past releases long before the phones are ready to ship. We also would have expected the Pixel 4a earlier in the year, so it makes sense that Google would alert us to upcoming devices just before their fall release.

Be sure to read our full Google Pixel 4a review to see where that device ranks among the best cheap phones.

Philip Michaels
Philip Michaels

Philip Michaels is a Managing Editor at Tom's Guide. He's been covering personal technology since 1999 and was in the building when Steve Jobs showed off the iPhone for the first time. He's been evaluating smartphones since that first iPhone debuted in 2007, and he's been following phone carriers and smartphone plans since 2015. He has strong opinions about Apple, the Oakland Athletics, old movies and proper butchery techniques. Follow him at @PhilipMichaels.