Fifth time's the charm?
If there's one way we could describe the Pixel 4, it would be "frustrating." Google made a lot of smart moves with the phone, notably its phenomenal cameras and ultra-fast face unlock, but inexcusably bad battery life held it back from being an easy recommendation. As you might guess, this has left us eager to see how things can be improved for the Google Pixel 5.
Using the Pixel 4 is a wonderful thing, but there's no getting around the compromises required to use it as a daily driver. All the Pixel 5 needs to do in order to be a great phone is to give us the same Pixel 4 experience, use a reasonably-sized battery, and add an ultra-wide camera.
Is that what's happening? Read on to find out everything we know so far about the Google Pixel 5!
Current Pixel
Google Pixel 4 XL
From $835 at Amazon From $900 at Best Buy From $890 at B&H
No need to wait
The Pixel 5 will undoubtedly be an interesting handset, but there's no sense in waiting until October just to buy a Google phone. The Pixel 4 XL is still worth a look, especially at its lower price. Performance is fast, the dual cameras take outstanding photos, and the XL model has passable battery life.
Jump to:
- Pixel 5 is coming "this fall"
- Here's what we know about price
- The design is pretty familiar
- Let's talk cameras
- Here are all the specs
- Motion Sense is done for
- Google's Pixel 4a has arrived
- The Pixel 4 still has life in it
When will the Google Pixel 5 be released?
Starting with the first Pixel in 2016 and every year since then, Google has held an event in early/mid-October to formally unveil its latest Pixel phones. Unless something drastically changes, we foresee that pattern continuing this year.
To give you some context, here are the exact dates for all past Pixel events:
- Pixel — October 4, 2016
- Pixel 2 — October 4, 2017
- Pixel 3 — October 9, 2018
- Pixel 4 — October 15, 2019
On August 3, Google confirmed that the Pixel 5 is coming "this fall" — making that October time-frame even more likely.
The Pixel 4 and Pixel 3 were announced at press events in New York City, with the Pixel 2 and Pixel getting their unveilings in San Francisco. It's unlikely Google will hold a physical launch event given the current global pandemic, so instead, we can probably look forward to a virtual event similar to what Apple showcased for its WWDC 2020 keynote.
How much is the Pixel 5 going to cost?
In regards to price, this is another area where Google has remained consistent. Pixel phones are never cheap, as shown by the following retail prices:
- Pixel — $649
- Pixel 2 — $649
- Pixel 3 — $799
- Pixel 4 — $799
Based on the limited history of the Pixel line, those numbers would suggest that we're due for another price increase — potentially $849, $899, or stick at $799 for another year. However, we could be in for a pleasant surprise this year in which the price is actually lower than past releases.
Rumor has it that the Pixel 5 will utilize the Qualcomm Snapdragon 765 processor instead of the flagship 865 found in the Galaxy S20. This should see the Pixel 5 costing quite a bit cheaper than that phone, though specifics remain unclear.
On the subject of availability, the Pixel 5's launch will be considerably smaller than years past. The phone is only launching in a total of nine countries, including:
- United States
- Canada
- United Kingdom
- Ireland
- France
- Germany
- Japan
- Taiwan
- Australia
This is more than likely due to other countries not having a strong 5G infrastructure established, which looks to be one of the biggest selling points of the phone.
What does the Pixel 5 look like?
On July 6, the folks at Pigtou gave us our first render of the Pixel 5. The design looks a lot like the upcoming Pixel 4a, featuring a left-mounted cutout for the selfie camera and a square camera housing on the back. Just like the Pixel 4 before it, it looks like we're going to get two sensors for the rear camera package (likely a primary and telephoto camera).
On February 14, leaker Jon Prosser shared the above image of what he reported to be a prototype of the Pixel 5 XL. However, as time has gone on, it looks like Google isn't going to have an XL model this year.
On July 10, 9to5Google reported that Google's 2020 release strategy consists of a Pixel 4a, Pixel 4a 5G, and Pixel 5. Even more interesting, the Pixel 4a 5G is expected to have the exact same Snapdragon 765G processor as the Pixel 5.
How many cameras will the Pixel 5 have?
If you were hoping for Google to jump aboard the three-camera bandwagon this year, we have some bad news. While early leaks had hinted at three cameras for the Pixel 5, it's now looking like there will only be two. That is fairly disappointing given how so many other companies are using three cameras or more, but this is the strategy Google's continuing to follow for at least another year.
The two cameras on the Pixel 4 aren't bad by any means, and in fact, its telephoto camera is one of the best in the business. However, having the flexibility of three sensors certainly would have been great.
I guess there's always the Pixel 6 🤷♀️.
Even if we're stuck with two cameras yet again, Google does appear to be adding some new things that you'll be able to do with them. Looking at a teardown for the Google Camera app, there's mention of a "motion blur" mode that should allow you to create a blur effect when taking a picture of a moving subject (much like you can do on a DSLR). There's also an audio zoom feature, allowing you to zoom in on a subject while recording video and have the microphone focus on them specifically. Finally, it seems that we'll gain the ability to choose the intensity of the LED flash.
While not confirmed, it's highly suspected that these features will debut on the Pixel 5 whenever it's released.
Will the Pixel 5 have a Snapdragon 865 processor?
When it comes to specs, Pixel phones have a history of being a mixed bag. Qualcomm's latest processor is a given, but whether we're talking about small amounts of RAM, tiny batteries, or poor display panels, there's always something that puts a damper on the experience.
History would lead us to believe that the Pixel 5 will be powered by the Snapdragon 865, but for 2020, Google might be planning something a bit different. 9to5Google was given access to a pre-release build of the Google Camera app, and in the app, there's mention of "photo_pixel_2020_config" — this likely referring to the Pixel 5.
XDA member Cee Stark previously shared that "photo_pixel_2020_config" has the codenames of "Bramble" and "Redfin," with those codenames being associated with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 765G processor. In other words, it's quite possible the Pixel 5 will use the 765G instead of the 865.
Backing up the above findings, Android Police's David Ruddock shared the following tweet on May 19 — further confirming the existence of the Snapdragon 765 in the Pixel 5.
Can confirm via my own source that the Pixel 5 will use a Snapdragon 765. No phone with a top tier CPU from Google this year.
— David "bury me with my golden arm" Ruddock (@RDRv3) May 19, 2020
The Snapdragon 765G is a very capable chipset, offering native 5G support and being the second highest-end processor in Qualcomm's 2020 lineup. That said, Google's departure from the 800 series of Snapdragon chipsets would be a notable shift. This would suggest that Google isn't designing the Pixel 5 to be a typical "flagship" Android phone to compete with the likes of the Galaxy S20 and iPhone 11 Pro. Whether or not that's a smart move remains to be seen, but it's certainly something we'll be keeping our eyes on over the coming months.
Based on that information and other industry trends we'd anticipate Google to follow, here's how the Pixel 5 is coming together right now.
| Category | Google Pixel 5 |
|---|---|
| Display | 5.78-inch OLED Quad HD |
| Operating System | Android 11 |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G |
| Rear Camera 1 | Primary camera |
| Rear Camera 2 | Telephoto camera |
| Memory | 6 or 8GB of RAM |
| Storage | 64GB 128GB |
| Security | Face unlock |
Google's been known to be stingy with storage options, so while having more than 64GB of base storage would be nice, history tells us to expect otherwise. As for RAM, a step up to 8GB would be great to see. Google finally upgraded to 6GB with the Pixel 4 after using just 4GB in all of the past models, though, so another jump just one year later could be pushing it.
Is Google including Motion Sense on the Pixel 5?
One of the more unique features of the Pixel 4 is its Motion Sense gestures. Powered by Google's Soli radar system, Motion Sense allows you to wave your hand over the Pixel 4 to control music playback, dismiss incoming calls, and snooze alarms. It's a fun idea and one that had a lot of potential, but the end result ultimately fell flat.
Likely because of the mostly negative response to the feature, it looks like Google is already giving up on it.
On May 15, Stephen Hall from 9to5Google reported that the Pixel 5 "will likely leave behind hobbies like Soli."
In yesterday's show, we also touched on some things we're hearing about Pixel 5 from sources — specifically that it will likely leave behind hobbies like Soli
— Stephen Hall (@hallstephenj) May 15, 2020
This point was reaffirmed on July 6 with the leak of the Pixel 5 render, showing its use of a traditional rear-mounted fingerprint sensor and no fancy arrangement of radars above the display.
This isn't all that surprising, but given all of the tech behind Soli, it'll be interesting to see what Google does with it going forward.
What's this I hear about a Pixel 4a?
We're happy to keep talking about the Pixel 5, but it's also worth mentioning the Pixel 4a. Google announced the phone on August 3, making it the first Pixel device of 2020.
Just like the 3a before it, the Pixel 4a delivers a quality Android experience at an excellent price. The standout features of the phone are its camera performance and software, but you also get a reliable display, battery, and processor. The Pixel 4a may not be the most visually-interesting phone we've ever seen, but if you're in the market for that Pixel experience without spending a ton of cash, it's well worth considering.
Similarly, Google will launch a Pixel 4a 5G later this fall alongside the Pixel 5. The phones are expected to be quite similar to one another, with the 4a 5G starting at $499.
Google Pixel 4a: Everything you need to know!
Should I still buy the Pixel 4?
While we are excited to see what Google does with the Pixel 5, that doesn't mean we should forget about the Pixel 4 — specifically the Pixel 4 XL.
This is what I carry as my daily Android phone, and despite its flaws, I love using it. It's snappy and fluid, the 90Hz display looks fantastic, the cameras take outstanding pictures, and the clean build of Android 10 that's backed by guaranteed updates is icing on the cake.
I do wish the battery lasted longer and I think the retail price of $899 is way too high, but if you can find it on sale, the 4 XL still has a lot of love left to give.
Current Pixel
Google Pixel 4 XL
From $835 at Amazon From $900 at Best Buy From $890 at B&H
No need to wait
The Pixel 5 will undoubtedly be an interesting handset, but there's no sense in waiting until October just to buy a Google phone. The Pixel 4 XL is still worth a look, especially at its lower price. Performance is fast, the dual cameras take outstanding photos, and the XL model has passable battery life.
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