Google's Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL may have triggered the rumor mill to churn out some speculations regarding the much-awaited Pixel 4, a smartphone that reportedly will have no buttons and a punch-hole display.
The Pixel 4 will not follow the likeness of its predecessors, that is according to YouTuber Jon Prosser from Front Page Tech. The upcoming smartphone will be void of all physical buttons to start with. Instead of clickable volume keys and power, the Pixel 4 will reportedly have capacitive touch areas along its right side, creating a seamless and uninterrupted aluminum frame.
We're not exactly sure why the physical buttons were ditched, but Prosser believes that it has something to do with the Active Edge squeezable frame. Previous Pixel devices had this feature but it was limited to certain parts of the frame, those areas sans the physical buttons. By integrating capacitive touch areas, the Pixel 4 may have its entire side completely with Active Edge.
Other than removing the physical buttons, Prosser claims that the display of the Pixel 4 will not have a notch. It will have a hole-punch front-facing camera instead. The screen will retain the front-facing stereo speakers of the Pixel 2 and Pixel 3, but with very think chin and uniform bezels.
Another feature is removed is the fingerprint scanner at the back of the phone. The Pixel 4 reportedly features an in-display type tech for fingerprint recognition. The upcoming smartphone will also have a new dual set up for the rear cameras, and they will be aligned horizontally in the top-left corner instead of a vertical position.
Until Google releases official Pixel 4 info, however, all these are just rumors. However, Prosser is quite a credible source, as he previously provided leaks for the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL, which all turned out to be pretty accurate. The YouTuber was also the first to confirm that the Pixel 3a and 3a XL existed.
Prosser's information, which he got from unnamed sources, matches the sketch that claimed to be the first look at the Pixel 4 XL's designed leaked earlier this year. The illustration had a hole-punch front-facing camera and what looked like a dual-sensor rear-facing camera that's horizontally arranged. The sketch doesn't indicate a fingerprint sensor at the back of the smartphone either.
As a Google flagship, the Pixel 4 appears to be a bold undertaking for the company. On the other hand, it's a fresh take for a smartphone, and kudos to Google for pushing the envelope quite radically.
