For 2020, Google's next smartphone effort will be the Pixel 5 line, and rumors are suggesting there will be three versions to be unpacked. The codenames Sunfish, Redfin, and Bramble have been to hints that the next-generation Pixel will come out in a regular build, a supersized variant, and a cheaper version to replace the Pixel 4a.
No doubt, the upcoming Pixels are anticipated specifically by hardcore Android fans, but they might be disappointed a bit as the leaks so far on the devices pointed to hardware components that are not in the flagship territory. It would seem that the next Pixel models are either mid-range or entry-level, and not a build will be challenging the Apple and Android flagship bets.
This scenario was painted by the claim that the upcoming Pixel phones will, of course, run on Android 11, but the muscle will be provided by mid-range chips from Qualcomm. BGR said all the handsets will debut boasting of the Snapdragon 765 with built-in 5G connectivity.
Snapdragon 765 will be on the Pixel 5 and Pixel 5 XL, and in case a Pixel 5a model will be issued later on, the report said it will power up thanks to a still unidentified Snapdragon chip. It's possible the Pixel 5a will get the successor to the Snapdragon 730 that was used with the Pixel 4a.
These specs obviously omitted the Snapdragon 865 that Samsung and Chinese smartphone makers will be deploying with their 2020 flagship bets, so it should be safe to assume that for the current year, all the Pixel phones will be free of flagship specifications. They could be relatively cheaper too.
"These might be the first next-gen Google phones that don't offer the best possible hardware," the report said.
To be clear, however, save for the fact that the Pixel 2020 lineup will be the first handsets to run on Android 11, nothing is written in stone for the devices. It could be that Google will want to push out the more affordable Pixel models first and unpack the more powerful offerings later on.
But sticking on the mid-range or the more accessible phones is nothing new to Google. Before Pixel, there was the Nexus line that inspired a cult following in the Android sphere. There is a chance Google is looking to reactivate this business model with the upcoming Pixel smartphones.
Meanwhile, one software feature that is believed to be part of the Pixel 5 family is Reverse Wireless Charging, which WCCFTech said was hinted by the Android 11 Developer Preview. This is welcome, but then again, the feature is nothing new and already part of the menu in some existing Android phones.
