Google Pixel 4 5G may join Pixel 4a launch

The Google Pixel 4 and Google Pixel 4 XL will almost certainly appear next week at Google's annual Pixel event. Today from Taipei there's a new rumor that this event won't just reveal the two smartphones, but a third, more capable device that'll launch at a date later than the Pixel 4 and 4 XL. This new device would, instead, far more likely launch at the same time as a budget-friendly version of the phone family, a device probably called Google Pixel 4a.

According to sources speaking in Taipei with the Nikkei Asian Review, Google could announced their 5G Google Pixel 4 device at the same event as their two 4G editions of the phone family. This same set of sources suggested that the Google Pixel will likely launch at the same time as the budget Pixel – the follow-up to the Google Pixel 3a launched in May 2019. These sources were only certain about one thing: Google is, indeed, in test production with a 5G smartphone right now.

This testing business should come as no major surprise. Google should very well be testing at least one 5G smartphone at this point, given the eventual move to 5G on mobile data carriers around the world. What's surprising is that Google would announce a smartphone with 5G technology so many months ahead of launch.

Though, given the amount of "leaks" we've seen of the Google Pixel 4, anything is possible. This might all be part of the move from all-at-once announcements of smartphones and similar gear to company-led leaks of device details to gain as much press as possible leading up to a launch of a device. But we shall see.

The Google Pixel event takes place on Tuesday, October 15, 2019. It'll be in New York, and we'll be there live and in full effect, starting at 10AM Eastern Time – that's 7AM Pacific Time. Almost as if they want the West Coast to get up out of bed as early as possible – or wait until the devices are being posted with hands-on photos on SlashGear.