Pixel 4a Leaked Launch Date Will Be Cutting It Close

Google isn't having a good year as far as its Pixel phones go. Sure, it may have surprisingly sold more the OnePlus last year but it is hardly indicative of the health of what should be the shining example of the Android platform as presented by Google. The Pixel 4a is unfashionably late while rumors about the Pixel 5's development are even less reassuring. Almost a quarter overdue, the Pixel 4a might finally have a launch date but even the choice of that date feels questionable.

The Pixel 3a launched in May last year and, had the world remained normal, the Pixel 4a would have launched on that month as well. The world, unfortunately, is far from normal and it was not unthinkable that the Pixel 4a would be delayed. It was, however, disappointing to realize it is already delayed by two months.

It could have been worse, with some rumors pointing to an October launch alongside the Pixel 5. That, of course, would have made the Pixel 4a immediately obsolete considering the Pixel 5 is believed to at least have the same Snapdragon 765G processor. Now at least there is word that the cheaper Pixel will be coming in less than two weeks.

August 3 is the final date that Jon Prosser has given, the first Monday of the month. It is also two days before Samsung's Unpacked 2020 event. The two target different audiences and tiers, of course, but that date almost ensures that the Pixel 4a will be immediately buried under a mountain of Samsung-related coverage.

Prosser does pose the more serious question. At this point in time, especially after the OnePlus Nord's announcement, the Pixel 4a may have already lost part of its appeal. Then again, no phone (other than the late Essential) has ever matched the Pixel's speed in Android updates but that advantage may have become almost negligible considering the growing list of hardware issues that Google's phones have exhibited over the years and generations.