Pixel 5 and 4a 5G discontinued, paving the way for Pixel 6 launch

Google just launched the Pixel 5a (5G) barely a week ago, but its parents have already been given the pink slip. A more affordable version of the Pixel 4a 5G that shares some features with the Pixel 5, the Pixel 5a 5G is being positioned as the budget option for Android purists and loyal Google fans. Of course, it isn't the only Pixel phone to be offered this year, and Google is now clearing out stocks of the Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G to make room for what could be the most notable Pixel phones since the 2016 original.

The Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G are two peas of the same pod, running on the same Snapdragon 765G processor and differing only in little ways. While they performed quite well for their specs, some felt that they didn't represent the best that Google had to offer. Just a year after their launch, the company is ready to say goodbye to these two phones.

Digital Trends reports that a Google spokesperson confirmed that stocks of the Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G are expected to run out in the US in the coming weeks. The same situation is expected to happen in other markets, with retailers no longer restocking the phone. Curiously, the non-5G Pixel 4a remains available.

The Pixel 5a (5G), of course, replaces the Pixel 4a 5G, while the upcoming Pixel 6 will take the Pixel 5's spot as the premium model of Google's smartphone family. In many ways, the Pixel 5a does make a better proposition compared to the Pixel 4a 5G's price while remaining mostly similar.

The Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, however, are expected to change the game significantly for the Pixel line. In addition to a brand new design, the smartphone will be using the Google-designed Tensor processor that is the tech company's answer to the Apple M1. Whether it matches expectations, however, remains to be seen, but we don't have to wait long to get all the official details in about two months.