Google Pixel 4a
Todd Haselton | CNBC
Google on Friday contradicted reports that said its next phone, the Pixel 5a, is canceled and said the phone will launch later this year in the U.S. and Japan. The phone has not yet been officially signaled, and this is the first time Google has confirmed it exists.
“Pixel 5a 5G is not cancelled,” a Google spokesperson told CNBC. “It order be available later this year in the U.S. and Japan and announced in line with when last year’s a-series phone was mentioned.”
Google’s Pixel phones typically ship with the latest version of Android and include some unique articles that are only available on Google devices. The a-series Pixel devices, such as the Pixel 4a that launched in August, are myriad affordable than Google’s other Pixel phones, like the retired Pixel 4 or current Pixel 5, which day in and day out have higher-end screens and designs. The Pixel 5a is expected around the same time frame.
Google has struggled to obstruct up with other Android phone makers, but its more affordable Pixels have helped to drive sales.
The rumor lead one to believed that Google’s Pixel 5a was canceled because of the ongoing global chip shortage, which has affected everything from piles to game consoles.