Google Pixel 4 and 4 XL: Everything we know so far!

Android Central

Android Central
Android Central
The hype is already rolling for Google's next phones.

With the
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!
well under way, and the mid-range
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!
announced, we're starting to get a little information trickling in on the forthcoming Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL that are expected to launch later this year.

All of the Pixel 4 hype starts with following device codenames as they're put through their development. As is so often the case with these sorts of things, the codenames were revealed through the process of communicating about addressing development issues with the software on Google's phones. Developers working on Android's SELinux policy refer to two never-before-seen Google devices codenamed "Coral" and "Needlefish" right alongside the Pixel, Pixel 2 and Pixel 3 series of phones.

The names themselves aren't particularly important, but they unlock the ability to track their progress.

The codenames fit the history of Google devices using nautical names, and when then
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!
, well they're clearly linked to two new phone models: Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL. The only wrench thrown in this whole thing is that in the Google app, the Pixel 4 is linked to the Coral codename while the Pixel 4 XL is linked to "Flame" instead.

Perhaps a change was made one way or the other between the two, but it seems odd that Google would drop its nautical naming scheme between two devices to be released at the same time. It also leaves the door open to speculate about what a potential third Pixel 4 model could be, including the chances it could be a lower-cost mid-range version in the lineup to alleviate some of the pressure Google is feeling from people who were not fans of the Pixel 3 and 3 XL's price increases.

Codenames are fun and all, but they don't really tell us much at the moment. What they do offer, though, is the ability to track their names through development from this point forward to get more clues as to what they'll have to offer when they're released. The hype is already starting, and we have several months to go before the Pixel 4 lineup's expected release in October.

Get More Pixel 3

Google Pixel 3



Google Pixel 3


Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!


What will the Pixel 4 look like?


Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!


Google has kept its design refreshes conservative from year to year, but with the Pixel 4, we'll see something different.

On June 12,
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!
that the Pixel 4 is a thing and shared an official render of the back of the phone. Gone is the two-tone design of past Pixels as we appear to now have a sleek glass back like so many other handsets.

Also new is the large rear camera housing that has two cameras instead of the usual one. Also in the squircle is an LED flash and an additional sensor of some kind — likely a time-of-flight one.

It's unclear if Google will release additional renders of the phone as time goes on, but at the very least, it is certainly unique for a company to give us a legit look at an upcoming phone so many months before we expect it to be released.

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!


A little under a month later on July 8,
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!
from reliable leaker OnLeaks appeared — this time showing the back and front of the Pixel 4 XL.

The back of the phone isn't anything new, but this is the first time we've seen the front of the device. Google's apparently ditching the 3 XL's infamous notch, and in its place, has opted for a more traditional design with large-ish bezels at the top and bottom.

It's certainly not as futuristic compared to phones like the OnePlus 7 Pro and Galaxy S10, but it's bound to be a lot less polarizing than last year's design.

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!


Most recently on July 20,
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!
shared crispy 5K renders of the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL. The renders don't reveal anything new, but they do give us yet another look at Google's upcoming flagships.

What kind of specs can we look forward to?


Guessing internal specs of phones this far in advance is always tough because details can be changed and information can be easily obscured, but we do have a few early guesses.

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!
(which, again, are easy to spoof), the Pixel 4 line will have a Snapdragon 855, which is the latest top-of-the-line SoC from Qualcomm found in just about every high-end phone in 2019.

That Snapdragon 855 will be supported by 6GB of RAM (as confirmed by
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!
on July 18), which is an important bump from the PIxel 3's middling 4GB — but some will argue Google really needs to go with 8GB to keep up with the times.

On the display side of things, the Pixel 4 will have a resolution of 2280 x 1080 with a taller aspect ratio — likely 19:9. The Pixel 4 XL will share that taller aspect ratio but have an increased resolution of 3040 x 1440.

What's the deal with Google's Soli chip?


All the way back in 2015, Google announced something called "Project Soli." Project Soli is a specially-designed chip that allows you to control devices by making hand gestures above them. If implemented in a smartphone, the idea is that you'd be able to make gestures over the Pixel 4 and control its volume, navigate menus, and more without actually touching its display.

Although Project Soli has been in development for a while, we've yet to actually see it implemented in a product. With the Pixel 4, however, that could finally be changing.

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!
first reported this on June 11, and if Soli works as promised, it could be a big selling point and differentiator for the Pixel 4.

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!


Adding to the idea that the Pixel 4 will include Soli,
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!
shared an outline of the Pixel 4's front on July 13, highlighting a mysterious sensor on the top bezel — possibly radar components for Soli.

The oval opening of the Pixel 4 Series front panel means that the Google Pixel 4 Series will be groundbreaking and new and worth looking forward to.
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!


— Ice universe (@UniverseIce)
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

Then, on July 20, Ice Universe shared a couple of photos highlighting the Pixel 4's front display panel and the large oval cutout — saying that this is the reason that the phone will be "groundbreaking and new and worth looking forward to."

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!


Will there be a cheaper Pixel 4a?


Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!


Now that the
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!
are out and well-received by those looking for a Pixel experience for less money, it's reasonable to wonder what's going to happen with a hypothetical Pixel 4a. In reference to the codename information we're tracking now, there's a third codename that seems to be associated with the Pixel 4 and 4 XL that leaves the door open to speculation regarding a Pixel 4a launching at about the same time.

Considering the Pixel 3a was just released in May, it wouldn't make much sense for Google to follow it up so closely with a Pixel 4a alongside the standard Pixel 4. Google is far more likely to release a less expensive Pixel 4a early in 2020 — but presumably not as late in the year as the Pixel 3a.

Until we have more information to differentiate these three codenamed devices, it's hard to tell what the third phone would be.

Will the Pixel 4 have 5G?


Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!


Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!
is the feature that carriers and phone makers are hyping up as the first consumer-ready networks go online, but we don't expect the Pixel 4 to support the next-generation network. Google has historically lagged behind a bit on incorporating cutting-edge new technology in its Nexus and Pixel phones, and that extends to new networking capabilities.

There's a tiny chance that the referenced third Pixel 4 codename could be some sort of a 5G model, but it just doesn't seem like the kind of move Google would make considering its current spotty standing with carriers in various markets around the world.

And considering just how small current 5G networks are, and the compromises that need to be made in the phone hardware itself, it really isn't worth it to strive to have a 5G phone at this point. There are many more aspects of the Pixel 4 and 4 XL that will be more important than whether it has 5G.

When will the Pixel 4 be released?


Google has stuck to a regular cadence of releasing its Pixel phones in early October.

At this point, there's still plenty of room for that to adjust or shift, but we have no indication that the launch will be any other time. An announcement in early October with retail availability in the two weeks following is what we expect right now.

Get More Pixel 3

Google Pixel 3



Google Pixel 3


Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!


bhPjue4TCuc


Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Top