Google skipped the launch of the Pixel 4 in India, thanks to the Soli Motion Sense radar chip that works on the 60GHz mmWave frequency band and cannot be used commercially in India. Back in October, we wrote an article prognosticating the debut of the affordable Pixel 4a. Well, it seems that we were right as the first lot of renders of the phone have surfaced. What makes this development interesting is the rumours revolving around iPhone SE2, a budget offering from Apple. There are reports about other smartphones like Note 10 Lite but here, we’ll see how Google and Apple fare against each other.
The renders of the Google Pixel 4a were released by famous tipster OnLeaks last week. According to the images, the phone will have a punch hole display making it the first device in the Pixel line-up to come with this design. On the right edge is the volume rocker and an orange-coloured Power button. At the top edge is the 3.5mm audio jack, and the USB Type-C port & speaker grilles are placed at the bottom edge. The bezels are said to be thinner than the Pixel 3a that was launched last year.
While it is not known whether the handset will support Project Soli-based Motion Sense tech for gesture control or not, it seems that there won't be face unlock or an in-display fingerprint sensor. Google may choose to go the old way of including a physical sensor on the back panel. The back has a matte finish and a protruding square camera module, however, it consists of only one sensor and an LED flash. Onleaks claims that there will be more sensors housed within the camera module.
When it comes to hardware, the Pixel 4a and 4a XL may sport a 5.8-inch display and have a mid-tier chipset, like the Qualcomm Snapdragon 730 or 765. The processor is likely to be flanked with at least 4GB of RAM and 64GB internal storage. The phone is expected to feature a 12.2MP sensor on the back. Given the company’s past record, the Pixel 4a devices may launch in White, Black and a third colour option at Google I/O 2020 developer conference in May-June.
In comparison, Apple iPhone SE2 is said to debut in the first quarter of 2020, and if we go by the latest reports, the phone has already gone into production. The iPhone SE2 is expected to feature a 4.7-inch display, A13 Bionic chipset that debuted in the iPhone 11 Series of devices, and 3GB of RAM. The phone is touted to sport an iPhone 8-like design with TouchID. According to noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple will sell 30 – 40 million units of the iPhone SE2 in 2020.
Now that the rumoured hardware and design of both the phones are ‘leaked’, the pricing is likely to be a key factor in determining the winner. In the Q2 earnings call last year, Google CEO Sundar Pichai said, ‘With the launch of Pixel 3a (in May), overall Pixel unit sales in Q2 grew more than two times year-over-year.’ iPhone SE also contributed well to the overall revenue of the company. Reports say that Pixel 4a may be priced around Rs 40,000 and iPhone may cost approx Rs 28,000 (converted from $399).
