The moment Android purists have been waiting for since 2019 has almost arrived, as we're only a little over a week away from the highly anticipated announcement of Google's first-ever 5G-enabled smartphones at the time of this writing.
Following a pretty large number of revealing reports and thorough leaks already, WinFuture's Roland Quandt is here today to answer every single question you might still have about the impending Google Pixel 5 (translated here), as well as clarify a few things various sources offered conflicting information on in the recent past. Without further ado, this is the 5G-capable Pixel 5 in all its glory:
One screen size, one large battery, and an upper mid-range chipset
In case you're wondering, yes, this is technically Big G's flagship for 2020. And no, the Pixel 5 will not come with an ultra-high-end processor under its hood, settling instead for Qualcomm's crazy popular and respectably powerful Snapdragon 765 SoC.
This will allow the company to offer 5G connectivity as standard around the world without breaking the bank, which sounds like a decent compromise... although many power users are unlikely to buy that explanation and be tempted to, well, buy this phone over Samsung's Galaxy Note 20 or the upcoming OnePlus 8T 5G.
Another somewhat divisive decision on Google's part is doing away with the traditional XL variant, but at least the Pixel 5 looks like it could find the perfect middle ground between the 5.7-inch Pixel 4 and 6.3-inch Pixel 4 XL, at exactly 6 inches. Then again, the 3040 x 1440 pixel resolution of the 4 XL will apparently be downgraded to 2340 x 1080 pixels, aka FHD+ resolution, while Google is preparing no change in the refresh rate department, where you'll have to make do with a 90Hz ceiling.
On the decidedly bright side of things, the Pixel 5 is set to come equipped with a hefty 4,080mAh battery, eclipsing the cell capacity of both Pixel 4 models. The larger battery will support the same old 18W fast charging technology, as well as wireless, and yes, even reverse wireless charging functionality.
In terms of design, the front panel will unsurprisingly resemble that of the 5.81-inch Pixel 4a, top left corner-mounted hole punch and all, but although we know the frame will be made from premium metal rather than cheap plastic, the build material at the back remains a mystery. It can't be metal, of course, given the presence of Qi wireless charging capabilities, so it's either plastic or glass.
Two "powerful" rear cameras and a reasonable price tag
As always, the imaging prowess is bound to be the key Google-made selling point, but while the competition continues to increase the number of sensors and/or megapixels crammed into their latest and greatest flagships, the search giant is sticking to a dual rear-facing camera system with a grand MP count of 28.
What's different this time around is that the 12MP primary shooter will be supported by a 16MP wide-angle lens instead of a 16MP telephoto sensor in Google's attempt to fend off the increasingly elaborate camera setups of the next hero devices from Apple and OnePlus or Samsung's newest ultra-high-enders.
Previously leaked Pixel 5 renders
Obviously, we'll have to wait and see how these two shooters actually perform out in the real world, the first of which will feature dual-pixel phase detection autofocus, f/1.7 aperture, OIS, and a 77-degree field of view, with the second rocking an expansive 107-degree FOV, as well as f/2.2 aperture.
The rest of the Pixel 5 specs and features are arguably nothing special, including a single 8MP front-facing camera with f/2.0 aperture and an 83-degree FOV, 8 gigs of memory, 128 gigs of internal storage space, a USB Type-C port, stereo speakers, IP68 water and dust resistance, a conventional rear-mounted fingerprint scanner, and of course, no headphone jack or microSD card slot.
All in all, the quality/price ratio doesn't sound too bad given that the Google Pixel 5 is expected to cost €629 in Germany with built-in 5G speeds. That's well below the regional recommended price of a 4G LTE-only Pixel 4 with a 6GB RAM count and 64GB storage, which makes us hopeful the US MSRP will be set at no more than $650. That would certainly allow the Android 11-running handset to seriously challenge the likes of the LG Velvet, Motorola Edge, Samsung Galaxy A71 5G, Nokia 8.3 5G, and even the OnePlus 8.
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Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.
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