Pixel 5 specs leak sees Google take aim at OnePlus Nord in budget phone face-off

Google's next flagship isn't quite the upgrade we were expecting

Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G
(Image credit: Google)

Google's next flagship is the Pixel 5, and while we expected a premium offering, recent leaks and rumours have painted a drastically different picture, seeing Google gearing its next handset towards the mid-tier market instead.

The tech giant hasn't had much success with its line of smartphones, which have failed to offer much in the way of competition to Apple's iPhone range, and its next device has given up on challenging the iPhone 12 altogether, judging by the leaked specs. Instead, it's the OnePlus Nord that needs to watch its back.

A leaked benchmark for the Pixel 5 (via MySmartPrice) has been spotted that indicates the smartphone isn't going to be in the running against Apple's iPhone, but with its Snapdragon 765G processor, will be battling it out with the likes of the OnePlus Nord instead. 

It may be housing 8GB RAM instead of the Pixel 4's 6GB RAM, but compared to last year's Snapdragon 855 CPU, there's not the performance jump you'd hope to see between annual flagships - in fact, the two smartphones will be on par under the best circumstances. 

Perhaps the comparable performance is why Google has taken the unprecedented step to discontinue the Pixel 4 already, along with the Pixel 4 XL. 

While we haven't had official word on a release date for the Pixel 5, a recent leak tipped an October 8 pre-order date for the device which also extends to the Pixel 4a 5G. 

Perhaps Google will be able to recapture the success of the Pixel 3a with a mid-tier smartphone at a lower price, but with companies like OnePlus already lining up another smartphone to follow-up the Nord with the OnePlus Aurora, it's going to have its work cut out!  

Source: MySmartPrice

Shabana Arif

Shabana worked at T3.com as News Editor covering tech and gaming, and has been writing about video games for almost a decade (and playing them since forever). She's had bylines at major gaming sites during her freelance career before settling down here at T3, and has podcasts, streaming, and video content under her belt to boot. Outside of work, she also plays video games and should really think about expanding her hobbies. If you have any tech or gaming tips, shoot over an email or DM her on social media.