Not uploading official images of unreleased products on a brand's website seems to be an almost impossible task; first there was Samsung accidentally leaking images of the upcoming Galaxy Note 20 on its own Russian site, and now Google has followed suit!
The tech giant has made a goof of epic proportions and revealed the Pixel 4a on its website before the smartphone has had its official debut. It's the official render of the handset and now it's out there for the world to see.
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Google's slip-up was even more of a blunder than Samsung's, as the image of the Pixel 4a appeared on the landing page for an entirely different product. The Verge reports that the errant picture was spotted on Google's Canadian site under Nest Wifi. Interestingly, the date of May 12 indicates that Google was most likely planning to launch the Pixel 4a at its cancelled I/O event that was scheduled for the same month.
The page is now showing the actual Nest Wifi, so the Pixel 4a has been hastily stuffed back under wraps, but not before The Verge managed to grab a screenshot of the page, and the new, budget handset.
We can see the rumoured fingerprint sensor, carried over from last year's Google Pixel 3a, and a single camera on both the back and front. The powder blue power button adds a splash of colour to the matte black finish, and happily, the 3.5mm jack is still present up top.
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The Pixel 4a is going to be up against some stiff competition once it finally launches, with Apple's iPhone SE offering a solid smartphone for those on a budget, and the impending OnePlus Nord waiting in the wings to potentially take them both down.
Google is really going to have to hit the sweet spot with the Pixel 4a's price and specs, although recent reports suggest it could cost less than the iPhone SE and in the same region as the OnePlus Nord, which is acking some flagship features to the table that could give both the iPhone SE and the Pixel 4a a lot to worry about.
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We're expecting the Pixel 4a to sport a 5.8-inch OLED display, Snapdragon 730 processor, 128GB storage, a 12.2-megapixel camera, and wireless charging all for $349. When it finally does make its debut, it's going to a be a strong contender in the world of mid-range smartphones.
Source: The Verge
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.