The Google Pixel 3 and 3XL may have been a sales disappointment for Google but that forced them to launch a new mid-range Pixel 3a series to attract more consumers. It may have been a desperate attempt to further smartphone sales, however, it showed us that Google still cares about its hardware division. And we could see that translate into the Pixel 4 series. Image Credits: Phone Designer

The first Google Pixel was unveiled back in October 2016 and well, Google has adhered to this launch schedule for the Pixel 2 and Pixel 3 lineup that followed. Hence, we can without a doubt say that Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL should also go official in the first week of October. I don’t think Google would like to coincide its launch with the iPhone 11 in September.

Phone makers have been ramping up the price of its flagship devices, with some of them now even asking for $1000 (roughly around Rs 70,000) for the premium factor and extra features added into the mix.

Google Pixel 4 News, Leaks and Rumors

Google Pixel 4 has been in the news for quite some time now. The initial sighting for the Pixel 4 can be traced back to April when codenames for both variants surfaced in a commit to AOSP (Android Open Source Project). The Pixel 4, for sure, is codenamed as Coral whereas the codename for Pixel 4 XL is flame. I hope you are aware that Google codenames its smartphones after aquatic creatures and the tradition continues.

  • Phone Designer">

And just when everyone had started talking about it and comparing the square camera block to the rumored square camera bump on the iPhone 11, Google graced us with the biggest leak of all. Making the leaks official. Google tweeted out a picture of Pixel 4, showing off the uniform glass build and rear camera block. This came as a huge surprise for everyone, as no one expected Google to confirm the design of its flagship months before launch. It means Google has claimed the spot for being the first one to launch a device with a square camera block in 2019, so iPhone fanboys wouldn’t spew shade at them.

Well, since there seems to be some interest, here you go! Wait ’til you see what it can do. #Pixel4 pic.twitter.com/RnpTNZXEI1

Google Pixel 4 Design: Teaser and Photos

Just a couple of days after Google made the Pixel 4’s design official, the flagship was spotted in the wild. The device may be clad in a soft case but you can clearly see the square camera bump. It corroborates the setup on the render and this could indeed be Google Pixel 4 – casually being tested out in the open.

We already know what the Pixel 4 is going to look on the rear, however, the rumor mill doesn’t really have a ton of info on the front. The tipster who took a quick peek at the device’s front says that there’s still a substantial top bezel housing a pair of cameras – similar to that on Pixel 3.

I bet you would have already noticed, but the back panel on the Pixel 4 render doesn’t sport a fingerprint sensor. This suggests that Google may finally be ready to make the switch from a physical fingerprint sensor to an under-display fingerprint sensor. We’ve received no concrete leak for the same, but using an optical under-display fingerprint sensor could be on the cards as opposed to the ultrasonic fingerprint sensor found on Samsung Galaxy S10.

The absence of a physical fingerprint sensor, however, could also mean that Google is looking to follow in the footsteps of Apple and is confident enough in their FaceID-like technology to completely eliminate the fingerprint sensor from Pixel 4. This is a huge possibility as the company is rumored to have been working on a “more secure facial authentication feature” for quite some time.

Google Pixel 4 Display

Talking about the display, a recent leak suggests that Pixel 4 will pack a screen size between 5.6-inch and 5.8-inch, which is just slightly bigger than the 5.5-inch screen you will find on the Pixel 3. Its elder sibling Pixel 4 XL, however, is expected to feature a screen size between 6.2-inch and 6.4-inch, which is exactly the same as Pixel 3 XL.

  • Google Pixel 4 Cameras

Pixel phones are known to the masses simply because of their cameras, or should I say camera. Google has stuck with a single rear camera since the OG Pixel days, utilizing its software (AI and machine learning) prowess to deliver excellent photo quality. It’s often dubbed to have the best camera on a smartphone – surprising people with its single rear snapper.

Google Pixel 4 Cameras

On the selfie front, well, we expect Google to continue to stick with their dual selfie-camera module that was introduced in the Pixel 3 lineup. The company has made the decision to offer an ultra wide-angle lens on the front, enabling the users to click group selfies effortlessly. It cannot backtrack now and the Pixel 4 lineup will also boast a dual-selfie setup, however, the ultra wide-angle lens will probably have a wider FOV (field of view) this time around.

Google Pixel 4 Specifications

Being the flagship lineup, there’s no debating that the Pixel 4 will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 chipset. It’s an octa-core chip based on the 7nm node architecture and can be found in most Android flagships launched in 2019. This will be replacing the Snapdragon 845 SoC on the Pixel 3 lineup.

The storage options will most likely see a minor change, with 64GB no longer being the base variant. We expect Google to offer a 6GB+128GB and 6GB+256GB variant for the Pixel 4 lineup this time around.

Google Pixel 4 Hand Gestures

With Pixel 2, Google debuted the Active Edge feature which allows users to squeeze the sides of their smartphone to activate Google Assistant. It was carried forward to Pixel 3, but I’m not too sure if a lot of people actually use the feature to call upon the Assistant. Well, if you thought that was crazy then get ready one of the most interesting features that’s speculated to debut on the Pixel 4 lineup – touchless hand gestures.

The rumor mill suggests that Google is working on a variety of new gestures that will use this chip to provide users with gestures for media controls such as skip track, play/pause music and more. We’re also of the belief that Google will add a gesture to activate Google Assistant and make it more easily accessible from the lockscreen or Active display.

Could it be similar to gestures on the LG G8 ThinQ, we cannot say, but it used the TOF sensor and the gestures were finicky, so I believe the uber-sensitive radar chip will be much better.

Google Pixel 4 Software

Do we even need to talk about the software? Google Pixel 4 lineup will be one of the first few devices to be running the latest version of Android, i.e Android Q right at launch and that too in its purest form. We still don’t know the dessert which Google will pick to name the latest Android release, but its flagship devices will run the same out-of-the-box.

Google Pixel 4 Battery & Charging

Rejoice Pixel fanboys! Google Pixel 4 lineup should bring along a larger battery and that could offer you a higher screen-on-time and the ability to click more pictures in a single charge. The 2,915mAh and 3,430mAh battery packs on the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3XL aren’t really significant or huge to comfortably last you a complete day. Hence, we expect the thicker build of the Pixel 4 lineup to translate to larger batteries. A 3,500mAh battery inside Pixel 4 and 4,200mAh battery in the Pixel 4 XL would be a good enough uptick. Don’t you agree?

Google Pixel 4 IP Rating

Google’s Pixel devices have had some form of IP rating from the start, climbing up from IP53 rating on the original Pixels to IP68 on the Pixel 3 lineup. Well, since Google offers dust and water protection on its existing flagships, this means we can expect to see an IP68 rating for the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL as well. You’ll be able to dunk the Pixel 4 devices into the water without any hesitation, so don’t worry about it.

Google Pixel 4 Colors

Google has stuck with a dual-tone finish and pastel color theme for the Pixel lineup over the past three years, but that’s going to change with the Pixel 4. The official render that the company has shared with us reveals a more common glass build over the dual-tone glass design of the Pixel 3. However, that’s for the good and I’d like for Google to give a glossy matte finish to the back, like the Oppo Reno, so it doesn’t scratch or wear out so easily – like our Pixel 3 XL did.

As for the color scheme, well, Google is not going to be experimental and stick with the tried and tested white and black color variants for sure. However, it adds a new color to their Pixel lineups with each iteration, like the Not Pink Pixel 3 or the Purple-ish Pixel 3a. Even the Stadia controller comes in a pastel green ‘Wasabi’ color and well, according to a new leak, the Pixel 4 will come in a similar mint green color variant.

Google Pixel 4 Stadia Support

What started out as Project Stream with just one game title, Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey available to test, has now graduated to Google Stadia. Google’s cloud gaming service is slated to officially become available sometime in November, just a month after Pixel 4’s launch, so I think Google should make Stadia exclusive to its Pixel 4 flagship (and other ChromeOS devices it unveils at their event) for a few weeks before making it accessible widely.

One of the most significant and easily noticeable differences in the Pixel 4 and its predecessor is the rear cameras. The Pixel lineup has always relied on a solo rear camera, well for three years now, and it’s for the first time we will see a multi-camera setup with Google Pixel 4. And this really has me excited because we have no info on camera features it will bring in tow.

Pixel 4 is also expected to move past its two-tone rear finish and offer a uniform glass design, which I’m totally in favor of. Yes, the lineup will lose its signature touch and it would look like any other glass smartphone. However, I expect Google to keep it neat, minimal and classy.

While the Pixel 3 and 3 XL clearly had their differences in design and build, we should expect the Pixel 4 and 4 XL to be more alike. While we can’t say for sure, but the new Google flagships are expected to be identical this time around – there have been zero rumors that prove otherwise.

This means Pixel 4 series could finally be going back to its OG roots and offering users a similar design and build, features and more in both the variants. They’ll have a difference in screen and battery sizes, but that should be pretty much it.

So, that’s pretty much everything that’s known about the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4XL right now. Though a whole lot is still unknown about the devices, the leaks suggest that it’s shaping up to be a pretty capable and worthy flagship. But only time will tell. We’ll keep updating this article as more leaks and rumors start pouring in, closer to the launch date. So, don’t forget to bookmark this article and check back for more updates.