Google rebuts Pixel 5a rumors, following speculation of cancellation
Prolific leaker Jon Prosser claimed that the Google Pixel 5a was cancelled -- and in response, Google is saying that the phone is, in fact, coming later in 2021.
The Google Pixel 5a will be sold in the US and Japan later in 2021
The Google Pixel lineup is known for its vanilla Android experience and powerful camera features. The Pixel 5a was going to be a replacement for the Pixel 4a as a cheaper entry model.
Prosser previously leaked it would be revealed during the Google I/O conference and release in June. However, Friday's report alleges that the device has now been canceled entirely.
The ongoing chip shortage has affected multiple companies, including Apple as of late. One report says Apple's Mac and iPad lineups will be affected as well. This shortage could last well into 2022.
Google differs, however. Like it has done in the past, it has rebutted the rumors with a statement saying that it was still coming.
"Pixel 5a 5G is not cancelled," Google has said in a statement to AppleInsider and other venues. "It will be available later this year in the U.S. and Japan and announced in line with when last year's a-series phone was introduced."
The Pixel 5a is a replacement for the Pixel 4a 5G with a similar design and feature set. The purpose of the "a" models is to offer a cheaper entry device with some flagship features.
The Pixel 4a and Pixel 4a 5G will continue to be sold throughout 2021, according to Prosser. The Pixel lineup provides users the most "pure" Android experience, and users may migrate to other Android options or the iPhone 12.
Update 1:32 PM Eastern time: Added Google's statement on the matter.
The Google Pixel 5a will be sold in the US and Japan later in 2021
The Google Pixel lineup is known for its vanilla Android experience and powerful camera features. The Pixel 5a was going to be a replacement for the Pixel 4a as a cheaper entry model.
Prosser previously leaked it would be revealed during the Google I/O conference and release in June. However, Friday's report alleges that the device has now been canceled entirely.
Bad news.
"Barbet" (Pixel 5A) has been canceled.
I'm told it's due to the chip shortage, and as of this morning, it's not moving forward.
Pixel 4A and 4A 5G will continue to be sold throughout 2021.-- Jon Prosser (@jon_prosser)
The ongoing chip shortage has affected multiple companies, including Apple as of late. One report says Apple's Mac and iPad lineups will be affected as well. This shortage could last well into 2022.
Google differs, however. Like it has done in the past, it has rebutted the rumors with a statement saying that it was still coming.
"Pixel 5a 5G is not cancelled," Google has said in a statement to AppleInsider and other venues. "It will be available later this year in the U.S. and Japan and announced in line with when last year's a-series phone was introduced."
The Pixel 5a is a replacement for the Pixel 4a 5G with a similar design and feature set. The purpose of the "a" models is to offer a cheaper entry device with some flagship features.
The Pixel 4a and Pixel 4a 5G will continue to be sold throughout 2021, according to Prosser. The Pixel lineup provides users the most "pure" Android experience, and users may migrate to other Android options or the iPhone 12.
Update 1:32 PM Eastern time: Added Google's statement on the matter.
Comments
All of Apple's suppliers are generically complaining about chip shortages, though. Apple has loads of money, so is likely to be at the top of the supply list.
Maybe the Pixel was gonna get cancelled and then Google forked over money to get priority.
”GM expects the chip shortage to cost it up to $2 billion in pretax profits this year from lost production and sales” - foxbusiness.com
I wonder if Alphabet has regrets about Android, it’s upgrade and maintenance expense for the benefit of others, the cost it spends to Apple to maintain its Google search engine after their betrayal etc etc.
Smart phone manufacturing going forward is going to acquire scale and this is going to require a lot of investment to compete with an Apple-TSMC behemoth.
Samsung and the Chinese companies will be able to pull it off but a company that makes single digit million production runs? I don’t think so. And I think Alphabet’s money managers are debating the future of Android.
Apple’s EBIT for 2020: $74.2 Billion
These numbers are simply not comparable. One is enormous, the other is mind boggling.
It would have been interesting if Nokia pulled it off with Symbian being the winner of the not-Apple smartphone OS competition. It may have meant more viable entrants, and perhaps more variation in OSes and phones, but alas no.
Smartphones are hyper mature devices. For the vast bulk of the market, companies are working with very small margins on their $300 devices. For most everything, it's going to be who gets the best manufacturing contracts for highly commoditized parts combined with who gets the best point of sales contracts with carriers to actually sell phones. Google sucks at both and they didn't, don't, appear to have the will to get better.
For companies who want to compete in the premium $1000 phone niches using bleeding parts, well, not sure what an unknown company can do, short of the 5 year lead on some critical feature not in current smartphones. It looks like Google maybe giving up on the high priced phone part, and have finally come down to the conclusion that a hyper vanilla phone for $300 with their software is probably the best bet. However, you aren't making much money at that price point. And they never seemed to be able to make the proper retail push, and without that, nobody is going to be successful. Then again, they don't have a direct digital goods sales market to sell cheap hardware, like eBooks or games, so there really isn't anything to get people to buy a Google phone.
They have the cash to use Pixel devices as a kind branding exercise, like MS Surface, but they don't seem committed to it at all. I guess the reputation precedes them. They aren't committed to anything save for their core search and ad products.