When the Google Pixel 5 arrived a few months ago, it looked like something was missing. Previous Pixel phones were launched with an XL model, but the Pixel 5 made a solo debut. Is the Pixel 5 Pro the missing piece in Google’s smartphone puzzle?
There is a lot of mystery surrounding the Pixel 5 Pro, and no less important is the debate over whether the phone is really in Google’s pipeline. However, some rumors have surfaced about the potential addition to the Google line – some contradicting themselves – so it’s worth trying to keep all Google Pixel 5 Pro speculation in order.
Here’s what we’ve heard so far about the Google Pixel 5 Pro and the chances of this phone going from rumor to reality.
Google Pixel 5 Pro: Where does it fit the Google line
Before we get into the Pixel 5 Pro rumors, we first need to recap the state of the Google Pixel line. Google currently sells three phones with the Pixel 5 as its primary device. Launched in October, this $ 699 Pixel continues Google’s tradition of mobile photography with software, making it one of the best camera phones You can buy. It also features 5G connectivity.
But the Pixel 5 may not be the best 5G phone Google Offers. This honor goes to the Pixel 4a 5G, which offers many of the same features – including dual rear cameras and an identical Snapdragon 765G processor. The Pixel 4a 5G doesn’t have the fastest refresh rate for the Pixel 5 screen and doesn’t have a water resistance rating like the Pixel 5. But it also costs $ 200 less and its screen is slightly larger, with 6, 2 inches against 6 inches.
O Pixel 4a completes the Google phone line. It has only a rear camera, works with a less powerful processor and has no 5G connectivity. But for $ 349, it’s one of the best smartphone bargains you can find, especially with the high-quality images it can produce.
There are three phones, with prices ranging from $ 349 to $ 699. The Pixel 5 Pro would presumably outperform all of these models in terms of specifications and would probably have a higher price, more in line with what Google used to charge for its main devices. Given the lack of an XL version of Pixel 5, we expect a bigger screen to compete with phablets like the Galaxy Note 20 from Samsung and iPhone 12 Pro Max from Apple.
Google Pixel 5 Pro: release date
Grumbling about a Pixel 5 Pro began to emerge in October, when spilled respected Max Weinbach tweeted that two people told him that a “true Pixel flagship” would arrive in March 2021. Still, Weinbach described the rumor as “unfounded. Two months later, he declared that the Pixel 5 Pro did not exist.” The Pixel 5 Pro was real, but it’s not, ” he tweeted.
This is the biggest rumor I’ve heard in years, and I mean, this is an unfounded rumor I heard from 2 people, so I absolutely can’t believe it, but apparently there’s a real Pixel flagship coming out in March 2021. Once again, unsubstantiated rumor.October 29, 2020
Others believe that there is fire behind the smoke from the Pixel 5 Pro. Ross Young, an analyst who tracks display vendors, replied to Weinbach’s tweet, saying panel vendors told him that the Pixel 5 Pro was on hold.
So even if you buy into the idea that Pixel 5 Pro exists as something Google has in mind, it looks like the original March 2021 release date is not going to happen. That would push the phone into late spring, when Google is known for launching cheap phones around the same time as its developer conference. After that, the phone’s launch goes against the Pixel 6 launch, which is likely to happen in the fall, when Google traditionally showcases its latest flagships.
Google Pixel 5 Pro: price
If the rumor does not agree on when the Pixel 5 Pro will be coming – or even if it exists – then don’t expect any clarity on prices. Given the $ 699 cost of Pixel 5, you would expect a Pro version to be superior. The higher it would depend on the resources available, although $ 100 to $ 200 more seems like a reasonable estimate. For what it’s worth, the Pixel 4 XL it cost $ 899 when it debuted in 2019.
Google Pixel 5 Pro: potential features
If Google releases a Pro version of its Pixel 5, it stands to reason that the phone is a more advanced version of Google’s current flagship. This means addressing some of the areas where the Pixel 5 has failed, and there is no better way to improve this phone than by increasing its processor.
In the interest of keeping the Pixel 5’s cost low, Google opted for a less powerful processor than that found in Android’s flagships. Instead of the Snapdragon 865 that powers the Galaxy S20, OnePlus 8 and other top Android phones, the Pixel 5 features a Snapdragon 765G. It is a capable chip system that will perform the tasks for which most people use smartphones, but it does not compare to phones that benefit from Qualcomm’s most powerful silicon.
You would imagine that the Pixel 5 Pro would opt for a chipset from Qualcomm’s best 8 series. And the arrival of Snapdragon 888, a new mobile processing platform that is likely to target devices like the Galaxy S21, gives Google an opportunity. Google could turn to the Snapdragon 865 now that it is no longer Qualcomm’s leading chipset and offer a more powerful phone without a huge price increase. The Snapdragon 888, in turn, can be used on the Pixel 6 when it appears next fall, as expected.
Google also removed the Pixel 5’s Motion Sense gesture controls after introducing the feature with the Pixel 4. In part, this was done to get rid of the thick top frame that housed the sensors needed to detect gestures and support facial recognition. But Motion Sense was also a feature that didn’t really have a big appeal and that could be more suitable on a professional phone.
One of the few leaks suggesting potential features of the Pixel 5 Pro was a series of photos that appeared on Slash Leaks. A photo pictured in particular a phone without any kind of cutout or notch to house a front camera. Some people interpreted this to mean that Google was working on a phone with a camera under the screen, a feature currently available only on ZTE Axon 20 5G. But this supposed Pixel 5 Pro photo was largely dismissed as a scam.
If you still want to believe, however, another screenshot from the same source revealed some of the reported specifications of the Pixel 5 Pro. This includes 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage, which would be twice the capacity of the Pixel 5.
Google Pixel 5 Pro: what we want
At the moment, the biggest thing we hope to hear about the Pixel 5 Pro is whether the phone will exist or not. At this point, unless the pace of rumors starts to pick up very soon, we will assume that this product will simply not exist.
However, in the chance that a Pixel 5 Pro is being developed, we expect a phone that really matches the “Pro” label. That means a more powerful processor than the Pixel 5 and productivity-enhancing features that make this phone more than just one that takes pictures (even if those pictures are the best you can get on a smartphone, as has been case with other Google devices).
Recent Google phones did not provide long battery life – the Pixel 5 only lasted 9.5 hours in our battery test, while the Pixel 4a 5G only lasted 8 hours and 12 minutes. These numbers do not correspond to the average of smartphones, so we expect a Pixel 5 Pro to do a better job with power management. As soon as Google phones are recharged, we would like to see Google phones approach the charging speeds that Samsung and OnePlus bring to their next generation flagships.
Finally, describing something like a Pro model suggests a level of polish and shine that has been lacking in Pixel phones until now. The best you can say about the Pixel’s design is that it is functional and does not interfere with your photos or other mobile activities. We hope the Pixel 5 Pro will go further with its design and give us something that stands out from other Google phones – assuming there is a real product that needs to stand out.