Google’s Rumoured Affordable Pixel 3a Smartphone Leaked Online

The upcoming Pixel smartphone, expected to be affordable could make its debut at the Google I/O in May.

The affordable Pixel phone could borrow its design from the flagship series.

(Photo: The Quint)

Google has accidentally leaked a new Pixel device called "3a" on its website, media reported.

"Pixel 3a" is being speculated to be Google's long-rumoured "lite" version of the "Pixel 3" smartphone, The Verge reported on Friday. This phone will compete against the other ‘lite’ versions from Apple (iPhone XR) and Samsung (Galaxy S10 e) among others.

While Google has taken down the information page from its website, as per the screenshots floating in the media, the search engine giant has bundled "Pixel Buds" and "Pixel 3a case" with the "3a" device.

"The phones were listed as 'mid-year experiences' suggesting we wouldn't have to wait until Google's traditional October launch window for Pixel devices, but might see them as soon as this summer, possibly at Google's I/O developer conference in May," the report said.

Having said that, it is unlikely that the phone, a hardware product will be announced at the developer conference on 7 May, which has never happened before. The name "Pixel 3a XL" has also previously appeared in Android Q's beta code, the media had reported.

Everyone’s loved the Pixel series phones for its camera prowess, but niggling hardware issues have been a deal-breaker for many.

Google Pixel 3 XL comes with a 6.3-inch OLED screen. (Photo: The Quint)

But the Pixels are priced in the Samsung-Apple flagship territory, and Google still has a lesson or two to pick up from the established phone makers.

"Neither the actual 'Pixel 3a' product page, nor a new 'Pixel Compare' page were live as of when we checked, so this leak has only really confirmed the name of the phone for now," the report added.

The Pixel 3a is likely to get a 5.5-inch screen with 1080 pixel resolution. Its design could revolve around plastic finishing, and come with a Snapdragon 670 processor, with 3GB or 4GB RAM options.

Considering the Pixel 3a is rumoured to an affordable version of the flagship series, many expect Google to price it under Rs 50,000, putting it up against brands like OnePlus which has phones costing Rs 42,000 in the market.