Google Discontinues Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G to Make Way for the New Models
Published on August 21, 2021
- Google has decided to retract Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G from the market to avoid cannibalizing the Pixel 5a 5G.
- There’s also the issue of chip shortages as all three models are using the same processor, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 765.
- Pixel 5 was the smallest and most compact device of the range, and it has no direct continuator from that aspect.
Google has silently discontinued Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G only 10 months after these devices were released to the market, following a short period of notable stock availability fluctuations that indicated they were no longer manufactured. Google is preparing for the launch of Pixel 6, while it has also presented Pixel 5a that is set to be made available on August 26, 2021, so clearly, there’s no room for the older models.
What Google wants to ensure is that Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G won’t cannibalize the sales of Pixel 5a 5G (which, by the way, is almost the same device as last year’s model, but with some additions like IP67 water resistance, a larger battery, an aluminum chassis, and a $449 price). When Pixel 4a was about to be introduced to the market, Google pulled Pixel 3a, so these discontinuations are typically signs that a new model is coming.
There’s also another reason for dropping these older models so soon, and that is chip shortages. Pixel 4a 5G, Pixel 5, and Pixel 5a 5G all use the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 765, and there aren’t many of these mobile processors available. By dropping the older models, Google ensures that the availability of the new ones will remain on relatively stable levels. After all, this is precisely what stops Google from making Pixels more widely available this year, even if the plan was supposed to be a deeper market infiltration.
The issue here is that Pixel 5 was actually unique in Pixel 5G range because it featured a 6.0” display in a relatively compact body, and nothing is taking its place in that special category now. Pixel 5a 5G has a 6.34” display, Pixel 6 goes up to 6”, and Pixel 6 Pro is going to sport a massive 6.71” screen.
Lovers of compact 5G devices have just missed yet another choice from the market, so if you are interested in it, you can only get it while supplies last. This, of course, depends on your country and third-party supplier availability, but in general, you shouldn’t be able to get your hands onto a Pixel 5 in a few months from now.