Google's Pixel 3a was probably the most exciting phone of 2019. It wasn't a flagship, but delivered killer specs on a budget and showed what makes Android phones really worthwhile. It even won Talk Android's best phone of the year.
So what's next for Google? Well, the Pixel 4 seems like more a misstep than anything, but we're fully expecting another 4a followup that continues what made the Pixel 3a so great. How can Google make sure to give the Android community what they really want again? We've got some ideas.
Keep the price
A big thing that made the 3a so successful is the price. At just $399 or $479 the 3a XL, it managed to deliver a fantastic Android experience at a fraction of the cost. The Qualcomm 670 CPU keeps up with just about anything you can throw at it, and it sips battery life so you're never really struggling to find a charger. Once you factor in the camera quality, you've got a phone that rivals devices at twice its cost.
The Pixel 4 continued to be really expensive, so we know Google isn't great at pricing things, but if they can keep the Pixel 4a with roughly the same price tag, it's almost guaranteed to be another instant winner. There's always the temptation to pull a OnePlus and creep up on price every iteration, especially after the 3a outsold the regular Pixel 3, but that $399 really is a sweet spot for a great phone that can undercut Samsung, Huawei, and Apple. And isn't that really what Google is after?
I don't expect them to come down on the price at all, and I'd be worried that a Pixel 4a at even $299 would sacrifice too much, so holding steady should made for another solid year.
Better design
We know what the Pixel 3a looks like, right? Well, let's also look at Samsung's $199 Galaxy A20.
It's not the peak of Samsung design, sure, but look at those bezels. Now scroll back up and compare that to the Pixel 3a's bezels.
Gross, right?
The 3a kept the Pixel 3's fairly outdated design, although it didn't keep that hideous chin, so props to Google for knowing when they screwed up. The Pixel 4 isn't perfect by any stretch, but it does slim down the chin and forehead of the phone to look a little more modern, and that's what we need to see from the Pixel 4a.
If Samsung can go almost edge-to-edge on a phone that costs half of a Pixel 3a, there's absolutely no reason why Google can't ship something that looks somewhat decent.
Bring on 5G
Maybe this is a stretch, but with Qualcomm offering the Snapdragon 765 in a 5G flavor, this might be the time for Google to tap a hot new market.
Every flagship phone in 2020 that uses the Snapdragon 865 will have to be a 5G phone, so being able to offer that same fast connectivity at half the price will make the Pixel 4a the absolute best phone to have next year. It'll also futureproof it for another few years, and coupled with Google's mostly timely Android updates, should be a no-brainer for anyone willing to invest in a phone for a long time. That's exactly the kind of customer Google should be courting.
And while you're at it, let's bump up the RAM a little bit, too. The Pixels have always taken some heat for not having as much RAM as the competition, and while I don't think any of us think there's any chance that the Pixel 4a will have 10GB, at least 4GB for the floor is reasonable. Again, Samsung's $200 Galaxy A20 has 3GB, so why can't Google match that if they have a little more margin to work with?
More cameras
Perhaps the most important selling point of any Pixel phone is its ability to take stellar photos. This year Google added an extra camera to the rear of the Pixel 4, so we want the Pixel 4a to follow suit. It doesn't have to have all the bells and whistles, but a telephoto or ultrawide angle lens would open up the Pixel 4a's camera capabilities quite a bit. Portrait mode, for example, would be a great use-case for a phone in this price range.
And with how many of Google's camera features are just software, they can be included in the Pixel 4a, too.
Put this complete package together, and Google will have another phone that puts the rest of the smartphone market on their heels. For the average consumer the Pixel 3a is already the best value phone they can buy, and making that just a little bit better should make everyone else a little bit nervous for the next few years.
Don't blow it, Google.
Got any ideas for the Pixel 4a? Drop a comment and let us know what you're thinking.
