Google Pixel 5 Won’t Carry Flagship Specifications: Report

The next iteration of Google Pixel won’t likely carry high-end hardware, according to a report from 9to5Google.

Moroever, there is evidence that Google Pixel 5 and 5XL will be packing a Snapdragon 765G, instead of the latest Snapdragon 865. Pixels are known to house the latest SoC; however, Google might break the tradition for its next smartphone lineup.

The new information comes from the APK teardown of a pre-release version of the Google Camera app from a Google Pixel 4a prototype.

How do we know?

The folks at 9To5Google had to place together a lot of information to conclude Snapdragon 756G chipset in Google Pixel 5. But long story short, the Camera app teardown included a file name “photo_pixel_2020_config,” which is a reference to Pixel 5. We know this since Google Pixel 4 also has the same file name.

https://twitter.com/Cstark_27/status/1237802450284949506

Now, the teardown revealed device codenames, Bramble and Redfin, associated with “photo_pixel_2020_config”. For those who don’t know, XDA discovered these two codenames in the AOSP source code back in January. Within the code, Bramble and Redfin were written as powered by the Snapdragon 765G processor.

What does this mean?

A mid-range Snapdragon chipset means that the Google Pixel 5 won’t likely compete with other flagships this year. It makes sense since Pixels have never been able to keep up with the competition, especially with the $1000 price tag.

No flagship specs would also mean longer battery life and lower prices, which could be a selling point for the next Google Pixel. However, the revelation is undoubtedly a disappointment for users who regard Google Pixel as the best Android phone to have.