We are not new to the idea of Google’s (premium) budget range of Pixel handsets, rumored to be Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL. However, we were still on the lookout for a confirmed release date of the two lite version of the Pixel 3 handsets, and it looks like we now have a solid theory in our hand.
Google might soon be launching their new mid-range smartphones, the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL. The info comes through the Google play’s console, which maintains a record of Android devices to help developers whitelist or blacklist the device as they desire to avoid compatibility issues with their apps and games.
Today, the device list at Play console was updated (via XDA) with two new names, bonito and sargo, both of which are a type of the fish, besides being the codename for two unknown Android devices now.
But we have known for long that one certain search engine giant who also happens to be an Android OEM now loves to codename its handsets after the fishes, so it’s not wrong to wager that the bonito and sargo are actually Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL.
If you thought that these could be Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL, well, that’s very unlikely given the few details that have come along the via the Google Play console. It says that the devices are scheduled or launch in mid-year in 2019, while we all know that Google likes to launch its (mainstream) Pixel handsets only in Q3 of the year, in October particularly. So, these are definitely not the Pixel 4 handsets if these are to launch in mid-2019.
Here is a description feature code about the devices that suggests the launch of the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL in the mid-2019.
com.google.android.feature.PIXEL_2019_MIDYEAR_EXPERIENCE
But that’s not the only line of code that gives us useful information, there’s another one (see below) revealing another tidbit about the Pixel 3a sets: inclusion of the Visual Core chipset that we find one the Pixel 2 and Pixel 3.
com.google.hardware.camera.easel_2018
Some specs were also revealed in the listing. It says that the device codenamed bonito features an 18:9 display with screen resolution of 1080×2160 pixels (400DPI). The other device, codename Sargo, features an 18.5:1 display toting a res of 1080 x 2220 pixels (440 DPI).
The amount of RAM on both the bonito and sargo is rumored to be 4GB, while we can’t yet precisely know which one is 3a (or 3a XL), previous rumors have indicated that the Pixel 3a would feature a Snapdragon 670 chipset, while Pixel 3a XL would boast a Snapdragon 710 SoC.
Naturally, both the devices will come with Android 9 Pie pre-installed and given Google’s mastery in the imaging department, we expect new Pixel 3a sets to give even some flagships a run for their money in the camera performance.
