Now the Pixel 4a is rumored to be released in the fall, but does it make sense?

Where is the Pixel 4a? Google’s mid-range smartphone was previously tipped to launch in May, then June, then July, and now reportedly it’ll only release in October. According to leaker Jon Prosser, Google will launch the Pixel 4a on July 13, but will only bring it to market on October 22. Prosser attributes the source of his information to some system listing, but doesn’t quite specify where and how he came across it.

Adding to the confusion, tipster Ishan Agarwal suggests that there might not be a Pixel 4a at all. Instead, there might be three models in the Pixel 5 series, the Pixel 4a being one of them. Agarwal clarifies that there is no solid evidence to back this information, but says that even if the rumored Pixel 4a launches, the name of the phone might be different.

Google Pixel 4a release date: Which leak makes the most sense?

So which leak makes more sense? To be honest, Prosser’s claim doesn’t quite add up. Why would Google launch a phone in July and release it three months later in October? Not only would this be detrimental to the sales of existing Pixel 3a stock, but there has never been such a big gap between the launch and market release of any Pixel phone.

Some would argue that Google did the same with the launch of Google Stadia. The game streaming service was first announced in March 2019, but it only went live in November that year. However, that’s not really an apples-to-apples comparison and there’s no evidence to support that the Pixel line will adopt a similar strategy.

Still, if by some long shot, Google decides to launch the Pixel 4a on July 13 with an October release date, it would definitely be quite a departure from what any smartphone maker is doing right now. Most brands aren’t putting off new launches anymore and they’re certainly not holding back the release date of new phones by months.

It’s possible that Google has simply delayed the launch of the Pixel 4a to October, in which case, Agarwal’s unconfirmed information makes more sense. The coronavirus pandemic has undoubtedly taken a toll on smartphone sales and maybe Google just wants to be cautious about not releasing a new phone in such adverse market conditions.

We’ve already seen the impact of the present situation on sales of the Galaxy S20 series. OnePlus has also been forced to resort to flash sales for the OnePlus 8 line, probably in order to compensate for supply chain issues. In such a scenario, Google’s Pixel 4a could be delayed for a number of logistical or strategical reasons.

Then again, tipster Roland Quandt recently responded to an Android Authority tweet suggesting that the phone is launching “very soon.”

Perhaps it’s time Google makes an official announcement to clarify things if the Pixel 4a is indeed launching in July. If not, we’ll just have to sit tight and see what happens.