Google officially announced the decision to discontinue the Pixel 4a 5G and Pixel 5 in August and said that they would continue to be sold while supplies last. Well, it looks like Google has sold through its entire Pixel 5 inventory, as a new Android Central report suggests that shops are all out of Google’s highest-end 2020 phone.
It’s not rare for Google to discontinue devices within a year of release, and it reportedly never set a huge sales target for the Pixel 5 in the first place. The company has already introduced a replacement of sorts, the Pixel 5a, which has the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G chip, a bigger screen (6.34-inches vs Pixel 5’s 6.0-inches) with a lower refresh rate (60Hz vs 90Hz), a beefier 4,860mAh battery with no support for wireless charging, the same camera setup, and lower water resistance. The Pixel 5a will set you back $449, while the Pixel 5 had a starting price of $699.
Android Central has attributed the discontinuation to the scarcity of the Snapdragon 765G SoC, saying whatever limited supplies the Mountain View company managed to get its hands on were allotted to the Pixel 5a. The chip shortage is also why the Pixel 5a is available in just the US and Japan. The company was previously also contemplating a Europe and India launch.
If it’s a budget Google phone you are seeking, the non-5G Pixel 4a is still available. It’s one of the best affordable phones around and features the Snapdragon 730G, a 5.81-inches screen, 3.5mm headphone jack, 3,140mAh cell, and a single 12.2-megapixel camera. It goes for $349.
If the Pixel 5a doesn’t quite do it for you, you might want to wait for Google’s next affordable phone. Although there has been no concrete evidence for its existence so far, Google appears to be working on the Pixel 6a, which could offer the in-house Tensor chip and a triple rear camera setup with Sony’s IMX363 (12.2MP), IMX386 (12MP), and IMX355 (8MP) sensors.
Otherwise, there is always the option of getting a refurbished or second-hand Pixel 5 or springing for the $599 Pixel 6.
