Google Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL rumor review: Design, specs, camera, price and release date

We’re well into 2019, and the fourth generation of Pixel phones is knocking at the door. There’s a little under a month left until Google’s upcoming flagships hit store shelves, but the we’ve been bombarded with enough information to have a pretty good idea of what to expect.
But since there’s so much information floating around online, it becomes difficult to keep track of everything, so we created this Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL rumor review to keep you in the loop about the latest news and information regarding the Pixel 4.We will be updating it with more juicy info as time goes on. So feel free to bookmark and check it every once in a while to stay informed!
Design – controversial as always
Camera: More lenses = more fun?
Pixel phones have a reputation for being some of the top devices for mobile photography. Thus, we have no reason to believe that the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL will be an exception. The current-gen models were the first to boast dual front-facing cameras, and this time around, we will get two main sensors on the back as well.
Many manufacturers frivolously jumped on the dual-camera bandwagon to seem trendy and appealing, but Google took a different approach. The company stuck with a single main camera and still managed to best most of its competitors. This was done through advanced hardware and software that allowed Pixel models to boast an exceptional image-processing prowess.
However, the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL will feature two main cameras, as well as a mysterious third camera, which will most likely serve depth measuring purposes for AR and Portrait Mode. Technical details are slim at this point, but we’re expecting a regular camera, accompanied by an ultra-wide angle snapper. The rest will be left to Google’s ever-evolving (and thus far rather excellent) software processing.
The “Abracadabra” navigation system
Google claims that the radar and the accompanying software can “track sub-millimeter motion at high speeds with great accuracy.” The Soli chip does it by pushing out electromagnetic waves in a broad sweep that get reflected back to the tiny antenna inside. All of this sounds mighty impressive, but the convenience of the system remains to be assessed (and debated). We weren’t all too impressed by LG’s implementation in the G8 ThinQ, but who knows, maybe Google will nail it with the Pixel and we’ll never go back to touching the screen!
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Google says that gestures “come more natural than pushing against a piece of glass,” yet so far the technology for their recognition on a phone has been imperfect as it relied on camera sensors. Google is aiming to revolutionize the interaction with our mobile devices by employing the radar-based Motion Sense technology which would include, but not be limited to, natural gestures that can be employed in any orientation of the phone, day or night (pictured above).
Google Pixel 4 & 4 XL specs and new features
As any respectable Android flagship, the Pixel 4 and 4 XL are expected to rock Qualcomm’s latest SoC – the Snapdragon 855. There were rumors that the 855 Plus may be involved, but they were largely debunked, so expect the SD855 to power the new Pixel phones.
The Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL last year only had 4GB of RAM, which wasn’t ideal. Not that they ran slow, better specs are always welcome, especially in this day and age.
Rumored Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL specs
Pixel 4 | Pixel 4 XL | |
---|---|---|
Display | 2280 x 1080 | 3040 x 1440 |
Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 |
RAM | 6GB | 6GB |
Cameras | Two main cameras One selfie camera + 3D face unlock |
Two main cameras One selfie camera + 3D face unlock |
Battery | 2,900 mAh | 3,700 mAh |
OS | Android 10 | Android 10 |
Google Assistant on steroids
A quite impressive demo of the future Google Assistant was shown at the opening keynote of Google I/O ’19, showcasing the speediness and immediacy of its responses. The audience was indeed left quite impressed, as the Assistant managed to effortlessly jump from task to task without stopping to think or process for any noticeable amount of time. Still, it’s reasonable to expect that those actions that do not require internet connection will benefit more from this upgrade, as opposed to network-dependent ones. The kicker here? This next-gen Google Assistant will probably be a Google Pixel 4 exclusive for a certain time, or so it seems, but there shouldn’t be any concrete reason why “older” hardware wouldn’t be supporting this next-gen Assistant.
Pixel 4 & 4 XL price and release date expectations
Announcement | Estimated release window | Google Pixel 4 possible price | Google Pixel 4 XL possible price |
---|---|---|---|
Early October, 2019 | End of October, early November, 2019 | $799-$850 | $899-$950 |
Now, let’s talk about the announcement and release dates. When will the Pixel 4 and 4 XL come out? It’s very likely that the upcoming handsets will break cover in the first 10 days of October, as this is what happened for the last three years. Google also has a trend of releasing its phones a little less than a month from announcement, so we should expect them to hit the shelves in early November, at the latest.
Stay tuned for more updates on the Google Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL, as more information about the upcoming flagships becomes available!