Google is expected to soon launch an affordable version of the Pixel 4 series in the form of Pixel 4a. A few months later, the internet search giant will unveil the Pixel 5 and the Pixel 5 XL. These are Google’s flagship phones, but they won’t be using flagship processors this year.

Google’s Pixel phones have always used flagship Snapdragon processors from Qualcomm, but it might not happen this year. A new leak has pointed out that the upcoming phones could ditch the Snapdragon 865 in favor of Snapdragon 765 series SoC. It could either be Snapdragon 765, Snapdragon 765G, or Snapdragon 768G as they’re all the same processors, just with different clock speeds depending on the binning quality.

Going by a piece of code recovered from the Google Camera v7.4 app that was uncovered by XDA senior member cstark27, ‘sunfish’ is the codename for the Pixel 4a, while ‘bramble’ and ‘redfin’ are codenames for the Pixel 5 XL and the Pixel 5, respectively. Another report from Android Police’s David Ruddock claimed that this year’s flagship Pixel phones would be equipped with the Snapdragon 765.

The Pixel 5 and the Pixel 5 XL are expected to be launched in Q3 or Q4 of 2020. They will reportedly feature 90Hz OLED screens with HDR10+, stereo speakers, and triple-camera setups on the rear. They would most probably be launched with Android 11 onboard, and are expected to feature 6GB/8GB RAM and 64GB/128GB internal storage.

Last year, the Pixel 4 and the Pixel 4 XL used a dual-camera setup, consisting of a primary wide-angle camera and a secondary telephoto camera. This year, Google will likely add an ultra-wide-angle camera to the mix, but still miss out on 4K 60fps video recording due to Snapdragon 765G’s ISP limitation.

Upcoming Pixel phones are expected to ditch the Project Soli sensor, so it will lack 3D Face Unlock and Motion Sense features. We expect them to feature an under-display fingerprint reader.

The Pixel 5 is rumored to cost just $699 since it doesn’t use the Snapdragon 865 processor. However, the price could be $799 if Google decides to offer 128GB storage in the base variant of the phone. The phones are also likely to feature 5G connectivity, IP68 certification for dust and water resistance, and Qi wireless charging.

Would you buy a premium Android phone if it doesn’t feature the Snapdragon 865 SoC and 4K 60fps video recording?