Google may announce a 5G version of the Pixel 4 next week

Google may be preparing to announce a 5G version of the Pixel 4, according to a report from Nikkei, citing unnamed sources.

But what's really exciting is that the 5G model has supposedly entered test production and may be unveiled as soon as Google's launch event next week, which means that the company could beat Apple to the punch in offering a 5G smartphone.

The report also says that the 5G model would be announced on top of two regular 4G Pixel smartphones. The latter two are already going into mass production and will be ready to ship after Google's product unveiling next week, one source was quoted as saying.

If the rumours are true, a 5G Pixel smartphone would be a first from a US company. It would also join giants like Samsung and Huawei in offering a 5G model, a full year ahead of the 5G iPhone's expected launch next September.

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That said, Nikkei's sources also said that Google might choose to only reveal the 5G phone next year in spring, alongside the release of a budget Pixel phone, presumably the successor to the Pixel 3a.

Having said that, it seems more likely that Google will only announce the 5G Pixel 4 next year. The phone sounds like it's still in the testing stages, and an early announcement next week would risk affecting the sales of the 4G versions of the Pixel 4. Furthermore, 5G networks are hardly that widespread yet, so there's not a lot of incentive to get a 5G phone this year.

That said, 5G support would still be an invaluable advantage for the Pixel 4, particularly when the Pixel phones have generally been perceived to be slightly behind the curve in terms of hardware and design, with their biggest selling point being the camera.

The Nikkei report also mentions the possibility of a new smartwatch, which is something that hasn't really been talked about. Almost all the details of the Pixel 4 have been practically leaked in their entirety, but it seems like Google may still have a few more surprises to show.

This article was first published in Hardware Zone.