Update: The Pixel 5a will most likely be a US and Japan exclusive due to chip shortage

[AndreiArgeanu]

Update: A Google spokes person denied that the Pixel 5a has been cancelled and states that it's going to be launched at about the same time of the year when the last a series phone was launched. However the Google spokesperson stated that it will release in US and Japan, no mention of other countries or regions.

 

Summary

Due to the famous chip shortages around the world 'Barbet' aka the Pixel 5A has been cancelled and the Pixel 4a and 4a 5G will continue to be sold throughout 2021

 

Quotes

Quote

Update: “Pixel 5a 5G is not canceled. It will be available later this year in the US and Japan and announced in line with when last year’s a-series phone was introduced.” – A Google spokesperson

 

 

 

The Google Pixel 5a is dead. The upcoming mid-range smartphone was expected to be launched at this year's Google I/O developer conference alongside the rumored Pixel Buds A, but apparently the global chip shortage has seen to its demise. The report comes from known leaker Jon Prosser and the information has been confirmed twice by Android Central:

Bad news.

"Barbet" (Pixel 5A) has been canceled.

I'm told it's due to the chip shortage, and as of this morning, it's not moving forward.

Pixel 4A and 4A 5G will continue to be sold throughout 2021.

— Jon Prosser (@jon_prosser) April 9, 2021

Unfortunately, the global chip shortage has been causing more problems for smartphone manufacturers, with reports that it has been affecting Samsung's smartphone production as well. Not to mention how it's affecting the production of the PS5.

The Google Pixel 5a was set to be one of this year's best cheap Android phones. However, sources tell Android Central that engineers will continue to focus on the Google Pixel 4a 5G for software testing and sales in the foreseeable future. That makes sense since the Pixel 5a was likely based on the same hardware from the 4a 5G. It also means we're going to have to wait until fall to get a new Pixel smartphone.

This no doubt throws Google's hardware plans for a loop. Since the company is reportedly working on its own in-house chip for the Google Pixel 6, the company likely wants to put all of its resources there. Let's just hope that Google can make its next flagship powerful and affordable enough to make up for the loss of the 5a.

My thoughts

 Seeing as the Pixel 5 could potentially, or is exclusive to 2 regions is a little disappointing, but I guess understandable to an extent. It's also interesting how google was pretty quick to respond to rumors.

 

Sources

 9to5Google

 Android Central

 

[PocketNerd]

Wait, isn't the Pixel 5 effectively a mid-range phone already?

[AndreiArgeanu]

4 minutes ago, PocketNerd said:

Wait, isn't the Pixel 5 effectively a mid-range phone already?

Not quite, it's 700$.

[Guest willies leg]

Something tells me that's not the whole story, it's not just the chip shortages. It's google, they know everything about anything. They're good at collecting and analyzing but not too good at inventing and innovating.

[Kisai]

36 minutes ago, willies leg said:

Something tells me that's not the whole story, it's not just the chip shortages. It's google, they know everything about anything. They're good at collecting and analyzing but not too good at inventing and innovating.

Something tells me that they looks at the sales numbers of the previous models and decided that they could not justify the quantity of parts needed for bulk discounts, and likewise, TSMC clawed pack bulk discounts for everyone.

[Ashleyyyy]

my guess is that this will be happening more often, especially with smaller manufacturers like google. they simply don't have the volume to justify getting the chips, like Apple does. 

[PocketNerd]

4 hours ago, AndreiArgeanu said:

Not quite, it's 700$.

I thought the Snapdragon 765G was mid-tier, huh...

[kakik09]

Denied: https://www.gsmarena.com/google_denies_rumors_of_pixel_5a_5g_being_canceled_will_be_launching_it_later_this_year-news-48593.php

[RejZoR]

Pixel phones are just such bizarre creations. They are made by Google yet only offer pathetic 3 years of OS updates, given they are made by Google itself they had absurd number of really bad SOFTWARE bugs that they needed months to fix, price tag of a higher end device with quite underwhelming specs and all packed in a weird metal body covered by plastic goo. Hell, even the hyped up photography supremacy was cut with removal of dedicated photo procesing chip. It still kinda sort of makes same photos, but takes longer to process. I don't get it who buys these phones.

 

Pixel 6 will probably be the exact same incoherent trainwreck of things...

[Ashleyyyy]

11 hours ago, PocketNerd said:

I thought the Snapdragon 765G was mid-tier, huh...

welcome to android. android phone makers have been pushing mid range cpu's on consumers for a long time now.