Google unveiled the Pixel 3a last week, a phone that was the best mid-range Android smartphone for exactly one week. Then the OnePlus 7 rolled along, which is a flagship phone with a price that screams mid-range. But Google is working on a new Pixel for later this year, the Pixel 4 series that should be released at some point in the first half of October. We already expect a massive makeover for the Pixel 4, with many reports saying that the handset will look a lot like Samsung’s Galaxy S10 phones. But a brand new leak from a potentially credible source reveals a quirky detail about the Pixel 4’s purported redesign.
YouTube channel Front Page Tech, which made Pixel 3 waves last fall, says a mysterious leaker who’s been appropriately vetted came forward with new Pixel 4 details.
According to the unnamed person, the phone will have an Infinity-O-like screen just like the Galaxy S10 series, which includes a hole-punch camera and an in-display fingerprint sensor.
Samsung’s Infinity-O screen is the closest design we have to an all-screen smartphone, and I’m strictly speaking about all-screen phones that do not have any moving parts like a pop-up camera or slider mechanism. Considering the Pixel 3’s horribly dated design, the upgrade to a hole-punch screen is definitely welcome for the Pixel.
The source also said that the Pixel 4 will have stereo speakers, and revealed a detail that we haven’t see in any other rumors. The Pixel 4 will supposedly not have any physical buttons. Instead, the phone will feature capacitive touch buttons on the sides. Earlier this year, we saw two smartphone prototypes that removed all ports and buttons, and we concluded that while it may be the future, the technology is not currently in place to support a good experience.
But Google has had that Pixel squeeze gesture, the Active Edge feature that lets you squeeze your phone to initiate an activity. So it only makes sense to evolve the concept. Maybe capacitive buttons for volume control and the standby button are the next thing coming to smartphones. We also know Apple has patented tech for button-less smartphones, and a button-less iPhone seems closer than ever. But if this rumor is genuine, then Google might be among the first companies to ship a button-less phone.
The closer we get to the actual Pixel 4 launch the more we’ll know about the handset, so we’ll know soon enough whether or not the Pixel 4 will have a better design than the Galaxy S10. Separately, a Samsung insider keeps teasing some sort of smartphone design breakthrough that will be unveiled in the second half of 2019. Is there any chance he means button-less flagship phones?
