Just when we thought there was nothing left to leak about the Pixel 4, more news shows up on our doorstep. The latest comes from Nikkei, in a report that claims Google “has begun test production of a 5G smartphone that it may unveil as soon as next week.”
According to the report, the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL are already going into mass production, while the 5G device is in test production. This could indicate the company plans to announce the devices simultaneously, but the 5G might not be available until a few weeks later.
Apple decided to skip the 5G train this year, with rumors currently pointing to a 2020 launch. Beating Apple to the punch could give Google a leg-up in 5G technology, although it’s far from the first Android manufacturer to support the nascent technology.
5G allows for dramatically faster downloads – fast enough to compete with a decent broadband connection – and very low latency. It theoretically tops out at around 1 to 10 Gbps, and though real-world speeds will be a fraction of that, it’s still a major improvement. The low latency also makes serious mobile gaming more feasible too. The infrastructure isn’t quite there to make it a very useful upgrade for most people at the moment – especially if you live outside of a major city – but wireless companies are rapidly building more 5G towers.
On that note, we’ll likely hear an announcement of 5G availability on Google’s Fi network during the event. Last we heard, Fi would use Sprint’s 5G network, but Google could have more details for us come next week.
The Nikkei report also says the company may have a new smartwatch and laptop on the way, two products we’ve heard a few rumblings about, but not much in the way of concrete details. Hopefully Google still has some surprises left for next week.
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