An inspection of Google’s software hints that the search giant will brand its two upcoming mid-range smartphones as the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL. The latest version of the Android operating system, Android Q, also made references to two devices with the code names Sargo and Bonito.
Even though the ConnectivityMonitor app only refers to the two code names as B4S4 devices, these identifiers appeared alongside the names used for previous smartphone offerings of the search giant, including the codes for the original Pixel, Pixel 2, and Pixel 3 devices, and this arrangement suggests that both Sargo and Bonito are code names for upcoming handset offerings from the tech giant.
However, the connection between the code names and rumored marketing names like Pixel 3a and the Pixel 3a XL is also observed in the vendor partition of the Google Camera app. Similar to the code found in the ConnectivityMonitor app, a portion of the code of the Google Camera application enumerated a combination of marketing names and codenames of Google-designed handsets.
These smartphones include the Pixel 2, the Pixel 2 XL, the Pixel 3, and crosshatch, the identifier used for the Pixel 3 XL. However, also included in the list are Sargo and the Pixel 3a XL, which suggests that one of the devices that Google may release soon could be called the Pixel 3a XL. Given the presence of the name Pixel 3a XL, it is likely that Google will call its smaller mid-range device as the Pixel 3a.
Several benchmark results and rumors previously referred to Google’s upcoming mid-range smartphones as Sargo and Bonito. The codename Bonito appeared as an identifier in a GFXBench benchmark result as early as October 2018, while the name Sargo came into view in November. Interestingly, the marketing name Pixel 3a XL previously appeared in a Geekbench benchmark result in January 2019. However, this latest discovery found in the code of Google’s software provides strong evidence of the codename and branding that the search giant will use for its upcoming mid-range handsets.
Numerous leaks already detailed the design and specifications of the Pixel 3a and the Pixel 3a XL. Reports indicate that the Pixel 3a will feature the Snapdragon 670 chipset, 4GB of RAM, and 32GB of internal flash storage.
However, like previous smartphone offerings from Google, the Pixel 3a will likely not support the expansion of the internal flash storage using a microSD card. The Pixel 3a will reportedly sport a 2,915mAh battery, and the handset will have a USB Type-C port, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a 5.56-inch display with a resolution of 2220 x 1080 pixels.
In comparison, the Pixel 3a XL will reportedly have a more powerful Snapdragon 710 SoC, and it will feature a larger 6-inch display with a Full HD+ resolution. Moreover, several benchmark results suggest that the Pixel 3a XL may have either 4GB or 6GB of RAM. Rumors also claim that Google’s mid-range handsets will also feature a 12-megapixel rear camera and an 8-megapixel selfie camera.
The recent certification by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) of several handsets from Google may indicate that the Pixel 3a and the Pixel 3a XL will become available soon. Despite being targeted towards the mid-range segment of the smartphone market, the Pixel 3a lineup will reportedly retain some of the defining features of the Pixel handsets including camera functionalities like Portrait Mode and Super Res Zoom features.
