Today, we found out some interesting news about Google’s new Pixel displays. They will be 6.01-inch and 6.24-inch displays, which we already knew. And the Pixel 4a 5G is going to be the larger one (basically, it would have been a Pixel 5 XL).
But what’s new here is that we are learning about their resolutions. Both are going to be FHD+ OLED displays.
This shouldn’t be a big surprise. QHD+ on a display that small has a lot of drawbacks, and the disadvantages outweigh the advantages. Especially with Pixel, where Google likes to use tiny batteries.
Google is using Rigid OLED displays to hit lower price points
Google is using the Rigid OLED displays – meaning they are not flexible – to try and hit these lower price points. It’s smart on Google to do it that way. Instead of going with a curved display, which would drive up the costs.
It could have easily gone with LCD to make it cheaper, but sticking with OLED is a good move by Google. Almost every phone has OLED now, including its Pixel 4a. It would be a major downgrade if its Pixel 5 had LCD while the cheaper Pixel 4a had OLED.
But the downside here is that Google will have to rely on a single supplier for both phones. Which could lead to some issues, but hopefully that doesn’t mean one model will have issues that the other does not. Like what happened with the Pixel 2 series, where the Pixel 2 XL had loads of issues with its displays. Another downside is thicker bezels. As curved of flexible OLEDs allow manufacturers to fold the screen under itself, and provide smaller bezels. That’s how Apple is using it in its iPhones since the iPhone X.
For some, that is an okay trade-off, especially since these will be under $700, if current pricing is correct.
Google expects the Pixel 4a 5G to sell more
Ross Young, from DisplaySearch tweeted that the 6.24-inch display is going to be made in higher volumes.
This pretty much means that Google is banking on more people buying the Pixel 4a 5G over the Pixel 5. Which sounds pretty accurate. After all, the two devices are going to be very similar, with the only major difference being the size, as well as RAM and battery capacity. The Pixel 4a 5G is also rumored to be around $500, which is going to be super popular for Google this fall, if that rumor does hold up.