Google’s upcoming mid-ranger, the Pixel 5a 5G, has just stopped by the FCC ahead of its official debut, which is expected next month. Two separated listings have been spotted, with three model numbers in total: G1F8F, GR0M2, and G4S1M (the latter two are covered by the same FCC ID). GR0M2 was previously confirmed to be a model number for the Pixel 5a. A listing on India’s regulatory agency BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) had also revealed this model number.
This suggests that it’s intended for the international markets, along with the G4S1M. The G1F8F, meanwhile, should be for the North American market. The fact that it supports CDMA networks, which are still in use in the US, further suggests that. This device also supports more 5G bands than the other two variants. It’s all sub-6 GHz 5G bands though. None of the Pixel 5a variants will support mmWave 5G networks, which are very spotty in terms of coverage.
Google did release a Pixel 4a 5G variant for Verizon’s mmWave networks last year. It appears the device didn’t sell well enough for the company to do so with its successor, or perhaps its relation with Verizon has deteriorated recently, we can’t say. By the looks of it, there may not be any LTE-only Pixel 5a as well this year. Goes on to show that the 5G rollout has significantly expanded globally over the past year or so.
Pixel 5a 5G stops by the FCC ahead of launch
The FCC listing doesn’t reveal anything else about the Pixel 5a that we don’t already know. Leaks in the past have suggested that the upcoming Pixel mid-ranger will run on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 765G processor. It will likely feature a 6.2-inch Full HD+ OLED display with a punch-hole cutout in the top-left corner. There are expectations that Google will jump to at least a 90Hz refresh rate and offer up to 8GB of RAM. The company, however, could stick to the 12.2-megapixel camera for another year.
There’s still no confirmation on when the Pixel 5a 5G will break cover. Back in April, Google had said that the phone will be available in the US and Japan around the same time as the Pixel 4a last year, which arrived in August. So not long to go before the next chapter in Google’s mid-range smartphone lineup unfolds. You can expect to hear more about the device in the coming weeks as the company prepares for its launch.