Google Pixel 5a 5G release date, specs: New FCC certifications appear, hinting at an imminent launch

FCC filings for various phone models that are believed to be for the Pixel 5a 5G were spotted recently. While the document does not reveal much about phone specifications, this is an important discovery that hints at the mid-range smartphone’s imminent launch.

Google Pixel 5a 5G release date

Certification filings for devices with FCC IDs A4G1F8F and A4RG4S1M were spotted by Twitter user cstark27 Thursday. It is worth noting that an earlier analysis of the Android 12 beta by 9To5Google revealed four model numbers reportedly assigned to upcoming Google phones, with G4S1M being attached to the Pixel 5a 5G codenamed Barbet.

The FCC document reported on Thursday suggests that Google has entered another Pixel 5a 5G variant, with model number G1F8F. Due to confidentiality agreements between the FCC and tech companies, designs and technical specifications included in the documents are often not revealed to the public. However, a snippet of the certification explains the difference between G4S1M and G1F8F in terms of the type of networks they support.

When unannounced devices are seen passing through the FCC certification, it is usually a good sign that a release date is just around the corner. This lines up with Google’s previous statement hinting that the Pixel 5a 5G release window will be similar to the Pixel 4a. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman also reported last month that the mid-range phone would be one of the products to be announced and released in August.

Google Pixel 5a 5G specs

What the newly discovered FCC certifications confirm is that the Pixel 5a 5G will support sub-6 5G network. However, the document also notes that one of the devices has the CDMA network “disabled by software.”

Meanwhile, Droid Life reported that one of the scant details revealed in the FCC filings is that the Pixel 5a 5G will still sport a 3.5mm headphone jack that has been a staple feature in Google’s a-series phones. The Android 12 Developer Preview from April also offered some evidence that there may not be a processor upgrade for the upcoming phone as codes made references to the Snapdragon 765G, the same SoC in Pixel 4a 5G.

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