Josh Hendrickson
We hailed the Google Pixel 5 as a nearly perfect smartphone when it launched around ten months ago. It’s beautiful, it’s sleek, it lasts forever on a charge, and oh … it’s discontinued. Today, Google confirmed it stopped making both the Pixel 5 and the Pixel 4a 5G. They’ve been replaced.
It shouldn’t be too surprising that Google discontinued the Pixel 5 and 4a 5G. That’s because it recently released the Pixel 5a, a phone that combines some of the best features of the Pixel 5 with the 4a 5G. And later this fall, Google will release the Pixel 6, the next flagship in the line.
The Pixel 5 was a really great phone, even if it did run on a weaker processor. Sometimes a phone is more than just the specs, though, and the strength of Google’s software more than makes up for it. But you’ll find many of those features (and even the same processor) on the Pixel 5a, including Google’s excellent call capabilities and spam protection.
And ever since the Pixel 5a launched, it’s been hard to find either the Pixel 5 or the 4a 5G in stock. Quantities are low (or nonexistent) everywhere, even in the Google Store. Google confirmed as much to Digital Trends, stating:
With our current forecasts, we expect Google Store in the U.S. to sell out of Pixel 4a (5G) and Pixel 5 in the coming weeks following the launch of Pixel 5a (5G). The Pixel 5a (5G) is a great option for customers and delivers valuable hardware upgrades compared to the Pixel 4a (5G), all at a lower price point,” a Google spokesperson confirmed to Digital Trends. This will also apply to non-U.S. markets, with UK vendors like Carphone Warehouse and John Lewis no longer stocking the older Pixels. The older Pixel 4a remains on sale as a low-cost Pixel option.
Pour a cold one for the Pixel 5, then. As soon Google sells the last one on hand (if it hasn’t already), that’s it for the phone. But we can always look forward to the next great phone, like the Pixel 6.
via Digital Trends
