Google launched its latest smartphones, the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL on the 7th of May at the Google I/O 2019 developer conference. The devices are the watered down variants of the company’s flagship offerings, the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL. The newest smartphones boast of similar software and camera experience as their elder siblings albeit with a few compromises in the hardware department. It was also believed earlier that Google, who announced the latest Android Q Beta at the same event; will make it available for the Pixel 3a series as soon as its elder siblings. However, the company has announced that will not be the case; and the smartphones will get the update by the month of June.
Pixel 3a Android Q Beta
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The Android Q Beta update can be installed on any Pixel smartphone or one from 21 different OEMs by signing in to the Android Beta Program. It was expected that the Pixel 3a series; soon after its launch will support the said software update, but as mentioned above that is not the case. Notably, the latest devices feature the March security patch; which may be surprising considering Google released the May security update a week ago. The company claims the handset will be directly updated to the June security patch via an Over The Air (OTA) update next month.
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Despite being mentioned on the website that the Pixel 3a series will be supported for Android Q Beta in June; some reports of the smartphone owners already installing the update has surfaced. This is seen as an oversight on Google’s part and expected to be fixed shortly. The news of the new devices not supporting the latest software update; nor being on the latest security patch is a big deal as Pixel handsets are known for the software experience and always staying up to date. It may create a decrease of trust amongst buyers of the company’s hardware in the future.


































The leak further suggests that the smartphones will be available in three colour variants: Blue, Red and Carbon Fiber. Furthermore, both the handsets will sport a similar storage scheme, which will be spread over 4 different configurations:
Previous leaks have also revealed that 











The patent was granted to Samsung and published on May 7 2019 in the USPTO (United States Patent and Trademark Office) and the WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization) database. It clearly depicts a device that has one large single flexible display. When the device is unfolded, it reveals an elongated tablet-sized panel which has 3 folding creases, indicating the lines around which the smartphone has to be folded. Once it is folded, the resulting device has a screen on all the four sides.
Users can choose what to display at each face of the folded display. For instance, one side can showcase the time and date, whereas the other side can display the incoming notifications. Furthermore, such a design can be very handy at meetings, where the user can simply unfold the device to convert it into a tablet to convey necessary information to multiple people at the same time.
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