Google’s Pixel 5 event is finally here. The “Launch Night In” starts at 2PM ET/11AM PT, and you can watch it with us below. Alongside the company’s stream, we’ll offer our commentary on all the news in real time. We know that Google will announce a new Pixel phone, Chromecast and smart speaker, and several leaks have already provided additional details on those products. It’ll be interesting to see what’s left to announce.

When Google launched the Pixel 4a in August, it promised that 5G-ready versions of the Pixel 4a and Pixel 5 would arrive this fall. We know the 5G devices will start at $499. Thanks to leaks, we also know that they’ll come with OLED displays and be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 765G processor. They’ll support 18W fast charging, too.

It’s a jam-packed week of news thanks to Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked event. Cherlynn and Devindra chat about the Galaxy Note (and Ultra!), the Z Fold 2, Tab S7 and S7+, Watch 3 and Buds Live. Whew. And they still find time to go into Cherlynn’s glowing Pixel 4a review, and the crazy Microsoft/Tiktok deal and Trump’s latest attempt to block Chinese companies.

Listen below, or subscribe on your podcast app of choice. If you’ve got suggestions or topics you’d like covered on the show, be sure to email us or drop a note in the comments! And be sure to check out our other podcasts, the Morning After and Engadget News!

For years most of our attention has been focused on flagship handsets from companies like Apple, Google and Samsung. But since last year’s release of the excellent Pixel 3a, midrange devices have gotten a lot more interesting. Today Google finally announced the Pixel 4a, which cuts a few corners but still delivers fast performance and even a flagship-level camera for the low price of $350. But it isn’t your only choice if you want a great phone in the midrange. We lined up the Pixel 4a’s specs against those of the iPhone SE and Samsung’s Galaxy A51 to see how these devices measure up under the hood. (We didn’t include the OnePlus Nord since it’s not available on the US.) If you want the full scoop on the Pixel 4a, though, be sure to check out our full review.

	Pixel 4a	Galaxy A51	iPhone SE (2020)
Pricing	$349	$350	$399 / $449 / $549
Dimensions	144 x 69.4 x 8.2 mm (5.7 x 2.7 x 0.3 inches)	158.5 x 73.6 x 7.9 mm (6.24 x 2.89 x 0.31 inches)	138.4 x 67.3 x 7.3 mm (5.45 x 2.65 x 0.29 inches)
Weight	143g (5.04 ounces)	172g (6.07 ounces)	148g (5.22 ounces)
Screen size	5.81 inches (147.6 mm)	6.5 inches (165.1 mm)	4.7 inches (119.38 mm)
Screen resolution	2340 x 1080 (443 ppi)	2400 x 1,080 (405 ppi)	1,334 x 750 (326 ppi)
Screen type	FHD+ OLED	FHD+ Super AMOLED	Retina HD LCD
Battery	3,140 mAh	4,000 mAh	1,821 mAh
Internal storage	128GB	128 GB	64 / 128 / 256 GB
External storage	None	None	None
Rear camera(s)	12.2MP, f/1.7	Quad camera: Wide: 48 MP, f/2.0 Ultrawide: 12 MP, f/2.2 Macro: 5 MP, f/2.4 DoF: 5 MP, f/2.2	12MP, f/1.8
Front camera(s)	8 MP, f/2.0	32 MP, f/2.2	7MP, f/2.2
Video capture	1080p at 30 fps	4K at 120 fps	4K at 60 fps
SoC	Qualcomm Snapdragon 730G	Samsung Exynos 9611	Apple A13 Bionic
CPU	2.2 GHz octa-core	2.3 GHz octa-core	2.65 GHz hexa-core
GPU	Adreno 618	Mali-G72 MP3	unnamed quad-core
RAM	6 GB	4 GB	4 GB
WiFi	Dual band, 802.11ac	Dual band, 802.11ac	Dual band, 802.11ax
Bluetooth	v5.1	v5.0	v5.0
NFC	Yes	Yes	Yes
Operating system	Android 10	Android 10	iOS 13
Other features	USB-C, 3.5mm headphone jack	USB-C, 3.5mm headphone jack	IP67 certified, Lightning connector, Qi wireless charging

The most interesting tidbit we learn is that the Pixel 4a features UFS 2.1 storage. While most high-end smartphones like the Galaxy S20 have started to include UFS 3.0 flash storage, UFS 2.1 is a significant step up from the Pixel 3a’s storage situation. For all its strengths relative to its price, Google’s current budget phone ships with slow eMMC memory. UFS 2.1 modules feature sequential read speeds of 850 MB/S. By contrast, eMMC offers more modest read speeds of 250 MB/s. Another benefit of the newer standard is that UFS modules can read and write data simultaneously. Overall, the new storage should make installing and loading apps faster. That said, the one thing to keep in mind is that the production model could feature different internal components.

While we don’t know for sure when Google will launch the Pixel 4a, we may see the phone sooner rather than later. The pre-production model that was featured in the hands-on video earlier this week included Google’s upcoming April Android security patch, which has led to some speculation that the company may release it as early as next month.

According to TecnoLike, the phone is made of plastic. Its camera array houses a 12-megapixel sensor and a built-in flash module. It may also include a time-of-flight (ToF) sensor to help with portrait mode shots. Unlike the Pixel 4, it looks like the 4a will feature a capacitive fingerprint scanner — no Project Soli sensor here. There’s a USB-C port at the bottom of the device and a 3.5mm headphone jack up top. Also noteworthy is the logo located toward the bottom of the phone. We’ve seen similar logos on past Pixel leaks. They’ve usually been an indication that the phone is a pre-production model.

Not surprised at this leak, but I am surprised that the Pixel 4a basically appears ready at this point. I’m hearing that the launch won’t be for at least a couple of months, if not later. Google’s launch cadence seems increasingly forced. https://t.co/VJkV8YiGep

— David Ruddock (@RDRv3) March 10, 2020

On the front of the device, TecnoLike claims the Pixel 4a features a 5.81-inch display. The 1080 x 2340 resolution gives the screen a 443 pixel per inch pixel density. In another departure from the Pixel 4, the refresh rate of the 4a’s display maxes out at 60Hz.

Internally, the phone reportedly features a Snapdragon 730 processor, 6GB of RAM, a 3,080mAh battery and 64GB of non-expandable storage (welp). Besides the Motorola Razr, we haven’t seen a lot of phones with 700-series Qualcomm chips make their way to North America. The Pixel 3a shipped with the Snapdragon 670 and 4GB of RAM, so the extra RAM and beefier processor should lead to a nice performance boost.

Notably, TecnoLike doesn’t mention an XL variant, which suggests one may not exist. We also see the phone running the upcoming April Android security patch. Last year, the Pixel 3a launched at Google I/O, so read what you will into the security patch. When the Pixel 4 started leaking last year, Google tried to counter by detailing some aspects of the phone ahead of its official launch last October. We could see the company do something similar again.

The snapshots don’t reveal too much more about what’s inside the phone, although a capture of the available storage hints that you might still have to be content with 64GB of non-expandable storage. It’s expected to carry a 5.7- or 5.8-inch screen and use a mid-tier Snapdragon processor (likely from the 600 or 700 series) to both keep costs down and wring out extra battery life.

It’s not certain when the Pixel 4a might arrive, especially in light of the coronavirus outbreak affecting production for numerous companies. Google certainly isn’t tied to a specific launch window now that I/O is cancelled. However, it’s hard to imagine Google waiting long. The Pixel 3a served not only as an entry point for Google’s smartphone line, but as a way to keep the series fresh and in the public spotlight while the main Pixel was still mid-cycle.

The back is where you see the most visible signs of compromise. Although the apparently leaked phone has a square camera hump like the Pixel 4, there’s just one sensor on the back. Sorry, folks, you wouldn’t get telephoto zoom on this device. There may be “more sensors” in the camera module, though, and there would still be a headphone jack up top to please fans of wired audio.

There are still many unknowns. It’s probable that a Pixel 4a would ship with a mid-range Snapdragon and other performance compromises, but it’s not certain just how much of a step down this would represent. Will it add sorely-missed water resistance, for example? If history is any indication, though, you might just see the 4a arrive around Google I/O in the spring.