A leak specialist has unveiled with an Indian site the possible design of the Pixel 3 Lite, so-called mid-range version of the Pixel 3, but also that of a certain Pixel 3 XL Lite, which would be his big brother. And there are even some technical details.
No offense to Rick Osterloh, head of the hardware division of Google, who said in 2017 that the Pixel range's vocation is to stay in the high-end, the Mountain View company could well arrive on the mid-range segment in the coming months. Leaks and stolen photo shoots (not to mention unauthorized grip) have proliferated on the Web for a few weeks. We mentioned this possibility in April , June and November of this year.
Always by two they go!
But until then, we had heard only a "Lite" version of Pixel 3, which would also be called Pixel 3 Lite. According to Steve Hemmerstoffer, aka OnLeaks, and the Indian site 91Mobiles, once again associated, the Pixel 3 Lite would be associated with a Pixel 3 XL Lite. These are two mid-range terminals that could land in the coming months. And it is not a coincidence that the French leaker has joined forces with 91Mobiles, since the initiative is aimed first and foremost at the huge Indian market.
If you go to the source of this leak, you will find many visuals (including the one that accompanies this article). These would detail the design of the two terminals that would take over the language of pixels with a few minor differences in materials. The impression reader would be in the back. The photo sensor is protruding (like some iPhone). The touch screen would be panoramic, but without notch, for one as for the other. In addition, a 3.5 mm jack would be present.
A Snapdragon 670 in the smallest one?
91Mobiles publishes with these images a possible technical sheet for the Pixel 3 Lite (whose code name, crossed in the source code of Android, would be Sargo). The latter would be equipped with a 5.5-inch Full HD + IPS screen, a Snapdragon 670 with 4 GB of RAM, a 2915 mAh battery, a 12-megapixel photo sensor and an 8-megapixel webcam. The site does not have any information on the Pixel 3 XL Lite, but a rumor suggests that it would work with a Snapdragon 710. A rumor that reminds another we had relayed last June.
Google's possible interest in the mid-range segment may seem risky at first glance, as it is particularly competitive with all the great value-for-money specialists (Honor, Xiaomi, OnePlus). However, if this information is confirmed, this strategy is revealing.
A strategic product?
Because Google, despite its power and the extent of the Android ecosystem, weighs nothing on the hardware level. And it is not the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL that will bring the Mountain View company to the top 10 worldwide. However, mid-range pixels would offer Google a growth driver not only in markets where the average price of mobile is lower than in the United States, but also around the world. Provided that these hypothetical Lite versions are not too expensive.