The FCC has approved a new Google product marketed as a “phone,” bringing the Pixel 7a and Pixel Fold delivery dates closer.
Any wirelessly connected gadget must first receive approval from various regulatory agencies throughout the world, including the FCC in the United States, before it can be deployed. This evening, three new entries at the FCC surfaced, all of which refer to a single new “phone” that Google will shortly release.
Pixel 7a and Pixel Fold FCC listed
The new listings G0DZQ, GHL1X, and GWKK3, as well as one mentioning another model, G82U8, all, make references to one another. One paper that Google submitted to the FCC details the variations between the majority of the new models to make the relationship between them more transparent.
The internal printed circuit board layouts of the FCC ID: A4RG0DZQ (parent model for NFC), FCC ID: A4RGWKK3 (parent model for BT/WLAN), and FCC ID: A4RGHL1X (variant model) models are identical. However, the variant models depopulate mmWave-related components and populate a different MHB ENDC module; more information is available in the operational description.
The more important question is which device we are looking at given that all four of these model numbers should be used to describe the same phone. The impending Pixel 7a has already been the subject of rumours, and it is expected to considerably improve Google’s mid-range A-Series phones with features like a better camera, wireless charging, and a 90Hz display.
Google’s third recent attempt to develop a foldable phone, the eagerly anticipated Pixel Fold, has also been said to be on schedule to arrive this year. We exclusively revealed last week that the Pixel Fold is expected to weigh more than the Samsung Z Fold 4, most likely as a result of its bigger battery.
However, the physical size of this new phone is not mentioned in the FCC listings, which would immediately reveal whether it is the Pixel Fold or Pixel 7a. Even the Pixel 6a was available with mmWave through Verizon, thus the existence of a mmWave model does not preclude this being the Pixel 7a.
The serial numbers of the examined devices, which often start with “28291FQHN” or “28251FQHN,” are one possible indicator. A serial number starting with “2A281FQHN” was visible in a hands-on leak of an early version of the Pixel 7a, and it appears to be pretty comparable.
While the FCC’s secrecy (which temporarily conceals device photographs and manuals from the public) expires in six months, the only thing we can be certain of is that this most recent Pixel phone should arrive far before the customary fall Made by Google event. That suggests that anything likely to launch in the middle of the year, like A-Series Pixel phones, is what we may expect.
Google I/O, whose dates have not yet been revealed, would be the next most likely venue for the corporation to present its newest hardware. The road to release has several stops along the way, including this appearance at the FCC. Between now and Google I/O, we’ll be keeping a watch on this unidentified Pixel phone and any other gadgets Google may have in store.
