Just about everything about the
Pixel 4 and
Pixel 4 XL has either leaked or has been confirmed by Google. That’s not to say there won’t be any surprises tomorrow at the Made by Google event. We still would like to see the official pricing of the new handsets, the rumored Google
Pixel Watch, and in the same vein, any changes made if the company unveils a second-generation Google Pixel Buds wireless Bluetooth “earable.”
Another thing that hasn’t be leaked-until now-is the retail box for the new Pixels. But when it comes to Google’s handsets, there is no such thing as a secret.
So on Reddit (via
9to5 Google), photos of the box for the Just Black Pixel 4 were shared. The top of the box shows the rear of the device, including the square camera module in the upper left corner of the back panel. There are two cameras (12.2MP with an f/1.6 aperture + 16MP telephoto) in the module, a first for the Pixel line. The box also includes a picture of the
phone face down on a desk with the #teampixel hashtag on the upper left-center of the image.
Yes, Google is packing an 18W charger inside the box
One side of the box tells us that there is an 18W fast charger inside along with the phone. Also included is the Quick Switch Adapter that allows you to move all of your data and apps from your current Android phone to the new Pixel 4 or Pixel 4 XL. If you have a good eye, you’ll notice that the phone was made in China. Back in August, we told you that Google is
moving production of the Pixels to an old Nokia production facility in northern Vietnam. But building the supply chain and training assembly line workers takes time; we might not see the Pixels shipped out of Vietnam until next May in time for the Pixel 4a line to be delivered. If not by then, perhaps the box for next year’s Pixel 5 will say “made in Vietnam.”
Top of the Pixel 4 retail box
Starting on December 15th, the Pixels could be subject to a 10% import tax (you might know them as tariffs) that the Trump administration is imposing on imports from China. Google will have the option to eat all or some of the tax. Whatever it doesn’t pay will end up being charged to U.S. consumers through a hike in the phone’s retail price. Now both the U.S. and China have agreed on a framework that could lead to a new trade agreement before the end of the year. While we don’t expect Google to raise the price of the Pixel 4 line on December 15th, there is always the possibility that it could occur. If you’re planning on buying one of the new phones, keep this in mind.
Bottom of the Pixel 4 retail box
The Pixel brand is one of the fastest-growing in the U.S. smartphone market mainly thanks to the mid-range Pixel 3a series that Google released last May. When those models were first leaked, Google was criticized for developing such a line. But with the
Pixel 3a priced at $399 and the
Pixel 3a XL at $479, consumers were given the opportunity to purchase one of the top smartphone camera systems for a much more affordable price. Even with the polycarbonate body and the Snapdragon 670 chipset, the mid-rangers were a big hit allowing Google to hike sales of Pixel phones by 88% in the U.S. during the second quarter in a sluggish smartphone market. With this momentum, Google is hoping that its flagship Pixel 4 handsets can challenge Apple and Samsung in the states.
The side of the Pixel 4 box tells us what is inside it
You can watch the Made by Google livestream tomorrow starting at 10 am EDT (7 am PDT)
right here.
