Rick Osterloh shares screenshot likely from Pixel 4a, complete with hole-punch

Kyle Bradshaw | May 4 2020 - 11:33 am PT

Following the recent release of the Google Pixel Buds, our attention now turns back to Google’s next upcoming device, the mid-range Pixel 4a. Today, we may have gotten a small sneak peek at using the Google Pixel 4a thanks to a screenshot from their senior VP of hardware, Rick Osterloh.

Osterloh took to Twitter today to celebrate a personal milestone in Fitbit — coincidentally, a recent Google acquisition — sharing a screenshot of the app congratulating him on 7,900 miles traveled. However, many eagle-eyed folks on Twitter immediately recognized there was more to this screenshot, concluding that it most likely came from the Pixel 4a.

The biggest piece of evidence is that the status bar icons are significantly shifted to the right, undoubtedly to compensate for the hole-punch display we’ve seen in past leaks. Of course, there are plenty of Android phones in the wild with hole-punch displays, including the OnePlus 8. Based on the fonts used by the text and icons in the status bar, though, we’re confident that this is indeed a Pixel device that’s been customized by Pixel Themes.

Earth badge on Fitbit! pic.twitter.com/TvUs4dYQF6

— Rick Osterloh (@rosterloh) May 4, 2020

Next, let’s look at some other details about the screenshot. Based on the “original” resolution of the image, as given by Twitter, this supposed Pixel 4a screenshot rings in at 2048×945 which seems a bizarre resolution for a phone.

Looking back at our Stephen Hall’s scoop that revealed most of the Pixel 4a’s specs, we can see that it’s supposed to have a 2340×1080 display. Using an image editing tool, however, we find that 2340×1080 can be easily scaled down to 2048×945, meaning they have the same aspect ratio. So at some point, we believe the screenshot was likely scaled down, either by Twitter or before being shared.

Between these two bits of evidence and the likelihood of Rick Osterloh getting early access to Pixel phones, it seems highly likely that this screenshot is indeed from the Pixel 4a. That being the case, what do you think of how the Pixel 4a appears to compensate for its hole-punch display? Let us know down in the comments.

We originally anticipated that the Pixel 4a would release at Google I/O, just like the Pixel 3a before it, but Google I/O 2020 has been officially canceled due to COVID-19. Since then, European retailers have suggested the Pixel 4a’s release date may be closer to the end of the month.