Rumor: a smaller, high-end flagship Pixel phone from Google is in the works

Right off the bat, take this one with a huge grain of salt. According to noted leaker Digital Chat Station, there’s another Pixel in the works that bucks the trend set by Google over the last 7 years of phone releases. There’s no hard evidence of this device outside of this leak right now and even if it does exist – like the rumors of the Pixel 7 Ultra – it could very well be a testing device that Google may or may not ever actually release.

As you can see from the original post, there’s probably a few things lost in translation, but you can get the general idea of what they are saying is in the works right now. This device is code-named ‘Neila’ and has a center-hole camera on the front display. That display is flat and the back panel reportedly has the ‘family-style’ design, likely making it have the same look and feel of the current Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 aesthetic.

Finally, the post goes on to explain that smaller-screen phones have popularity oversees and if this rumor holds any validity, perhaps that is the play. If Google is able to release a flagship-level phone with all the same specs and upside as you get on the Pixel 7 in a smaller form, it could do well in markets outside the US where non-phablet phones are still desired.

In the US, however, I’d say this would be a waste of time for Google. Apple clearly has had no success selling a high-end, smaller phone in the US and I’d doubt Google would either. For the Pixel in the US, the 6 and 6.7-inch options make the most sense for sure. Outside this country, however, there could be some demand for a smaller, flagship Pixel that might help bolster sales overseas.

That would be a wildly different approach for Google, but not one I would 100% count out. If this ‘Neila’ device does actually exist, we’ll likely see more about it soon. While I don’t see Google talking about this sort of thing at their hardware event on October 6th, you never know. If they’ve managed to keep the Pixel Notepad, Pixel 7 Ultra and this new, smaller Pixel completely under wraps until now, I’d be shocked. For now, I’m expecting two Pixel phones at the event and maybe some surprises later in the year. Maybe.