Multiple leaks of the Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G in recent days provide a clearer picture of how Google will move forward in the smartphone market, but reading between the lines I think I finally understand why Google delayed releasing the Pixel 4a.

As you probably know, Google launched the first Pixel smartphone line in late 2016 as a way to better compete with Apple’s iPhone. But sales have been less than spectacular, and the firm has sold fewer phones each year since 2017. The one bright spot, however, was the low-end Pixel 3a family that Google launched in early 2019. Here, Google finally found a recipe for success, at least within the confines of its small marketshare, and that success, combined with the disastrous Pixel 4 lineup from late 2019, has clearly helped the firm shape a new strategy for moving forward.