Google's next major Pixel smartphone could cost as little as $400

• Google's next Pixel smartphone could come in at a far lower price than previous entries to the flagship Android line.
• Rumors point to the Pixel 3a smartphone starting at $400, with a larger model coming in at $480.
• The Pixel 3a is widely expected to be revealed next week at Google's annual developer conference, I/O.
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Google's next smartphone could massively undercut the soaring prices of most modern phones: rumors point to the Pixel 3a coming in at just $400.

That's less than half the price of Apple's iPhone XS, which starts at $1,000, and nearly half the price of Apple's less expensive iPhone XR, which starts at $750.

The latest rumor on the Pixel 3a price comes from This is Tech Today, a YouTube channel that was sent what looks like official packaging for the upcoming Pixel phone.

According to the channel, the Pixel 3a starts at $400 and the larger Pixel 3a XL starts at $480.

Moreover, the channel says that the new phones will arrive on May 7 - concurrent with Google's upcoming developer conference, I/O.

The price and release date are the latest in an ongoing torrent of rumors about Google's next Pixel smartphone. The device was given the hands-on treatment way back in January, and reports about its specs and features have popped up frequently in the months since.

Read more: Google is said to be releasing a cheaper version of its Pixel 3 smartphone - here's everything we know so far

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Google CEO Sundar Pichai.

If the rumors are true, the Pixel 3a could help re-energize Google's ailing smartphone efforts.

In the company's most recent earnings call, Google CEO Sundar Pichai told investors that sales of the Pixel 3 smartphone were lower than those of the previous year's Pixel 2 - a measure of "year-on-year headwinds," he said.

Notably, the Pixel 3 was more expensive than the previous year's device, and it faced stiffer competition at a higher price point that could have pushed away potential buyers. With the Pixel 3a potentially coming in at a much lower price point, Google could push back on those "headwinds."

For now, we're still waiting on an official confirmation from Google of the details - representatives didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

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