Google Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a (5G) pre-orders boosted with free Bose QC35 II headphones following the collapse of its smartphone business

Google unveiled the Pixel 4a (5G) and Pixel 5 yesterday, its more premium answers to the Pixel 4a that it released in August. Both devices are decidedly cheaper alternatives to the Pixel 4 series though, which is underlined by their mid-range price tags. Google claims that it designed the Pixel 5 to 'go on sale during an economic downturn', a statement that reflects the device's £599 price tag and lack of innovations that were present in the Pixel 4 series.

Claiming to have designed a smartphone for when economies are contracting does not necessarily mean that Google believes it will sell many Pixel 5s, though. According to Nikkei Asia, Google plans to produce between 800,000 and 1,000,000 units this year, along with additional 2 million units of the Pixel 4a and Pixel 4a (5G), combined. For context, Google sold 1.5 million smartphones in 1H 2020, a 63% decrease in the volume of smartphones it sold in the same period the year before.

Even selling 1 million units of a £599 smartphone seems a stretch for Google currently, though. Last year, Google offered a Google Store credit with Pixel 4 pre-orders, but it has expanded this to a pair of Bose QC35 II headphones with Pixel 5 pre-orders. The QC35 II still costs £259.95, so that is quite the pre-order bonus. You must pre-order the Pixel 5 by October 19 to be eligible for the offer, but it will return between November 5 and November 18 for Pixel 4a (5G) pre-orders. Arguably, the latter deal is more impressive as it effectively reduces the price of a Pixel 4a (5G) to £239.05.

From what we can tell, the QC35 II offer is only available in France, Germany, Ireland and the United Kingdom. You can read the full terms and conditions here.