Did a Google exec accidentally confirm a Pixel 4a hardware feature?

It probably comes to no surprise to hear that there are rumors that Google could be planning to launch a Pixel 4a smartphone this year, the successor to last year’s Pixel 3a. In fact, we’ve actually seen several leaks and renders of the alleged smartphone, where one of the design features is a hole-punch camera to the left corner of the display.

Since nothing can be confirmed yet, it’s probably best to take it with a grain of salt, but a recent tweet by Google’s VP of Device & Services, Rick Osterloh, might have just confirmed it. Osterloh shared a screenshot of him achieving the “Earth badge” for Fitbit, and while it might look inconspicuous, a closer look has revealed a blank space to the top left corner of the screenshot.

This is presumably where the hole-punch camera sits, and due to its placement, information in the status bar would have no doubt been moved to accommodate it. Given that this tweet comes from Osterloh himself, it makes sense that he would be one of the few people at Google to actually have their hands on the device this early on.

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

— Rick Osterloh (@rosterloh) May 4, 2020

Of course, this is just speculation for now, but there is a good chance that this could mean something. There is no word on when the Pixel 4a will be announced, but hopefully it will be soon. Presumably it would have been unveiled at I/O 2020, but with the event cancelled, it is really anyone’s guess.