Google Pixel 3 Lite phones pass FCC

Google's next plan for its Pixel 3 phones is yet to be officially announced, but the series of leaks and revelations have left nothing to the imagination when it comes to the specifications and features of the flagship smartphones which are headed for a re-launch in the form of Lite models.

As The Verge notes, the Lite models of the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL have been spotted through FCC filings, revealing some details.

The FCC filings mention eight models in all, which may indicate the different colours, storage capacities, and sizes. The model numbers run from G020A to G020H, which align with previous Pixel phones. One of the filings also reveals that the upcoming phones will run the newer Android 9 Pie out-of-the-box.

If past leaks are anything to go by, the upcoming Lite versions of the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL are expected to sport a plastic casing similar in overall design and ditch the dual camera on the front and dual front-facing speakers to make for an affordable buy.

To make the flagship variants more pocket-friendly, they will be equipped with less powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon SoCs. What could be a deal breaker is the existence of headphone jack and the absence of the notch in the bigger model.

The cheaper iterations are expected to be shipped sometime in spring, ahead of the Pixel 4 launch event in October.