This is the blue Google Pixel 4a that might have been

Credit: Google / 9to5Google

• Code on the Google Store shows that a blue Pixel 4a was (and maybe is) in the works.
• It would have had a baby blue body and an orange power button.
• It’s not clear if this will ever be released.

---

Google’s Pixel 4a is a great phone, but it’s now apparent that it could have come in a more vibrant color than the drab black you see now. The 9to5Google team has found Google Store code showing 3D images of a blue version of the Pixel 4a, indiating that the company was at least considering color options for its budget Android device.

The shade is a baby blue closer to the Sky option found on devices like the Nest Mini, and it’s certainly subtler than the Oh So Orange from the Pixel 4. Much like on the white Pixel 3a, Google would color this Pixel 4a’s power button a bright orange to give the phone a more distinctive look.

Read more: The Google Pixel 4a buying guide

It’s not certain why the blue imagery exists if Google is only making the Pixel 4a available in black. It could represent an option that was cancelled relatively late into development, whether due to pandemic challenges or just an attempt to keep costs down. However, it could also represent a variant Google might offer in the future — the company has added hues after the fact, such as a mint Home Mini.

There are no other known colors at this point, and we wouldn’t count on Google adding any more colors in a timely fashion, if at all. This does provide some hope if you’re optimistic, though. If nothing else, the discovery serves as a peek at the Pixel 4a that could have been. At one point, Google was weighing an option for people who prefer more extroverted phones in their pockets.