We now have proof the Pixel 3a was delayed by at least two months

The Pixel 3a and 3a XL were finally At Google I / O, and while they're being well-received by reviewers and Android enthusiasts alike, they're coming out at an extremely awkward time: 7 months removed from the original Pixel 3 and 3 XL. Anyone who had any interest in the matter knew that the Pixel 3a and 3a XL were a thing for months before the launch. We started seeing substantial leaks in March, and there were rumors and whispers well before that.

With each passing week it seemed more likely that Google would not even bother releasing the phones, because at some point it would make more sense to just wait for the Pixel 4 line. With the number of leaks and amount of information available on the Pixel 3a and 3a XL, everything pointed to being in the market. Now with the Pixel 3a and 3a XL in our hands, we've got some good things to do.

What was I thinking about this was something? I noticed while I was setting up my Pixel 3a for the first time: it had very out of date Google apps. There were a few examples, but the best was the Gmail app, which was such an old version that it had old interface that was replaced starting in late January. That means the phone went through its certification process for Google's apps, which is the current app version, prior to February.

Then, I noticed other breadcrumbs in the software. The Pixel 3a is running software build number PD2A.190115.032, which looks like a random alphanumeric string but actually has a good bit of information we can easily decipher. Google uses a standardized build number convention that shows a particular software build for a phone is synced into the development – it's January 15, 2019. That is not necessary exact build date for the Pixel 3a's software, but it's at least when that process was started. We did not need to split hairs on the same dates again: the Pixel 3 was in late stages of development in January.

It's clear the Pixel 3a and 3a XL were made to last and ready to go by March at the latest.

The last part is its Android security patch, which is surprisingly out of date for a Pixel. It has the March 5 security patch out of the box, which is now two versions behind and has yet to receive an update – and I do not have a pre-release or non-final phone. The Pixel 3a is not the same as the standard Pixel, but it still has the same level of commitment to Google for monthly security patches. You would expect it to come out of the box, or be updated immediately thereafter, with the latest available security update.

Normally this would not be all that interesting, because we are trying to get the best out of the software. Goal if Any company could release a phone with the latest security patch, and the latest Google apps out of the box, it would be Google. Paired with the lengthy gap after the original launch of the Pixel 3 series, it seems like something coming up from the beginning.

It does not seem to be a lot that would have kept the 3a from being released.

Interestingly, there does not seem to be a whole lot here that would have required Google to launch 3a and 3a XL. There are not any any new features in the world, the camera is still in the market, and there are not any huge software features that would have held back the launch. We still do not know why Google waited nearly 7 months after the Pixel 3 series was announced to the 3a and 3a XL out the door, but we at least know there is some sort of setback. Was the delay related to a technical problem? Marketing holdup? Supply issues? It could have been anything.

But it sure looks like a lot of parts of the phones were ready to go before they were announced, and this was not a purely strategic decision to wait and launch at Google I / O.