Those who were eagerly awaiting the radical shift in design of the Google Pixel 5 are likely to be disappointed. Google itself had teased the Pixel 4a 5G and Pixel 5 with images of the Pixel 5 from the side. Now, leaker Steve Hemmerstoffer (@OnLeaks) and Indian tech blog PriceBaba have released renders of the Pixel 5, teasing a very familiar design.

According to these mockups, the Pixel 5 is more or less like the Pixel 4a, with a more premium finish throughout the body and a dual-lens rear camera. The fact that the frame and back panel are not separated suggests that the material used here may be plastic rather than a combination of metal and glass.

That may disappoint some, but I really like the gloss Google has chosen. Like Google's own previous renderings, the Pixel 5's power button is covered in dark chrome, with a slight contrast enhancement.

What's most interesting about this design is how much it shares with the Pixel 4a. Of course, there is no 3D Face Unlock or Soli radar system on the top bezel, and the Pixel 4a's fingerprint sensor is again here on the back. This is not surprising given that all the rumors so far indicate that Google is keen to cut costs with the Pixel 5. $599 may be Google's target, as it has already been confirmed that the Pixel 4a 5G will start at $499.

I've mentioned before how great the Pixel 4's Face Unlock system was; it's much faster and more cleverly designed than Apple's Face ID, which hasn't been meaningfully improved since its introduction on the iPhone X in 2017.

I would have liked to see Google find a way to incorporate Face Unlock while maintaining a relatively low price, as Apple proved with the $699 iPhone 11, but that doesn't seem to be in the cards. However, in my experience, it is far more reliable and less frustrating to use than the latest optical or ultrasonic in-display sensors.

In addition to 8GB of RAM, I'm told the Pixel 5 will feature Qualcomm's Snapdragon 765G chipset, which offers a cheaper path to 5G connectivity; given that the Pixel 4a has only one 128GB storage configuration, 128GB here seems to be the starting point. As leaked by Jon Prosser yesterday, the Pixel 4a could be offered in black and green.

Again, the Pixel 5 may look a little too familiar, but Google seems to be very firm in its strategy of keeping costs low to offer more affordable semi-premium phones. Considering how successful the Pixel 3a was last year and how unsuccessful the Pixel 4 line was despite its cutting-edge features, can you blame them?