Google is quietly killing the Pixel 4 smartphone it launched less than a year ago ahead of the Pixel 5's release

• Google is discontinuing the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL, despite having launched them less than a year ago.
• The decision comes after Google just introduced the Pixel 4a, a cheaper version of the phone that offers similar camera features for hundreds of dollars less.
• Google also said it plans to launch two more smartphones in the fall: the Pixel 4a 5G and the Pixel 5.
• Still, it's unusual to discontinue a phone so quickly after its release.

Google is discontinuing its Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL smartphones despite having launched them less than a year ago.

"Google Store has sold through its inventory and completed sales of Pixel 4|4XL," Google said in a statement to Business Insider. "For people who are still interested in buying Pixel 4|4XL, the product is available from some partners while supplies last. Just like all Pixel devices, Pixel 4 will continue to get software and security updates for at least 3 years from when the device first became available on the Google Store in the US."

The Verge first reported on the Pixel 4's discontinuation. Google is discontinuing the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL as it prepares to launch two new phones in the fall: the Pixel 5 and the Pixel 4a 5G. The search giant hasn't revealed much about the devices other than that they will both support 5G. Google also debuted the Pixel 4a earlier this week, a low-cost version of the Pixel 4 that offers similar camera features for hundreds of dollars less.

At the time of writing, Google is only selling the unlocked Pixel 4 through its online store. The larger XL model is completely sold out, and the Verizon and Google Fi models of both devices are sold out as well.

In the past, Google has eventually phased out its older smartphones after introducing new ones, but it's unusual for the company to do so this quickly. The Pixel 4 hasn't even been on the market for a full year; Google only began selling it last October.

The company just discontinued the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL in March, for example, after launching those phones back in 2018. It also recently stopped selling the $400 Pixel 3a and its larger sibling, the 3a XL, back in July after launching them in May 2019.