Google is so confident in this year’s Pixel 6 lineup that it reportedly expects to sell twice as many devices as last year. Pixel smartphones have always been well-received, but they typically have not shipped anywhere near the same numbers as flagship smartphones from companies such as Samsung and Apple. According to research firm IDC, Google sold 3.7 million smartphones in 2020, compared to the 200 million iPhones that shipped last year.
Google introduced its first Pixel smartphone in 2016, which was almost a decade after the launch of the iPhone. While the initial Pixel (and subsequent models) have always been noted for their excellent cameras, Samsung and Apple have since caught up. Google has often introduced novel features to make the Pixel line stand out, only to abandon them quickly when they haven’t caught on. (The hands-free Soli gestures that launched with Pixel 4 did not make it to the Pixel 5.)
With the introduction of the Pixel 6, Google seemingly has bigger ambitions. According to sources for Nikkei Asia, the company has asked its manufacturing partners to produce more than 7 million devices – roughly double the volume for its Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a lineup combined. Additionally, Google is planning to ship 5 million Pixel 5a units, clearly targeting the budget-friendlier segment of the market.
Google Sees Huawei’s Fall As Advantage
According to Nikkei Asia’s supply chain connections, Google believes it can leverage its position as the only major US-based Android smartphone company. The firm hopes to capitalize on Huawei’s shrinking influence on the global smartphone market, positioning its devices to sell well in Europe and Japan. And the strategy may work, especially as other Huawei and other China-based smartphone firms continue to come under scrutiny by overseas governments.
But Google is seemingly not just hoping consumers and carriers will see its devices as safer than certain other brands – it has also invested in the hardware. The Pixel 6 lineup is set to feature Google’s proprietary Tensor chip, which will purportedly offer an 80 percent improved performance over the Pixel 5. And maybe even more appealing for Pixel fans, the firm is said to be adding new cameras – including a 50MP wide-angle lens and a 48MP telephoto. All of this combined – along with a distinct new look – could indeed see Google’s flagship smartphone become its biggest hit yet.
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