With Pixel, will Google dominate the fiercely competitive smartphone market?

 With Pixel, will Google dominate the fiercely competitive smartphone market?

30 Sep, New Delhi (IANS): Despite the success of the Google Pixel brand, tech giant Google, which has been a market leader in searches on the internet and other product categories for decades, has struggled to establish itself in the worldwide smartphone sector.

In most key areas, less than 5% of smartphone users use a Google device as their primary phone, according to Statista Consumer Insights, which was published in May. This indicates that Google is still a marginal competitor in the smartphone market.

However, a recent study by Counterpoint Research revealed that the Japanese smartphone market for Google expanded, elevating the company to the second-place position in the industry.

In the first quarter (Q1) of 2023, Google overtook regional competitors to capture 9% of the market share, moving up to second place after Apple, which had previously controlled almost 50% of the market.

When compared to its predecessor, the recently released Pixel 7a's sales increased by 74%.

The smartphone market in India, according to industry insiders, offers a sizable headroom for expansion in the nation.

A complex dance between cutting-edge innovation and a thorough awareness of the pulse of the industry is required to succeed in this hypercompetitive market and win over ambitious consumers.

The outstanding camera capabilities and seamless software experience of Google's previous generation Pixel phones will be further upon in the company's next Pixel phones. The new Pixel phones have the potential to significantly advance in India if competitively priced and supported by aggressive go-to-market strategies, according to Prabhu Ram, Head of Industry Intelligence Group at CMR, in an interview with IANS.

"They may carve out a niche among the demands of the discriminating consumers in India with good after-sales care. The powerful premiumization trend offers favorable tailwinds, he continued.

The 'Made by Google' Pixel smartphones made their debut in 2016, including in India. It introduced the Pixel 2 and Pixel 3 series in the following years.

Google chose not to offer the Pixel 4 in 2019, opting instead to introduce the Pixel 3A in May.

Google introduced the Pixel 6 series in 2021, and the Pixel 7 series was introduced in 2018.

Google will now introduce the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro tablets on October 4. The Pixel 8 is anticipated to have a 6.2-inch screen, Tensor G3 CPU, and a 50MP+12MP rear camera setup, while the Pixel 8 Pro is anticipated to have a huge 6.7-inch screen, Tensor G3 chipset, and a triple camera setup with a 64MP and a 48MP ultra-wide-angle camera.

In Q4 2022, Google surpassed Samsung to take second place in the global smartwatch market, outpacing market leaders while demonstrating strong growth. According to a Canalys survey, Apple continued to lead and dominate the industry globally.