For the past 4 years, Google's hardware sales have been slow and the Pixel lineup is no exception. The disconnect between the projected Pixel sales and its actual sales has been attributed to so many factors, most notably, the hardware.
The Google Pixel just doesn't sell as much as its rivals. According to IDC, Google shipped approximately 2 million Pixel 4 devices in the first two quarters the smartphone was on sale, in contrast to 3.5 million Pixel 3 devices and nearly 3 million Pixel 3A devices. These figures are relatively low when compared to the biggest competitors. Consistent with IDC, Apple sold a whopping 73.8 million iPhones in the fourth quarter of 2019. The disparity in terms of sales is glaring.
During a podcast session with the Verge, Pichai claimed that he was taking a more drawn out term perspective on Google's hardware endeavors. When inquired as to whether the Pixel line is doing just as Google had hoped, Pichai reacted:
“The last couple of years have been a major integration phase for us because we’ve combined our Google hardware efforts with Nest. We absorbed the mobile division of HTC. So it’s been a lot of stitching together. And we have a wide product portfolio, too. So it’s definitely been a building phase. We’re super committed to it in the long run. Hardware is hard. And it definitely has components, which take real-time to get it right, thinking about underlying silicon or display or camera or any of those tacks. And so we are definitely investing in it, but that timeline. I think we’ve made a lot of progress.”
Now, Google’s problems stem from two areas; Its unavailability and its hardware. The former is a long term issue and gradually, I believe Google will go global. Whereas with the latter, progress is already being made. The 1st Pixel commenced sales in a handful of countries, yet after four years, the Pixel line is just available to be purchased in 12 countries. Meanwhile, Apple sells the iPhone in approximately 70 countries, whilst Samsung sells in over 100 countries.
Google has made progress by bringing on board more carriers for Pixel 3 and 4 lineups. The outlook doesn’t look very promising for those of us in Africa. It would definitely take a while before Google takes a look at the African smartphone space.
Besides, considering the price point of the Pixel flagships, it won’t be easy to whip out $800 for a smartphone. Even if the camera is unrivaled and it's Titan M chip makes it the most secure smartphone. Yes. More secure than the iPhone. (Yep. I went straight for the jugular. 😎). The Pixel has got to take some hit with the hardware and get it to a price point that appeals to the masses.
This brings me to my next issue; hardware. Now, hardware has been a major concern for the Google Pixel. You’d expect an $800 flagship to roll out with top of the line hardware - bigger ram, higher storage options, bigger battery capacity and more camera options such as an ultra-wide camera. Google is fond of using software to buttress their shortcomings in their hardware side, and boy do they do one heck of a job there!! (really…I am not being biased…maybe a little)
For instance, to make up for the lack of 3x optical zoom, using a multiplier effect, Google, beefed up their Super Res Zoom; which is a digital zoom btw. It unsurprisingly outshone flagships like the OnePlus 7T which uses the 3x optical zoom tech. Booyah!💪💥
Image Credit -: Slash Gear.
Agreed, Pichai admitted on Vergecast that hardware is hard. However, with all the rumors swirling around the Pixel 5, you can’t help but wonder if Google will get the needed break they deserve.
Hardware-wise, Google might drop the Soli sensor and Edge sense. This decision will do Google more good - the cost to produce the Pixel 5 would reduce and there would be loads of battery juice for Pixel 5 users. The Soli sensor, which is responsible for Motion Sense and also happens to be the little magician making Google’s 3D Face Unlock super-fast - is a power-draining monster. The Soli sensor and the Edge Sense won’t be the only ones to be cut off.
This time around, Google might opt for Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 765G instead of the Snapdragon 865, which is the top of the line pick for the current Android flagships. The Snapdragon 765G is a mid-range processor – which means a slower processing speed. However, there’s a silver lining. The G variant of the Snapdragon 765 is optimized for gaming, with faster graphics rendering and support for hardware and software tweaks aimed at mobile games.
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| Performance is revved up with a speed-binned Qualcomm Kryo 475 CPU, while the Qualcomm Adreno 620 GPU provides 10% faster graphics rendering compared to the standard Snapdragon 765. |
Plus, the Snapdragon 765 lineup supports 5G, and thankfully, unlike the Snapdragon 865, they are not power-hungry monsters. Additionally, we could also see a RAM jump from the 6Gb baseline to an 8Gb and 128Gb for on-board storage.
The Pixel 5 is definitely one to keep an eye out for. Just as CR7 is to Juventus, Messi to Barcelona, Lewy to Bayern, and M.anifest is to GH Rap, could the Pixel 5 be the break that Google’s hardware team needs?
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