OK, Google: Will Pixel be a hit?
If it can keep up with high demand
When Google’s new smartphone goes on sale this week, no one is expecting an iPhone-like hit — at least not right away.
Despite a splashy launch and a “Made by Google” marketing campaign, not to mention some positive reviews, the Pixel is still taking on the likes of the wildly popular iPhone. Samsung ’s recent spate of troubles may boost Pixel sales with defecting Note and Galaxy owners, but not enough to make a serious dent in the high-end smartphone market, analysts say.
And, say analysts, the new smartphone’s price tag — the Pixel comes at an iPhone price, starting at $649 — and lack of availability with major carriers other than Verizon could undermine its debut.
“I’m sure the Pixel will get a deeper look from users, especially those that are Google and Android loyalists. But I would not expect Pixel to gain significant market share as it’s still a very competitive market,” Gartner analyst Brian Blau said.
Google won’t say how many Pixel smartphones it has produced or how many it projects it will sell. An early supply chain-based estimate from Digitimes, a Taiwanese trade publication, suggests Google could ship from 3 million to 4 million Pixel phones in the second half of 2016. Apple sells that many iPhones in a week.
“People are reporting today that there are significant wait times for phones or the phone is out of stock completely,” said CFRA analyst Scott Kessler.
In an email, Google said: “We’re thrilled to see the excitement for our new Pixel phones and frankly pre-order demand has exceeded our expectations. We’re working to restock our inventory as soon as possible.”
With Pixel, Android is powering the first line of phones designed in-house by Google, giving the Internet giant control over the software and the hardware.