Google’s Pixel line had very few takers in India when it launched, partly due to the exorbitant prices of the first three generations of the Pixel smartphones. It wasn’t until the arrival of the Pixel 3a that the company began to sell phones in earnest in the country, with better results last year with the Pixel 4a.
In fact, the company’s decision to price the Pixel 4a at an introductory price of 29,999 paired with the fantastic image quality of the device’s single rear camera and Google’s image processing made sure the Pixel 4a was n even bigger hit than the previous generation Pixel 3a, with a lower price and better processor.
According to a report by ET Tech, which cites a senior Google executive who said the company had doubled its inventory for the Pixel 4a, but wanted to get even more unites from the globally produced units for Indian consumers. The company could also move manufacturing for some of its new affordable Pixel devices to the country, not just for sales in the domestic market but also for exporting to other countries, the report states.
The executive also reportedly stated that the real reason the Pixel 4a’s 5G variant and the more advanced Pixel 5 weren’t launched in the country was simple – pricing. The company had learned from its Pixel 3a pricing and the aggressive pricing for the Pixel 4a helped sales, but the Piel 4a 5G and the Pixel 5 had more expensive Qualcomm 5G chipsets in them and the company didn’t see the point in launching an expensive phone when Indian’s couldn’t use 5G.
The company wants to enter various price segments, according to the report. However, it will likely face extremely tough competition from established players like Xiaomi, Realme and Samsung, widely considered the kings of the budget devices segment. Google’s decision to produce devices locally could help bring some prices down, however, and it remains to be seen if the rumoured Pixel 5a sees the same success as its predecessor in the country.
By Hindustan Times
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