With the sixth smartphone in the Pixel series, Google wants to challenge Apple on the smartphone market.
(Photo: Evan Blass / google)
Dusseldorf It is paradoxical: the US brand Google has been able to provide the world’s leading software solution in many areas for years. Even on Apple devices, many people do not want to do without applications such as the map app Google Maps or the email application Gmail, although there are integrated alternatives from Apple. Nevertheless, Google’s parent company Alphabet has never managed to combine the capabilities of a software company with powerful, in-house developed devices.
That should change. With the 6th smartphone in the Pixel series, of all things, Google wants to move from a niche provider to an important player with a market share of well below one percent. As the most important argument for this, Google cites the in-house developed chip tensor.
This should enable new services: it should make live translations possible, photos and video recordings should be artificially improved. Shaky images should be sharpened and annoying objects should be easy to remove from photos. The functions are embedded in the new Android 12 operating system.
With this, Google wants to realize a long-cherished dream: combine strengths in software development with high-performance hardware. The model is Apple.
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However, the Pixel 6 will not be sufficient for this. In order to gain large market shares, Google’s smartphones would have to offer significantly more than the competition. The tensor chip offers great potential. However, the skills presented are not yet a sufficient sales argument. The fact that Google finally extended the period of security updates for the Pixel to five years is good, but that was also overdue.
Pixel smartphones are perceived as devices that showcase the new capabilities of Google’s Android operating system. Most consumers, however, later choose brands such as Samsung, Xiaomi or Oppo. The manufacturers score with special functions and the Android operating system is on top of that.
Hardly any unique selling points
Pixel hardly offers any unique selling points. It is not enough that the new Pixel 6 offers premium performance at a mid-range price. The standard pixel is available for 649 euros, the Pro version with a better display and cameras costs 899 euros. Top devices from Apple or Samsung are significantly more expensive, but the Chinese brands Xiaomi and Oppo already occupy the high-performance segment at prices similar to the new Pixel.
Google needs a big markup. The brand’s flaws of the past still cling to the smartphone sector. The takeover of Motorola’s mobile communications division in 2012 required valuable patents, but hardly any technological advances.
Two years later, Google already sold Motorola to the Chinese company Lenovo. Since then, Google has hardly been able to score with special functions or performance. To change that, it takes more than better image editing or live translation.
More: With this new smartphone, Google is attacking Apple’s iPhone.