Google is reportedly planning to target the mid-premium segment in India by introducing a new Pixel smartphone in this price range. The brand is reported to launch a mid-range Pixel smartphone in the Rs 40,000 to Rs 50,000 price range in the country.
The cheaper Pixel smartphone is mainly aimed at India and other emerging markets, reports ET. The phone is meant to give a stiff competition to the likes of OnePlus 6, Asus Zenfone 5Z and Poco F1 that are providing flagship specifications at an affordable price tag. Further, Google is planning to introduce the new mid-tier Pixel phone by early next year after the launch of Google’s flagship devices, the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL.
The report notes that the Google Pixel hardware team recently visited India to understand the market. “They have global plans, but they explored the possibility in the Indian market for such a device, especially when OnePlus has done really well,” an unnamed source told the publication. Further, the report highlights that the brand is also planning to tackle the likes of Samsung and Apple in the premium segment by offering its upcoming flagship devices in Rs 70,000-Rs 85,000 price range.
It would be interesting to see whether the company will be able to bring down the cost of the Pixel device to the mid-premium segment. And it would be also interesting whether the company will opt for the flagship processor, which is currently present in the above-mentioned smartphones or will settle with a lower Chipset in order to bring the cost down. That said, Google does have an advantage over other players as its phones offer pure and untouched Android experience. This also means that users will have an advantage of getting the updates first on their Pixel smartphones as compared to other players.