Why Google does not target the low/mid ranges?

[Mu Ashiry]

Hola!

I have this question for a while, was just waiting for the official announcement of this year phones to spread it out. In a market like Egypt, the new iPhones and note 9 cost from 18k to 40k pounds, which is a very high range even for the rich ones.
That is why the market is for Chinese manufacturers (Oppo, Huawei and Xiaomi). The least's flagship costs about 8K, a way cheaper than the mid-range iPhone.

Here the question pops out, If Google thinks about such market with even a single mid-priced model per year, I think it will dominate in the market; especially when we realise that Google does not have the luxurious trademark as Apple, so it does not have to maintain a high price in order to keep the concept of its luxuriousness. Google will be a life buoy for those who still don't trust China's names -even after their proved success.

Personally, I own a Nexus 6, a very good 4-year-old phone, still performs with no major issues and the custom roms do the magic and bring the latest Andriod flavours perfectly! However, I want to upgrade with a Nexus-like experience of pure and up-to-date Android. Unfortunately, with those price tags, I will not think about Google's again. Android One devices may be the right alternatives, but the Pixels became far from our budgets.

 

[ndonnine]

To be honest I believe it's because they focus on the America and Western European markets where GPD is higher and people can afford more luxuries. Midrange and low range phones tend to do better in Asian and African markets where gdp is lower.

Plus you brought up the point of the original Nexus line. The budget phones didn't do as well so I assume they researched market share and decided low range/mid range wasn't bringing enough value.

The third part of this: I believe that Googe uses all their hardware to collect data. A lot of this is AI driven with photos and chat. Google keeps touring the awesome image capture abalities which AI needs better photos to help the algorithms. I doubt in a mid/low range phone they can get high quality sample sets for their AI.

 

[Almeuit]

My $0.02 -- it is the "iPhone of Android" to me so that is why I am not surprised on the price.

 

[hal1]

if I didn't have so much money, I'd go for the Moto phones in the mid-range

 

[Osinachi]

Simple and straightforward, they do not need to. It's basically their take on what an Android flagship should be, which then means flagship-level prices. And I'm personally, I'm all in for it. I'd even like to see Google create its own SoC. We've seen what Google has done with its cameras and the Visual Core that supposed it. I'm excited for the future of the Pixel lineup

 

[Mu Ashiry]

To be honest I believe it's because they focus on the America and Western European markets where GPD is higher and people can afford more luxuries. Midrange and low range phones tend to do better in Asian and African markets where gdp is lower.

Plus you brought up the point of the original Nexus line. The budget phones didn't do as well so I assume they researched market share and decided low range/mid range wasn't bringing enough value.

The third part of this: I believe that Googe uses all their hardware to collect data. A lot of this is AI driven with photos and chat. Google keeps touring the awesome image capture abalities which AI needs better photos to help the algorithms. I doubt in a mid/low range phone they can get high quality sample sets for their AI.

A Google fan in France, for instance, could buy a 500€ phone when a mid-class asian could too. While the 1000€ might be affordable only for the european one, so the market share now is smaller. Unless, as you pointed, Google is not targeting all markets for some reason.

Moreover, I do agree that Google collects data for its algorithms, but doesn't it collect them form every Android-powered device? it does, as I think.

 

[Mu Ashiry]

My $0.02 -- it is the "iPhone of Android" to me so that is why I am not surprised on the price.

Obvious, but ignoring a wide sector of mid/low customers is somehow vague, at least for me.

 

[Almeuit]

Obvious, but ignoring a wide sector of mid/low customers is somehow vague, at least for me.

I mean Google wants to sell their phone but this phone is definitely not their bread & butter / money maker so they aren't super concerned about the lower part of the market. They want to be that premium Android phone exactly how they think it should be.

 

[Mu Ashiry]

I mean Google wants to sell their phone but this phone is definitely not their bread & butter / money maker so they aren't super concerned about the lower part of the market. They want to be that premium Android phone exactly how they think it should be.

Makes more sense then!

 

[Law2138]

I mean Google wants to sell their phone but this phone is definitely not their bread & butter / money maker so they aren't super concerned about the lower part of the market. They want to be that premium Android phone exactly how they think it should be.

Agreed. IMO when Google made the transition from Nexus to Pixel there was a ton of unknown for the consumer. I feel like Google has used the Pixel over the past 2 generations to focus on photo quality and build up the brand. So much that when I hear Pixel, I think excellent camera first, and near-stock Android second.
Any commercial or ad we see concerning the Pixel 3 is going to highlight its camera. Not the SD845, not the wireless charging, not the Assistant mode while docked.

If they were to venture into a mid-range device, I don't think they would want it to share the same camera and photo quality as their premium device. And they definitely couldn't call the mid-range anything close to Pixel.

 

[vzwuser76]

There were rumors from between April & June that they're planning to release a mid-range device in the first quarter of next year (most likely to run with the spring models from Samsung, HTC, & LG). According to the rumors, it was supposed to ship with an SD7XX series chip and other cutbacks to bring down the retail price. Of course,one would've thought they would've said something about it at the Pixel event, unless they want to set this device apart from the current Pixel line, like Samsung does with their S and Note series or LG does with their G and V series.

If it's truly in the works, we should start hearing rumors about it in the near future.

Here's a link to an article about it:

https://m.androidcentral.com/googles-mid-range-pixel-phone-come-out-next-year-snapdragon-710

Again, this is purely rumor, but a lot of tech blogs ran articles about it, and we may not have heard more due to the Pixel 3/3XL leaks overshadowing it. Time will tell.

 

[Mu Ashiry]

There were rumors from between April & June that they're planning to release a mid-range device in the first quarter of next year (most likely to run with the spring models from Samsung, HTC, & LG). According to the rumors, it was supposed to ship with an SD7XX series chip and other cutbacks to bring down the retail price. Of course,one would've thought they would've said something about it at the Pixel event, unless they want to set this device apart from the current Pixel line, like Samsung does with their S and Note series or LG does with their G and V series.

If it's truly in the works, we should start hearing rumors about it in the near future.

Here's a link to an article about it:

https://m.androidcentral.com/googles-mid-range-pixel-phone-come-out-next-year-snapdragon-710

Again, this is purely rumor, but a lot of tech blogs ran articles about it, and we may not have heard more due to the Pixel 3/3XL leaks overshadowing it. Time will tell.

We will find a device in a Lyft soon, we don't have to wait to spring

 

[ndonnine]

A Google fan in France, for instance, could buy a 500€ phone when a mid-class asian could too. While the 1000€ might be affordable only for the european one, so the market share now is smaller. Unless, as you pointed, Google is not targeting all markets for some reason.

Moreover, I do agree that Google collects data for its algorithms, but doesn't it collect them form every Android-powered device? it does, as I think.

When I say Asian market I'm talking all of Asia. Most of China can't afford an expensive phone while you look to India Nokia is owning the market due to cheap phones.

 

[Ziich47]

I think they are focusing on building the brand recognition. They want to be known as the best of your best with the iPhones and Samsung Galaxy S's . Since they are also focusing on the west we attribute quality to price of one is more expensive than the other then we believe or is better. Not always true but since we live on credit we don't really care . What's the difference between $30 a month and $40?. It's not like they forgot about the mid to low range.

I would recommend Android one or last years devices. Both would get you the os experience you desire at a more affordable price