Why Shipping Delays?

[preeble]

What makes these phones so different/difficult to manufacture that Google couldn’t stockpile these for launch? The chipset isn’t new and there really isn’t any other groundbreaking technology in these phones.

Perhaps they were just behind in their product cycle and didn’t want to lose out to the iPhone?

 

[dsignori]

It is pretty mystifying, I agree, though truly nothing new for Google. You'd think after failing so many years in a row, they would do what they do best - iterate. But it's the same, year over year. Bungled launches, low stock. Rinse , repeat.

Other carriers plan a release, announce a release, launch the phone and have stock to sell. Apparently this is rocket science for Google Oh well.

 

[ihbsbA]

what I don't understand is that I ordered the black XL 128 which showed "in stock" and it won't ship until the 24th?

 

[openwheelracing]

I know, it should be as easy as typing on your phone....right?

 

[hal1]

I'm going to ask the same not so rhetorical question I asked before. Would everybody prefer if they didn't announce a launch ahead of time, and then, November third, just make the announcement and start selling them?

Think of it this way, there's no shortage or delay, but rather they're just not selling them until November okay so some in October

 

[dsignori]

I think it's easy to Monday morning QB Google launches until you are sitting in the hot seat. Apple can't even get it right.

The government pays millions, if not billions to the defense contractors and the airframes they manufacturer are never completed on time. Unforeseen circumstances occur. I don't lose sleep over it.

Google outsources everything to manufacture and ship their phones. Crap happens.

Except for LG at times, they all get it right. Except Google. Samsung gets it right, Apple gets it right (both with a MUCH MUCH larger demand than Google has, maybe x 100). Everyone has blips, but Google never gets it right. If you want to argue this is normal for everyone, you're not paying attention. It is normal for Google though.

 

[openwheelracing]

iPhone X announced. Long wait. Delayed.

Everyone does it right?

 

[Scottie15]

Exactly. IPhone X was announced and I STILL don't see any news about them. Meanwhile, the iPhone 8 is already out.

 

[Joe the Insider]

Guys, Seriously.. This has been happening to Apple for over 10 years. It's nothing new in the tech world. It's even happening to Samsung with the Note 8, just check the forums.

I don't think Google understood how popular the Pixel had gotten to be honest. I honestly believe in 2-3 years They'll be battling Samsung and Apple.

 

[JHBThree]

Exactly. IPhone X was announced and I STILL don't see any news about them. Meanwhile, the iPhone 8 is already out.

Apple announced a release date for the X at the same time as the 8, it's just a month later. It's also later and will be supply constrained for the EXACT reason that Google has trouble keeping pixels in stock.

 

[JHBThree]

What makes these phones so different/difficult to manufacture that Google couldn’t stockpile these for launch? The chipset isn’t new and there really isn’t any other groundbreaking technology in these phones.

Perhaps they were just behind in their product cycle and didn’t want to lose out to the iPhone?

It's OLED display constraints and always has been. Google can't build them if they don't have all of the components. (This was part of the reason they invested heavily in LG's display business)

 

[firebirder]

It's OLED display constraints and always has been. Google can't build them if they don't have all of the components. (This was part of the reason they invested heavily in LG's display business)

This and look and look at it for a business perspective. Would you (Google) rather underestimate and have some delays or overestimate and have supply sitting on shelves. Every company will choose the first.

 

[JHBThree]

This and look and look at it for a business perspective. Would you (Google) rather underestimate and have some delays or overestimate and have supply sitting on shelves. Every company will choose the first.

Pretty much yup. They seem to be managing he stock far better so far than last year or any year prior.

 

[anon(10274434)]

Guys, Seriously.. This has been happening to Apple for over 10 years. It's nothing new in the tech world. It's even happening to Samsung with the Note 8, just check the forums.

I don't think Google understood how popular the Pixel had gotten to be honest. I honestly believe in 2-3 years They'll be battling Samsung and Apple.

I like your thinking.

 

[popkurn611]

Guys, Seriously.. This has been happening to Apple for over 10 years. It's nothing new in the tech world. It's even happening to Samsung with the Note 8, just check the forums.

I don't think Google understood how popular the Pixel had gotten to be honest. I honestly believe in 2-3 years They'll be battling Samsung and Apple.

It’s really odd to me because we all know that it is always bound to happen with Apple. But, it happened last year with the pixel and is happening this year with the pixel 2, yet I don’t see many people walking around my area with pixels!

Maybe google just makes nowhere near as many units as other manufacturers??

 

[dcemureviews]

video game consoles have been the same since 2005. new releases have had shortages.

 

[JHBThree]

It’s really odd to me because we all know that it is always bound to happen with Apple. But, it happened last year with the pixel and is happening this year with the pixel 2, yet I don’t see many people walking around my area with pixels!

Maybe google just makes nowhere near as many units as other manufacturers??

You skipped over posts that explain exactly why. OLED displays are the reason for the constraints.

 

[JHBThree]

1. Google doesn't manufacturer anything.

2. HTC/LG performs the manufacturing piece.

3. They learned through the acquisition of Motorola how the smartphone business runs. Google was able to design their own business model by looking at Motorola especially for the manufacturing pieces, components, and hardware. I'm pretty sure Google made some tweaks and learned from Apple too.

4. The smartphone business can be extremely costly if you don't contract out opposed to handling everything yourself.

5. I surmise that maybe Google bought LG on board because HTC can't handle a large volume of Pixel 2 and 2 XL phones. When was the last time HTC had to meet a large volume of demand for 2 phones, let alone one? The HTC EVO in 2010 was probably their last most popular phone?

Nothing to do with that actually. The first pixels weren't constrained by HTC's manufacturing capacity, they were constrained by the ability of Samsung to get them enough OLED displays. HTC can't build them for Google if they don't have all the components. This is also why they switched to LG this year, because LG is supplying OLEDs to Google now, and I'm sure having LG build the 2XL allowed them to secure a more steady supply of panels from LG display. (Also keep in mind HTC was originally going to build BOTH pixels this year again, but Google also wanted an 18:9 screen as well)

 

[JHBThree]

That makes no sense. You have the panels so you might as well build the phones? Samsung ships panels for Apple. Apple doesn't say, while you're at it please build our phone too. This stuff doesn't happen at the last minute.

It makes perfect sense when you also consider Google invested almost a billion dollars in LG Display. But you're also not understanding what I'm saying, given your response. When LG is also building the phone, they may give priority to pixel screen shipments that they otherwise might not consider. Similar to how Samsung gives priority to it's own devices before shipping screens to other manufacturers.

 

[JHBThree]

I understand your backwards premise. But it still doesn't make any logical sense. That's not how a business or manufacturering process works. The details are worked out a year or more prior to execution. "LG may give Google priority." Why would any company do that without an incentive? Making panels aren't free or cheap for that matter.

I have a masters in business and a bachelors in communications and your assumptions go totally against how corporations run. This isn't a tv movie. They make contracts for a reason and stick to them. All the legal paperwork have to be signed and stamped well in advance. Then firing up the factory. You're not making money if it's sitting idle.

LG is in Korea and HTC is in Taiwan. They are practically neighbors. The panels arriving in Taiwan would take a little over 2 hours. Even if the panels were produced in China, doesn't take long at all to get them to Taiwan by ship or flight.

The incentive is LG getting the money for building the 2XL. We know LG was contracted to build a third pixel device this year, with the original plan being for two HTC 16:9 devices and a third 18:9 LG model. The bigger HTC got canceled. Part of what factored into Google's decision to go with LG for that third device during the planning phase was certainly the ability to secure a steady supply of 18:9 OLED displays, as was their decision to invest heavily into LG Display. Google also no doubt heard from HTC how difficult it was to secure large supplies of 18:9 displays, which HTC was unable to do for the U11.

You also seem to be unaware of how difficult it is to manufacture OLED displays. Sure, contracts can be signed, but there is ALWAYS going to be some variability in the production rate due to the difficulty in making them. This issue is well known. Besides, if Google planned for 100,000 devices, with an estimated number each month, but they actually sold 150,000, that's 50,000 extra displays that Samsung has to manufacture within the bounds of their contract with Google and anyone else buying their panels. You also have to keep in mind that Samsung usually gives it's own devices priority for panels, and has limited supplies for buyers as a result. (Then you have companies like Apple, which pay billions to ensure that they also have priority for their components too)