Google is playing on a lot of fronts in India — there's the Android Go initiative for the entry-level segment, Android One phones tailored for budget customers, and the Pixel 2 series in the premium category. It now looks like the search giant is working on a mid-range Pixel tailored for emerging markets like India. That's according to Economic Times, which states that the phone will be making its debut around July or August.
We don't have any details regarding features or specs, but it makes sense for Google to compete in the mid-range segment. After all, the Nexus series did remarkably well in India, and that spot has now been taken up by OnePlus, which counts India as its largest global market.
Aside from the mid-range Pixel phone, Google is reportedly looking to expand its product portfolio in the country, bringing the Google Home, Google Wifi, and the Pixelbook to India. From ET:
Google is excited about the expansion of the consumer products business in India with the advent of the cheap 4G internet led by Reliance Jio and other operators which it says will help to realise maximum potential of these products.
The company is also set to expand its retail footprint and aggressively market its products to take on the likes of Samsung and Apple. We've already seen that to some extent with the Pixel 2, which had better retail presence from the first-generation model. It looks like Google is set to build on that and establish itself its brand in the country:
Their hardware distributor Redington will expand brick-and-mortar distribution reach. Google will also do in-store branding and signage in selected stores, and set up exclusive zones with specially designed fixtures like Apple.
It'll be interesting to see if the mid-range Pixel actually comes to fruition. What would you like to see from such a device?
