According to Nikkei, Google plans to increase its smartphone shipments in conjunction with the launch of the Pixel 6. According to Nikkei, Google has ordered more 7 million Pixel 6 smartphones. This would roughly double its 2020 production. Nikkei quotes figures from IDC that Google made 3.7 million smartphones last year.
According to Nikkei the increase in shipments will not be due to the Pixel 6, but also the lower-end Pixel 5A. It was released earlier this year and is believed to have received over 5 million orders. Google will more than triple its 2020 smartphone production with the Pixel 6 (which will be revealed in full later today).
Nikkei reports Google is trying to take advantage of its position as the US's only manufacturer of Android smartphones and expand market share after the collapse of Huaweis mobile company. According to reports, the company is targeting Apple, Samsung and Xiaomi, three of the top vendors. The Pixel will still be far behind, as Apple is expected to ship around 80 million iPhone 13 units by 2021.
Google's Pixel phones are generally well-received due to their camera and software design. However, they have sometimes had their quirks and never sold in sufficient volume to have a significant impact on the entire industry. The US Pixel market share is behind the likes Lenovo, LG and OnePlus. Samsung and Apple are in a completely different league.
The Pixel 6 and 6 Pro details have been widely distributed, including by Google. Official launch of the phones is scheduled for today at 1PM ET. Yesterday Target leaks pricing information that suggests the Pixel 6 line will begin at $599. It would further prove Google's efforts to expand its market share. The Pixel 5 was a mid-range device with specs that were relatively average and cost $699.
According to Nikkei, Google is also developing a new Pixelbook laptop that runs ChromeOS. The details of the product are not known, but Nikkei notes its earlier reporting that Google was creating its own chips for Chromebooks. The Pixel 6 and 6 Pro will use the Tensor SoC developed by Google.
