"Premium" Pixel successor confirmed for this year

[midian182]

With most companies releasing a new version of their flagship smartphones every year, it was expected that Google would follow the trend by unveiling the Pixel 2 in 2017. At Mobile World Congress, senior vice president of hardware at Google, Rick Osterloh, confirmed there would be new versions of the popular handsets released before year’s end.

Speaking to AndroidPit, Osterloh said: “There is an annual rhythm in the industry. So, you can count on us to follow it […] You can count on a successor this year, even if you don't hear a date from me now."

As the first Pixel arrived in October 2016, you can expect its successor to launch around the same period this year, which is also the time Apple’s $1000 iPhone 8 is expected. It’ll certainly be interesting to see the two handsets go head-to-head, and both may have to contend with Samsung’s Galaxy Note 8 - set for release sometime during the last quarter of 2017.

Back in January, there were rumors of another Pixel phone, this one a low-end device designed for emerging markets, being released alongside or just after the Pixel 2 and Pixel XL 2. However, Osterloh stated that “Pixel stays premium,” suggesting there won’t be a budget option available.

9to5Google – responsible for the first report - still believes the company will produce a cheap handset, but it won’t be a Pixel-branded one. Given the popularity of such devices in regions like India, don’t be surprised to see Google bring out a low-end phone purposely for these areas.

We still don’t know much about the Pixel 2, other than some pretty obvious expectations: latest Snapdragon SoC, waterproofing, a better camera with multiple features, etc. But expect to find out more over the coming months.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/68383-premium-pixel-successor-confirmed-year.html

 

[Kibaruk]

The Pixel was praised on launch but soon after users started to complain a lot on bugs and shortcomings of the device, I had really high hopes on a Google phone but the last couple of statements turned me off big time, along with the super expensive price tag even for a flagship smartphone because it was the first from the company.

I don't know how to feel about a second generation. Do bring in more of the Nexus line.

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

What's so "premium" about the current Pixel apart from it's daft price? It's no better than, and in some cases, worse than the competition. It's only real redeeming feature is stock Android OS without a ton of crapware (although it's overloaded with a lot of irrelevant Google apps for most users) as far as I'm concerned.

 

[Theinsanegamer]

So, by a "premium" pixel successor, do they mean a $800 successor to a $650 phone with all the problems of a $300 device?

 

[Nobina]

Price is what makes a product "premium" now, nothing else and it seems like people are ok with it. Good for Google and other companies of the sort, it's what they want.

 

[RevD14]

I feel like they are seeing how far they can push the price on these before people stop buying them. The sad thing is I don't think people will stop buying them even at these crazy prices. I'm probably not gonna get a new smartphone for a while now.

 

[Kibaruk]

Well... flash storage is crazy priced as you start pushing above 32gb (At least the fast ones that won't bottleneck the phone's performance). You also have to consider the lenses used by the cameras, so on so forth.

 

[dirtyferret]

Get a nexus 6p, half the price, great reviews, same clean Android OS. There are now so many good phones under $500 that these flagship phones are becoming nothing more then luxury show off items.

 

[petert]

Get a nexus 6p, half the price, great reviews, same clean Android OS. There are now so many good phones under $500 that these flagship phones are becoming nothing more then luxury show off items.

I am not sure - I think nexus 6p is gonna reach the end of its update life cycle this year.

 

[petert]

The Pixel was praised on launch but soon after users started to complain a lot on bugs and shortcomings of the device, I had really high hopes on a Google phone but the last couple of statements turned me off big time, along with the super expensive price tag even for a flagship smartphone because it was the first from the company.

I don't know how to feel about a second generation. Do bring in more of the Nexus line.

The so called Pixel praise was a hysteria propagated by reviewers - I knew better since I owned most of the Nexus line and their perfomance never matched the reviewers claims. I was quite dissapointed as the Pixel was an overpriced handset with no innovation whatsoever (basically an Iphone with Android) and the nexus line was the only one with a consistent update policy in the Android world. I strongly suspect an aggresive marketing campaign in which the Google PR have pushed their relations with IT media to get crap published like "the best camera" for example.

 

[dirtyferret]

I am not sure - I think nexus 6p is gonna reach the end of its update life cycle this year.

Still a good phone for under $400

 

[Andrey Medvedev]

I feel like they are seeing how far they can push the price on these before people stop buying them.

Well, yeah. That's what every company wants to do - find the absolute maximum price at which people are still going to buy their product. Kind of the point.

 

[RevD14]

Well, yeah. That's what every company wants to do - find the absolute maximum price at which people are still going to buy their product. Kind of the point.

Ha true.

 

[mojorisin23]

I love Google's innovation and drive, but feel like all of their products have poor follow through