Google seeks to double sales of its smartphones next year
According to analytics firm Canalys, shipments of Pixel phones reached 6.2 million units during the second half of 2021 through the first half of 2022. That was a healthy increase of 130% from the 2.7 million Pixel units shipped during the same time period the previous year. Canalys analyst Runar Bjorhovde says, “Google has invested significantly into a few key markets where it has been able to grow significantly. The U.S. is the best example of this.” The analyst adds that the Pixel is also doing well in the U.K. and Japan.
Lam noted that Google might be handicapped because increasing Pixel sales could complicate the company’s relationship with competitors that use Google’s Android operating system. “For Google, hardware is just a means to show off and promote their software and software businesses,” Lam added. “Pixel served as a showcase of everything Google, all of its AI capabilities.”