Google introduced Pixel as its own lineup of smartphones in 2016. It replaced the company’s Nexus series of handsets, which was the result of partnerships with leading Android OEMs. Since its inception, these phones are being sold in India. However, despite being in the market for nearly seven years, the search giant has made no […]
Google introduced Pixel as its own lineup of smartphones in 2016. It replaced the company’s Nexus series of handsets, which was the result of partnerships with leading Android OEMs.
Since its inception, these phones are being sold in India. However, despite being in the market for nearly seven years, the search giant has made no significant progress.
On the other hand, several other newcomers like Realme, Poco, and iQOO that entered India after 2016 have been quite successful in the region. If you were to argue that these are budget brands, it is worth adding that Google’s premium competitors like Apple, Samsung, and OnePlus have also done fairly well in the country.
So why Google is struggling in India? I try my best to answer this question in this opinion piece.India is a budget-conscious market
India is a developing nation. Though the phone penetration rate is nearing the 80% mark, not all handsets used by people are smartphones.
India is one of the largest feature phone markets in the world. As per IDC, in 2022 alone, companies shipped around 57 million units of feature phones in the country. That’s about 28% of the total mobile shipments (201 million) last year.
Thus, to garner market share, OEMs have to release handsets in the budget segment, especially the entry-level. This helps them to target low-income consumers as well as first-time smartphone buyers who are switching from feature phones.
For the last few quarters, this segment is struggling as brands are unable to produce this type of phones due to the current global economic scene.
