Google Launches Pixel 4a, a $349 iPhone SE Competitor

[InGen]

You won’t be hearing “I can save $50 by buying the Google phone”
You will be hearing “I can pay just $50 more and get an Apple iPhone“

 

[thejadedmonkey]

Lets see the intangibles, like how easy is it to break? The last generation Pixel 3a had a rediculously thin and easy to break screen, and an ridiculously complex repair process.

 

[cocky jeremy]

Junk. Tiny screen. Small battery. Outdated CPU, not much storage... hard pass.

 

[gaximus]

If they slid the screen down into that massive chin, they could put the camera above the screen without changing the size of the phone or screen and also not have a useless chin. It would have a slight forehead, but it would have a useful camera in it.

 

[Spock]

It’s time for Apple to go all in on OLED and stop using it as a premium feature. The iPhone SE would be killer with an OLED display. That’s the only thing that I find better than the SE with this phone.

 

[1144557]

I think that’s because you’re interpreting it as meaning a good competitor. Even if you’re right about the SE/OnePlus being better options (which I think you are) it’s more that Google has positioned this as a competitor (or vice versa with the SE and 3a).

I guess...It would be like putting a Nissan Leaf starting at $31,500 against a Telse Model 3 starting at $37,500. The Tesla is obviously WAY more "techy" and futuristic for the small price percent increase. Worth the extra few bucks (in terms of % increase, not that 6 grand is a drop in the bucket)

I wouldnt consider the Leaf a good Tesla competitor just because they both happen to be electric with 4 wheels. IF you just want the cheapest electric car without any other factors, then sure, it's a cheaper competitor.

The CPU is also really low spec on this thing which is an odd choice vs using the 765G all those mid-rangers are using now. Lower CPU and GPU specs toward the low end of the 700 chips.

It appears that Google delayed this far too long; the "A" series usually comes out in spring.

 

[malkovich87]

Considering that all those Pixel phones are designed for is collecting data and sending it off to the interwebs, Google should hand them out for free. They’d literally have to pay me if they want me to use one of those.

 

[Maschil]

Too bad Apple doesn’t have a low cost all screen model.

Don’t know why they didn’t just keep the X and Xs around at a reduced cost.

because people like me would just buy that instead of the xr for 200 dollars more

 

[yakapo]

It won’t have all the bloatware that other android phones come with. Plus it’s OLED. Not bad. I’d rather buy a used iPhone for the money. I wonder if we will see a $299 iPhone?

 

[1144557]

because people like me would just buy that instead of the xr for 200 dollars more

Exactly, plus scale. You have to sell a boatload more $350 devices to make the same profit as much fewer $750-1000 devices (or even $600 range)

Apple simply doesnt want to cater to the low end market; there isnt huge profits there per customer. The SE is the best compromise I think you will see.

Most of these $300-400 phones if you break them you are SOL; no support, no stores, notta nothing. You are on your own for that price as that support costs $$ and thus profits.

Thats why these Chinese companies can sell $300-500 phones all day and make money. Plus you get 1 maybe 2 OS updates; no development cost.


Here's the other value proposition issue. You can buy a $700 iphone 11 (or 12 which will be OLED and 5G and somewhere around that price) but getting 5 years of updates/support. So that is costing you $140/year. That is less per year cost than most of these $350-500 phones that will get 1-2 years. This one gets you 3, sure, but will the hardware last you 3 considering the low end processor and no 5G which you will want in a few years (the 5G 4A is rumored to be $150 more which isnt that great a deal then)

 

[the 12th Doctor]

Google will brag that it has a headphone jack

 

[daftpunker909]

If they slid the screen down into that massive chin, they could put the camera above the screen without changing the size of the phone or screen and also not have a useless chin. It would have a slight forehead, but it would have a useful camera in it.

you must be talking about the iPhone SE right?

 

[4jasontv]

Google should just offer free phones every 24 months (just like they offer free search, free gmail, youtube, etc.) since they make so much money off the user's data.

OOO. No. I am going to disagree with this. Making people pay something for your product infuses it with value to the user. If people don't pay for the device than they will think it is a free phone and treat it such it won't last two years. If they pay something than they will take better care of it and Google can profit more off fewer units being retained for longer.

The trick to pricing is figuring out how much to charge to maximize units sold and held per revenue generated per time. When devices were cheaper this was Verizon's bread and butter. They charged so much for service they could afford to give phones away knowing that they would end up replacing them sooner than 2 years but each time ensuring they got 2 more years out of the customer. Their service contract was so lucrative they could pay reps the same for a contract renewal as a new customer. But as prices went up they had less room to work with and eventually switched from a free phone to a set device discount and finally they had to restructure how they paid employees.

 

[Sakurambo-kun]

Funny how even a discount Android device these days has no notch. Apple, get better.

 

[gaximus]

you must be talking about the iPhone SE right?

The SE doesn't claim to be all screen, or cut a hole in the screen for something that could fit in the bezels. But yes, the SE needs to be updated to an all screen iPhone.

 

[Constable Odo]

Just throw it out there and see if it sticks. I'm sure there are plenty of low-cost competitors for the iPhone SE if a person wants to use Android OS. I'm sure this Pixel must be a decent smartphone if you just want the basics and a good camera. I would think there are many other Android smartphones that would be more competitive to this Pixel 4a than the iPhone SE. Either you want to be in the Apple ecosystem or you don't. I guess this Pixel 4a is for people who don't care what OS they're going to use and are only concerned about paying a low price. I'm not into smartphone snobbery. Consumers should buy whatever smartphone they think suits their needs and their affordability. Google is not going to beat the iPhone SE in sales with this Pixel 4a if that's what they're thinking.

Apple can afford to do whatever it wants as Apple Silicon is going to have a huge economy of scale by next year. Apple SoCs in all of its products is just an insane advantage. Even Apple's cheapest smartphones can have a crazy amount of processing power whether the user needs it or not. Flagship processing power in a mid-range smartphone is something that Android smartphone makers are not going to be able to match.

 

[jcbauerca]

My company uses G Suite and all of Googles products so this phone is perfect for me. Just hope the battery last longer vs the all the previous Pixels.

 

[DeputyFife]

Google is a very different company from Apple, this is their SE competitor and there is a market for it. Looks like a good phone, but yes SE is superior (we are an Apple forum group after all). However I am a little bit jealous of the capabilities of the “new Google Assistant” the contextual on screen awareness and the deep integration with phone functions all by voice still puts Siri to shame (to say nothing of its obviously vast knowledge base). However, iOS 14 has improved the Siri UI, and the Assistant alone is not enough to save the 4a from the SE‘s far superior chip, build quality, and iOS.

 

[Aston441]

It’s time for Apple to go all in on OLED and stop using it as a premium feature. The iPhone SE would be killer with an OLED display. That’s the only thing that I find better than the SE with this phone.

i bought an SE20 precisely because it DOES NOT have OLED.

also, isn't the SE camera somehow much better than the 8 camera? i remember reading that somewhere

in any case, the SE camera blows me away how good it is, especially compared to my 6s+

 

[Detonation]

Has no one been able to fold the display controller like Apple? Maybe they have a patent? It's not all screen, look at the chin.

What were you expecting for $349? The $1000+ flagships can do it but you're not going to get that at this price point.

 

[Spock]

i bought an SE20 precisely because it DOES NOT have OLED.

also, isn't the SE camera somehow much better than the 8 camera? i remember reading that somewhere

in any case, the SE camera blows me away how good it is, especially compared to my 6s+

You weren’t limited to the SE, the 11 and XR have LED screens as well. Do you see the flicker? I can see it sometimes, especially while scrolling text and it does make my eyes hurt sometimes. I’m also conscious of screen burn more so than my iPhone 8.

 

[DevNull0]

$349 sounds pretty good. How much is it without all that Google spyware?

I'll keep my iPhone, it's far, far cheaper factoring in all the currencies I care about.

 

[satchmo]

Exactly, plus scale. You have to sell a boatload more $350 devices to make the same profit as much fewer $750-1000 devices (or even $600 range)

Apple simply doesnt want to cater to the low end market; there isnt huge profits there per customer. The SE is the best compromise I think you will see.

Most of these $300-400 phones if you break them you are SOL; no support, no stores, notta nothing. You are on your own for that price as that support costs $$ and thus profits.

Thats why these Chinese companies can sell $300-500 phones all day and make money. Plus you get 1 maybe 2 OS updates; no development cost.


Here's the other value proposition issue. You can buy a $700 iphone 11 (or 12 which will be OLED and 5G and somewhere around that price) but getting 5 years of updates/support. So that is costing you $140/year. That is less per year cost than most of these $350-500 phones that will get 1-2 years. This one gets you 3, sure, but will the hardware last you 3 considering the low end processor and no 5G which you will want in a few years (the 5G 4A is rumored to be $150 more which isnt that great a deal then)

Yet the SE is exactly just that. They simply shoehorned a newer processor into an existing form factor and slapped on a different back case.

Instead, why not keep the X, Xr and Xs around. They have the molds and parts. In fact, they would have charged more than $399 and made even more margin. Now would it have sold as well as the SE? Perhaps not...but as you said, they wouldn't have to sell as many.

I would have much preferred they not play that game that only 'premium' phones get an all screen design. Those who prefer bezels could have simply gone with an iPhone 8.

 

[macfacts]

Considering that all those Pixel phones are designed for is collecting data and sending it off to the interwebs, Google should hand them out for free. They’d literally have to pay me if they want me to use one of those.

Consider the low taxes, cheap manufacturing costs and rent apples pays, they should be giving away for free those iPhones.

 

[BittenApple]

Yet the SE is exactly just that. They simply shoehorned a newer processor into an existing form factor and slapped on a different back case.

Instead, why not keep the X, Xr and Xs around. They have the molds and parts. In fact, they would have charged more than $399 and made even more margin. Now would it have sold as well as the SE? Perhaps not...but as you said, they wouldn't have to sell as many.

I would have much preferred they not play that game that only 'premium' phones get an all screen design. Those who prefer bezels could have simply gone with an iPhone 8.

Because Apple aims at a market (of millions of existing customers with older iPhones) that also wants a home button.