Google's Planning a Cheaper Smartphone to Rival iPhone XR

[MacRumors]

Google is planning to unveil a cheaper smartphone as part of an aggressive effort to draw more users into the Google ecosystem and to better compete with Apple, according to a recent report from Nikkei.

Google is said to be planning to exploit Apple's current pricing issues. Apple suffered poorer iPhone sales than expected during the holiday quarter, and one major factor was the high cost of iPhones around the world.

Google's alleged low-cost smartphone, via Andro News​

Google's upcoming smartphone will be priced similarly to Apple's iPhone XR, which costs $749 for the entry-level model in the United States. Google is targeting customers looking for a more affordable smartphone option and customers in emerging markets where higher-priced smartphones don't sell well.

Prior Google smartphones, such as the latest Pixel, have started at higher prices. The 2018 Pixel 3 released in October was priced starting at $799.

Along with a new lower-cost smartphone, Google is planning on hardware that includes new smart speakers, wearables, and web cameras. Google has been planning its hardware push for years and has scooped up hundreds of hardware engineers and supply chain specialists from Apple.

Google wants to use Google-branded hardware to push various Google services, a tactic that has been successful for Apple.

Alleged photos of Google's lower-cost Pixel smartphone surfaced earlier this year, depicting a device that looks a lot like the Pixel 3 but with a plastic shell.

Rumors have suggested the smartphone will feature 1 5.56-inch 2,220 x 1,080 LCD display instead of an OLED panel, along with a Snapdragon 670 processor, 32GB of storage, a headphone jack, 4GB of RAM, the same high-quality 12-megapixel camera that's in the Pixel 3, and a 2,915mAh battery.

It's not entirely clear when Google will debut the new lower cost smartphone, but one solid guess is Google I/O, which will take place in May.

Article Link: Google's Planning a Cheaper Smartphone to Rival iPhone XR

 

[9081094]

Won’t be that hard for Google to bring a cheaper but more capable device to market than iPhone XR.

 

[Swift]

Copycat, copycat, oh, copy copycat.

Google is now in the upper tier of phones. They'll get to $700. But they won't have a custom chip that beats everyone. Where are their stores? If it breaks, how do you get it repaired?

Meanwhile, they'll never make the cheap ones the cheaper networks give away.

 

[jayducharme]

So how is releasing a device at the same price as the XR going to attract people looking for a cheaper phone?

 

[341328]

This article is weird.

You say... “Apple suffered poorer iPhone sales than expected during the holiday quarter, and one major factor was the high cost of iPhones around the world.”

And then say how a low cost android phone priced the same as XR will win sales.

 

[KPandian1]

It is from Google - easy to be cheaper than even the iPhone XR in all manner, not just the cost. Lets start with the OS … and leave it there.

 

[9081094]

Remember the words only Apple is able to bring streamlined hard- and software to market? People laughed when others brought hardware to market and saying only Apple was able to integrate their hard- and software.
Seems the other way around these days.

In the meantime Apple will go from a two year to a three year release for phones and same for laptops and Macs. For the powermac....???

 

[Baymowe335]

Won’t be that hard for Google to bring a cheaper but more capable device to market than iPhone XR.

Based on what? Their bang up success of the Pixel line?

Google’s offering doesn’t compete with Apple because it runs Android, not iOS. Google is competing with other Android phones and barely making an impact there.

 

[spacemnspiff]

Why is the Pixel not cheaper since the OS is barter for data mining? Pixel line of phones should be half the price of what they are because of free OS or Google is charging too much and Apple is charging too little for their phones.

 

[9081094]

Based on what? Their bang up success of the Pixel line?

Google’s offering doesn’t compete with Apple because it runs Android, not iOS. Google is competing with other Android phones and barely making an impact there.

Haven’t you used or seen the latest Androids recently? There isn’t that much of a difference anymore. Google phones are able to get the latest Android version like iPhones with iOS does.
The majority of people actually prefer Android over iOS when giving the choice. So if Apple doesn’t up the ante a bit, I’ve my doubts about Apple staying a meaningful brand in phones in the future.

 

[spacemnspiff]

Remember the words only Apple is able to bring streamlined hard- and software to market? People laughed when others brought hardware to market and saying only Apple was able to integrate their hard- and software.
Seems the other way around these days.

One of may reasons, iPhones have the smallest batteries and still last longer than the hardware and software dysfunction, i.e. Android phones.

 

[apolloa]

Yes Google it’s not hard, not hard at all, it’s called the Nexus range, remember that?... it’s the level you should have stayed at!!

 

[awer25]

So how is releasing a device at the same price as the XR going to attract people looking for a cheaper phone?

Exactly my thoughts. I'd be willing to bet that very few people planning on buying an iPhone Xr are going to switch to Google because it's the same price. I expected a cheap phone, but this is just Google lowering their entry price from $799 to $749 to "compete" with iPhone. If they really want to compete, they should release it at $499.

 

[apolloa]

Why is the Pixel not cheaper since the OS is barter for data mining? Pixel line of phones should be half the price of what they are because of free OS or Google is charging too much and Apple is charging too little for their phones.

So according to you, Apple is charging too little for its iPhones? Please do tell why you think that?

 

[Baymowe335]

Haven’t you used or seen the latest Androids recently? There isn’t that much of a difference anymore. Google phones are able to get the latest Android version like iPhones with iOS does.
The majority of people actually prefer Android over iOS when giving the choice. So if Apple doesn’t up the ante a bit, I’ve my doubts about Apple staying a meaningful brand in phones in the future.

Yes there is. Google still tracks your every move. I would never go back to Android until they at least pretend to care about privacy. They make no qualms about data collecting.

Apple may have a few bugs, but they are committed to keeping your data secure and private. This doesn’t mean they won’t make mistakes...they have, but I prefer a company where I am not the product.

Understand?

Your comment that majority prefer Android over iOS is baseless and untrue.

 

[MoJoRo]

Remember the words only Apple is able to bring streamlined hard- and software to market? People laughed when others brought hardware to market and saying only Apple was able to integrate their hard- and software.
Seems the other way around these days.

Google has had a decent number of hardware issues with their Pixel phones (in addition to lots of software issues), so I don't know that your case is really being made here. And if you have to deal with their support, they are TERRIBLE. Bad enough to make my wife get an iPhone, and she hates everything Apple.

 

[9081094]

Yes there is. Google still tracks your every move. I would never go back to Android until they at least pretend to care about privacy. They make no qualms about data collecting.

Apple may have a few bugs, but they are committed to keeping your data secure and private. This doesn’t mean they won’t make mistakes...they have, but I prefer a company where I am not the product.

Understand?

Your comment that majority prefer Android over iOS is baseless and untrue.

Well, maybe in the USA where Apple services work. At work we get an iPhone 8 and I know several colleagues who don’t use it because they don’t like how iOS works. Believe it or not, it’s true. Also the services on Android, like assistant, cloud, maps are so much better compared to Apple offerings.
85% in the world is using Android and not all those people have cheap phones.

 

[Pakaku]

Google's upcoming smartphone will be priced similarly to Apple's iPhone XR, which costs $749 for the entry-level model in the United States. Google is targeting customers looking for a more affordable smartphone option and customers in emerging markets where higher-priced smartphones don't sell well.

Google and Apple are so out of touch that it's making me far too angry over this than I should be...

 

[jackietreeh0rn]

Yes there is. Google still tracks your every move. I would never go back to Android until they at least pretend to care about privacy. They make no qualms about data collecting.

Apple may have a few bugs, but they are committed to keeping your data secure and private. This doesn’t mean they won’t make mistakes...they have, but I prefer a company where I am not the product.

Understand?

Your comment that majority prefer Android over iOS is baseless and untrue.

//Your comment that majority prefer Android over iOS is baseless and untrue.
Probably going by the market share, wouldn't that be easy to say?

 

[341328]

The pixel 3 XL is the most disgusting looking phone I’ve seen in years.

The ugly notch shape plus chin. OMG. I throw up a little whenever I see it.

 

[9081094]

Google has had a decent number of hardware issues with their Pixel phones (in addition to lots of software issues), so I don't know that your case is really being made here. And if you have to deal with their support, they are TERRIBLE. Bad enough to make my wife get an iPhone, and she hates everything Apple.

I think we get the same service from Apple in our country here as google services over there. I’m curious why your wife hates all things Apple though.

 

[341328]

“Juli is a Senior Editor at MacRumors”... man, the standards are dropping.

This article is terrible.

 

[keysofanxiety]

Google has had a decent number of hardware issues with their Pixel phones (in addition to lots of software issues), so I don't know that your case is really being made here. And if you have to deal with their support, they are TERRIBLE. Bad enough to make my wife get an iPhone, and she hates everything Apple.

Yep, can attest. Bloke at work had the Pixel 2 XL. Smashed the screen.

2-3 week repair time (UK). And it cost around £250 (direct from Google, else their warranty would be void with a 3rd party repair), which is about as much as “eye-gouging Apple” charge.

Every flagship-Android user I know seems to gloat, unprompted, about not being stupid enough to pay £1000 for an iPhone X. Yet they’re paying just as much for their Google/Samsung flagship phone and it comes with an armload of privacy issues, considerably worse aftersales support, and its specs can’t even touch the A-series SoC.

I really have to wonder what they’re so smug about. Congratulations. You’ve avoided buying from one massive corporation by spending the same amount of money with an equally massive corporation instead. Talk about being off the grid.

 

[genovelle]

Haven’t you used or seen the latest Androids recently? There isn’t that much of a difference anymore. Google phones are able to get the latest Android version like iPhones with iOS does.
The majority of people actually prefer Android over iOS when giving the choice. So if Apple doesn’t up the ante a bit, I’ve my doubts about Apple staying a meaningful brand in phones in the future.

You do realize Apple dominates in full on smartphones in markets were there is a choice. People who know better do not prefer Android.

 

[keysofanxiety]

You do realize Apple dominates in full on smartphones in markets were there is a choice. People who know better do not prefer Android.

You couldn’t be more wrong. Pros do things like customise their phone icons and set interactive screensavers.

Only suckers with iToys would buy a Fisher-Price iPoop to help with things like graphics design, animation, or construction. Those dumb iSheep.