Skip to main content

The Pixel 6 is facing a lot of criticism, but that's good for Google

Google has a strong fanbase that expects a lot from it.

A heightened level of public and media scrutiny towards a new flagship phone isn't unusual, experts say. But some agree that there has been an extra level of criticism towards some of the hardware and software features on Google's Pixel 6 lineup, and that's because of how much the company has created hype for these new phones.

Google's Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro were announced about a month ago, and many people have had some time to test and play around with the phones. The phones use Google's first-ever in-house developed chip, Tensor, and Android Central's Ara Wagoner and Nick Sutrich (in their reviews) have expressed that the phones are compelling. In fact, the Pixel 6 is even considered one of the best Android phones currently available.

But more recently, a multitude of reports have indicated a slew of hardware and software issues with the phones. Some users have reported that the Pixel 6's fingerprint sensor has not been very reliable. Others have said that a weird bug in Android 12 is making Google Assistant ghost dial random contacts even when they aren't near the phone.

Some users are experiencing a weird screen flicker problem when pressing the power button while the phones are switched off; others say they see a green tint on the display. And Android Authority recently reported that despite Google touting the phones can be charged with a 30W charger, the phones are only reaching 22W, not taking full advantage of what was announced.

Negativity comes from a strong fanbase

The intense scrutiny isn't new, says Jitesh Ubrani, IDC's research manager of worldwide device trackers, and as a matter of fact, many companies have faced this in the past.

"There's no doubt that Pixel has some very dedicated fans who have high expectations from Google and perhaps may even be putting them on a pedestal. And when a device isn't perfect, the group tends to voice their frustration even more as they have stuck with the underdog brand for years," he says. "There has certainly been negativity like this in the past for other brands so Pixel is not necessarily an outlier."

And while it seems like many consumers are trying to knock Google down, the case isn't because the fanbase considers Google to be the "big guy," Ubrani says. He notes that it's important to remember that Google is still new to hardware. It's important that consumers, the media, and bloggers call Google out for any issues.

"More importantly, they have been hyping up the Pixel 6 for months (ever since the early leaks)," IDC's Jitesh Ubrani says.

"The company is spending quite a bit on marketing and has been slowly building awareness of the brand. More importantly, they have been hyping up the Pixel 6 for months (ever since the early leaks) and while the hardware failure rate may be well within acceptable margins, the fact that they set extremely high expectations is likely what's causing the excess backlash," he says.

"I'm not sure what the rate of failure is, but I assume it's in line with others as often the components and manufacturing facilities are shared amongst many brands. What's more difficult to swallow is the software issues as those should have been ironed out before release."

Maurice Klaehne, a research analyst at Counterpoint Research, agrees with Ubrani in an interview that Google has definitely created a lot of buzz around these phones. He adds that because of wanting to create a pure Android experience, the company went a "step further in cultivating this experience by introducing its own SoC, the Tensor chip."

"This created a lot of buzz over the last several months as Google made the first announcement of the Pixel 6 and Tensor chip in August 2021," he says. "When the phone was first launched, there was a lot of anticipation about the device, how it would perform given the new Tensor chip, and naturally how it would compare to other premium devices from Samsung, Apple, and OnePlus. The flagship killer question again came up."

Klaehne explains that because of this, it naturally led to the device being heavily scrutinized by the media and influencers, and this also created a lot of hype and demand for the device, leading to more people purchasing a Pixel device than just the "core" followers.

Google's smartphone hardware mission has been a bit inconsistent

It's worth adding that since Google started getting into the hardware business of smartphones, it has been inconsistent in how it designs and categorizes its phones. The Pixel 4 was considered to be a flagship phone, the Pixel 5 a mid-range device, and now the 6 and 6 Pro flagship devices.

Carmi Levy, a technology analyst, says that this inconsistent nature has caused some scrutiny by consumers. He adds that the company has followed a unique and hardly consistent pattern, which includes varying strategies around pricing and feature sets. As a result, Levy says, this has caused an inability to broaden market support for its Pixel phones because consumers don't know if Google really wants to be in the market in the first place.

"Google needs to commit to its hardware, period," technology analyst Carmi Levy says.

"From one generation to the next, Google has failed to convince consumers that it is fully committed to being a significant player in this market… If consumers perceive that the company's strategy is not deeply rooted in a long-term commitment to the space, they'll either complain loudly, or they'll say nothing and shop elsewhere," he says. "Apple, in comparison, has never wavered from its iPhone mission, so while consumers may complain about certain aspects of a particular device, they never doubt Apple."

Levy explains that die-hard Pixel fans have been waiting over a decade for Google to deliver the smartphone hardware goods. Google's Nexus, a brand that has now been discontinued, failed to garner much support over the first half of the decade, he says, adding that today's market reception is a "direct result of that long-term indifference."

"Google needs to commit to its hardware, period. It needs to telegraph its long-term plan to build hardware that sets the bar for its OEM partners to follow, and it needs to reassure consumers that it's willing to stick it out with market-leading designs not just for one generation, but for multiple iterations."

Google hasn't always had the means to deliver

Ubrani counters Levy's notion that Google hasn't figured out its hardware plan, because he says the company has always known what it wants to do but has not had the "means to deliver."

"Google didn't always have the hardware chops to create a phone and so they relied on partners for design and manufacturing. But over time and by spending plenty of money they acquired or built the teams that were necessary to deliver and that's why the Pixel 6 lineup is in many ways the first truly Google phone," he says.

The company spent $1.1 billion in a deal to acquire part of Taiwanese smartphone maker HTC's smartphone division and its 2,000 employees to engage in research and development to boost handset capabilities, according to Nikkei Asia. The site adds that Google now has a hardware team of more than 4,000 in Taiwan, its largest outside of the U.S that focuses on hardware development.

And it's not like the company doesn't have money now to shell out and expand in areas where it's lacked previously. In Q3 2021, Google made more than $65 billion in revenue, up 41% from the same quarter last year.

Anshel Sag, senior analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy, says that at the end of the day, it doesn't matter if Google hasn't figured out their device plan.

"As long as Google produces good phones that work well, it doesn't really matter if Google is going for flagship or mid-range or both," he says.

Combining hardware and software will naturally cause issues

Sag notes that it is entirely normal for phones to have issues when they are first released to the public. In this circumstance, he says, people's expectations were higher because Google developed both the hardware and software.

"[The issues] are about the same as any other brand. I just think that because these are made by Google, people's expectations are a bit higher because they're the ones building the OS and should be able to build a device that matches the Android vision best," he says.

Klaehne agrees, adding that Google can only learn and get better from its first real attempt to marry hardware and software.

"There are naturally some integration issues that need to be solved, but Google is going into a positive direction with this vertical integration of their own [chip] that will only improve with more iterations, potentially leading to Tensor chips being used in other Google products such as tablets or laptops, just like how Apple is doing with the M1 chip."



Source: androidcentral

Popular posts from this blog

The hidden cost of food delivery

Noah Lichtenstein Contributor Share on Twitter Noah Lichtenstein is the founder and managing partner of Crossover , a diversified private technology fund backed by institutional investors, technology execs and professional athletes and entertainers. More posts by this contributor What Studying Students Teaches Us About Great Apps I’ll admit it: When it comes to food, I’m lazy. There are dozens of great dining options within a few blocks of my home, yet I still end up ordering food through delivery apps four or five times per week. With the growing coronavirus pandemic closing restaurants and consumers self-isolating, it is likely we will see a spike in food delivery much like the 20% jump China reported during the peak of its crisis. With the food delivery sector rocketing toward a projected $365 billion by the end of the decade, I’m clearly not the only one turning to delivery apps even before the pandemic hit. Thanks to technology (and VC funding) we can get a ri

Cyber Monday Canada: Last-minute deals for everyone on your list

Best Cyber Monday Canada deals: Smart Home Audio Phones, Tablets & Accessories Wearables Laptops & PC Components Amazon products Gaming Televisions Cameras Lifestyle & Kitchen Toys & Kids Cyber Monday Canada is here, and retailers are rolling out the red carpet for customers who want to shop for everything from tech to kitchenware to games and everything in between. Unlike years past, Cyber Monday Canada deals look a bit different than normal. Instead of retailers trying to pack their stores with as many shoppers as possible, we're seeing tons of online deals that you can take advantage of from the comfort of your home. We've rounded up our favorites below, so feel free to browse through the best of what Canada Cyber Monday has to offer! This list is being updated with new Cyber Monday deals all the time, so check back often. Spotlight deals It's a Switch Nintendo Switch Fortnite Edition bundle $399.95 at Amazon It's a Switch.

Slack’s new integration deal with AWS could also be about tweaking Microsoft

Slack and Amazon announced a big integration late yesterday afternoon. As part of the deal, Slack will use Amazon Chime for its call feature, while reiterating its commitment to use AWS as its preferred cloud provider to run its infrastructure. At the same time, AWS has agreed to use Slack for internal communications. Make no mistake, this is a big deal as the SaaS communications tool increases its ties with AWS, but this agreement could also be about slighting Microsoft and its rival Teams product by making a deal with a cloud rival. In the past Slack CEO Stewart Butterfield has had choice words for Microsoft saying the Redmond technology giant sees his company as an “existential threat.” Whether that’s true or not — Teams is but one piece of a huge technology company — it’s impossible not to look at the deal in this context. Aligning more deeply with AWS sends a message to Microsoft, whose Azure infrastructure services compete with AWS. Butterfield didn’t say that of course

iPhone 13 Pro vs. iPhone 15 Pro Buyer's Guide: 50+ Differences Compared

The iPhone 15 Pro brings over 50 new features and improvements to Apple's high-end smartphones compared to the iPhone 13 Pro, which was released two years prior. This buyer's guide breaks down every major difference you should be aware of between the two generations and helps you to decide whether it's worth upgrading. The ‌iPhone 13‌ Pro debuted in 2021, introducing a brighter display with ProMotion technology for refresh rates up to 120Hz, the A15 Bionic chip, a telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom, Macro photography and photographic styles, Cinematic mode for recording videos with shallow depth of field, ProRes video recording, a 1TB storage option, and five hours of additional battery life. The ‌iPhone 13‌ Pro was discontinued upon the announcement of the iPhone 14 Pro in 2022, but it is still possible to get hold of it second-hand. Our guide helps to answer the question of how to decide which of these two iPhone models is best for you and serves as a way to c