By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla
Google is expected to launch an entire new brand of smartphones under its Pixel line of devices which will effectively retire the company's longstanding Nexus brand. Nexus devices have been Google-approved reference designs built by partner OEM's and were created to showcase the latest and greatest features of the Android OS on hardware that often pushed the envelope in design and, more importantly, the Pure Google experience.
Nexus devices have been popular with enthusiasts, phone geeks and tinkerers who wanted to extend the functionality of their phone way beyond what OEM devices had to offer. Nexus also meant no bloatware from phone manufacturers or carriers which took up a lot of the limited and non-expandable storage Nexus devices come with.
Its time to kill off Nexus
The promise of Nexus devices was that they were the first to receive the latest Google OS updates and for the first few years that was true. I personally purchased Nexus devices on a yearly cycle all the way up to the Nexus 5 which was riddled with problems. I also purchased a Nexus 9 tablet which, for some reason, never received the promised updates beyond the version it shipped with.
Quality issues were a problem with Nexus devices, ranging from screen issues to shoddy build quality. The devices were sold cheaper than most flagship smartphones, the problem was they felt cheaper too. LG-made Nexus devices felt particularly cheap to me. Google is moving away from Nexus at the right time. Why? because various OEM's now run as close to Pure Android on many devices that they sell.
Partners like Huawei even make far more impressive handsets than their Nexus devices which they are selling at a lower price. Android OS updates have failed to bring thrilling new features on a yearly basis like they used to, so that's no longer a draw. Lots of midrange Android smartphones from makers like OnePlus, Lenovo, ZTE and Alcatel-Lucent are providing fantastic value for money which essentially canninalizes whatever market Nexus devices are trying to develop.
Going upscale
The Pixel and the Pixel XL, which are the HTC-built Pixel devices we're going to see today are branded as Pixel devices (joining the Google made Chromebook Pixel and Pixel C) which are premium devices that offer an aspirational glance of where Google sees itself as a hardware manufacturer building around its core software.
The Pixel devices were grossly overpriced and over-engineered products that were thrilling to design-loving users but not at all practical for mass market.
By adopting the Pixel branding, these new smartphones will be going for the premium flagship market (rumours have the smaller Pixel starting at US $649) and will place Google in competition with some of its most popular partner OEMs.
The timing couldn't have been better for Google, the dumpster fire that is the Samsung Note 7 fiasco has shaken confidence in that company's staunchest supporters (who are reminded of incendiary smarpthone batteries each time they get on an airplane). There are a few million customers who now have $700 to blow on a premium Android smartphone, why not go for the Google device.
Also, with Microsoft and BlackBerry exiting the smartphone hardware business this year, there's a bit more wiggle room for another premium handset maker to gain traction. Google doesn't want to scramble for the space occupied by the Huaweis and Oppos of the world, they see how well the iPhone is doing, they know how popular Samsung phones are and that's where they want to play.
Why HTC?
HTC created the first Android smartphone. HTC created the first Nexus device (the Nexus ONE) and HTC currently makes one of the most outstanding (although underrated) flagship Android devices in the HTC 10 plus it has already emulated the popular iPhone 6 design with the HTC One A9.
While I find it puzzling that Google is going with the #madebygoogle marketing line, the Pixel and Pixel XL are HTC-made devices (unless somehow Google purchased HTC, which isn't completely out of the realm of reality), it seems that these first gen Pixel smartphones are really just rebranded Nexus-type devices.
Looking back at the Nexus devices I have owned, the HTC made ones stood out as having the least quality and build issues (possibly because HTC has been making phones longer than many of the OEMs). That and the company's apparent flexibility to partner with other companies (they did a gret job with Valve on the HTC Vive, they make wearables with Under Armour), makes HTC the best option for right now for a premium smartphone device.
Can Pixel thrive where Nexus floundered? That depends on how attractive the complete package is and also how available these smartphones will be. Nexus devices were notoriously hard to come by at launch and many users just moved on to other devices. There's far more competition now at lower price points, so the challenge for Google is to sell the idea of the Pixel, its advantages and why it is a premium device people want to buy. I, for one, can't wait to see how this will be introduced and where it will fall in the smartphone market.