Google’s phone sales fell below its target last year. Today, a new report claims Google is planning to produce less than 1 million Pixel 5 phones this year.
Google introduced two new phones yesterday, the Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G. Both devices are falling short of the term “true flagship” with a lack of top-notch chipset, as rumors claim. The mobile phones also need features such as telephoto cameras and a UD fingerprint scanner.
There will only be 800,000 units
Google Pixel 5 and 4a are both excellent smartphones and can compete with any Android phones in the market. However, the company is apparently looking to produce only around 800,000 units of the Pixel 5 this year.
Initial production for the Pixel 5, Pixel 4a 5G, and Pixel 4a combined are currently set at just 3 million units. This number is less than half the 7.2 million phones Google sold last year.
Not only has COVID-19 lowered demand for smartphones around the globe, but it also disrupted Google’s plans of moving the production of its phones in a particular country. While the Pixel 4a is already being produced in Vietnam, Pixel 5 is being manufactured in Shenzhen, China.
As reported by GSMarena, Google doesn’t expect the Pixel 5 to be incredibly hot with customers as indicated by the conservative orders placed with suppliers. The 800,000 units of Pixel 5 are said to be just enough for all fans this year.
In 2018 the shipments of Pixel phones were also higher than the expected total for 2020, which is at 4.7 million. Back then, it was only premium offerings with no mid-range phones.
Pixel 5, a phone worth the price
This year’s flagship is a break from the usual Pixel strategy. Previous phones sought to offer comparable flagship specs to other top Android devices from companies like Samsung and OnePlus. It also means Google can provide a flagship phone at a lower price.
The newest Google Pixel 5 features a Snapdragon 765G processor, not the top-tier Snapdragon 865 or 865 Plus. It comes with a complete Qualcomm’s integrated X52 modem for 5G support.
Google has focused on Pixel’s camera quality in past years, and that’s continuing with the new phone. The tech giant is adding an ultrawide camera lens to the Pixel 5. This feature is a critical feature that lets phones take images from a wider perspective than the Pixel 4 was lacking.
Google is also improving portrait mode on Pixel 5. This camera feature lets you snap a photo of a sharp subject against a blurred background, to work with Night Sight.
Images used courtesy of CNET/YouTube Screenshot.