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Google Plans to Manufacture Pixel Smartphones in India

Simranpal Singh — Thu, 19 Oct 2023 10:50:32 +0000

The Internet Giant is set to make its manufacturing debut in India starting with Pixel smartphones. Following, “encouraging responses” from the audience in the country, Google has finally made up its mind to debut production in India. The company intends to enhance its presence in India’s smartphone market.

Must see: Google Pixel 8 & Pixel 8 Pro on sale in India, here’s everything you need to

Under the “Make in India” initiative, Google will start producing the Pixel 8 series in the country from 2024 onwards. They will mend a partnership with international contract manufacturers for smartphone production.

Speaking at a Google for India event, Rick Osterloh, senior vice president of devices and services, said, “India is a priority market for Pixel smartphones, and we’re committed to bringing the best of our hardware and underlying built-in software capabilities to people across the country,” and further added, “We are partnering with international and domestic partners to produce Pixel smartphones locally. It’s an early step towards expanding our production here to meet the local demands for Pixel devices and even more importantly it’s a huge step forward in Google’s commitment to India.”

India is a major market for Google Services and is investing over $10 billion in the country in the next few years. It is a major boost for the country’s digital economy. Like Apple, we hope Google will ramp up its production capacity in India over time.

Other Announcements at the 9th Google for India Event

Following the new production spheres in India, the company is also bringing pre-approved credit lines from banks. It will enable Google Pay users to access “formal credit” easily while ensuring privacy safeguards.

In partnership with Axis My India media company, Google introduced a new app called “a.” to enlighten people about various social welfare programs, employment opportunities, and health benefits.

Google also introduced an initiative called DigiKavach in collaboration with industry partners to secure users from online fraud.

Related:

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Google Pixel 8 Series To Launch In India, Pre-Orders Begin October 5 On Flipkart

Viraj Gawde — Fri, 08 Sep 2023 13:18:18 +0000

This year Google’s annual ‘Made by Google’ event is taking place on October 4 in New York. Earlier today, Earlier today, the search giant dropped a teaser video on its official YouTube handle confirming the arrival of the Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro, Pixel Watch 2, and Pixel Buds Pro next month. Plenty of leaks have revealed key information about the upcoming flagship Pixel smartphones. Google Pixel fans in India have something to cheer about as the company has made an announcement.

Google Pixel 8 series to launch in India

You know what they say, great things come in eights

Get ready to meet the Google #Pixel8 and #Pixel8Pro
.
Pre-orders start 5th October exclusively on @Flipkart pic.twitter.com/ZFkBlrUmy6
— Google India (@GoogleIndia) September 7, 2023

Google’s India branch announced on Twitter that the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro smartphones will launch in the country. The upcoming offerings will arrive as the successors to the last year’s Pixel 7 and 7 Pro respectively. For those unaware, Google skipped three generations of Pixel smartphones in India with the Pixel 3 which was the last-ever flagship offering from the search giant.

Google also revealed that the Pixel 8 duo will go up for pre-orders starting October 5th exclusively on Flipkart. The e-commerce platform has been the online retail partner for all its Pixel phones since years. The pricing and first sale dates of the Pixel 8 series in India are still under the wraps. We can expect Google to announce the prices of the smartphones for the Indian market at the end of the event on October 4.

As usual, the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro will have slightly different specifications with the latter being the more premium offering among the two devices. Both upcoming offerings retain the same design with a horizontal bridge housing camera sensors in a pill-shaped cutout on the back panel. The teaser video also confirms the presence of thermometer sensor on the Pixel 8 Pro as previously rumoured. The Pixel 8 is teased in a Pink color whereas the Pro model is seen in Procelain option.

Meanwhile, the pricing of the Pixel 8 series phones for the European markets were leaked earlier today.

Google Reportedly In Talks With Suppliers To Move Pixel Production To India

Viraj Gawde — Wed, 21 Jun 2023 12:32:21 +0000

Google is expected to follow in Apple’s footsteps of diversifying its production beyond China. In September last year, there were reports of the search giant planning to shift some Pixel production to India. Now, a new report by Bloomberg reveals some more details about Google’s plans. Read on to know more below.

Google plans to move Pixel production to India

The report citing people familiar with the matter adds that Google is in talks with Foxconn’s India branch – Bharat FIH, Dixon Technologies, and Lava International. These are seen as potential partners for producing Pixel smartphones in India. Bharat FIH, Dixon, and Lava have also won the Indian Prime Minister’s product-linked financial incentives to boost local manufacturing. Cupertino-based tech giant Apple has been a part of this program for several years.

Bloomberg adds that last month, India’s Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw met Google CEO Sundar Pichai for a conversation around India Stack and the government’s Make in India push. The reports of Google’s plans to manufacture Pixel phones in India come after days after the company’s top executives arrived in the country for partnership talks.

As per Counterpoint Research, Google made about 9 million Pixel smartphones last year. Local production of Pixel phones could also drive up sales in India. Additionally, the search giant could be looking to leverage the lucrative PLI scheme offered by the Indian government.

Apple has been rapidly expanding its iPhone production in India. Google could also aim to reduce its dependency on China for manufacturing its devices. People familiar with the matter warn that there is no certainty whether Google’s talks with partners will result in a deal to make Pixel phones in India.

Related:

Via

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Google plans to shift some Pixel smartphone production to India: Report

Viraj Gawde — Tue, 13 Sep 2022 13:11:08 +0000

Google is reportedly planning to shift the production of its flagship Pixel smartphone to India. The development comes from publication The Information citing a company source. The search giant manufactures Pixel smartphones entirely in China.

Google Pixel 6a

The report states that Google has asked manufacturers in India to submit bids for the assembly of 500,000 to 1 million units of Pixel smartphones. This accounts for 10 to 20 percent of Pixel’s estimated total annual production. Google’s CEO Sundar Pichai had hinted at a plan to manufacture Pixel smartphones in India earlier this year but no final decision is taken yet according to the report. If the company gets approval of manufacturing Pixel devices in India, China will still have to play a role in exporting some components.

Another report also suggests that Alphabet Inc is looking at Vietnam as an alternative destination for manufacturing.

Google’s move to manufacturing Pixel phones outside China is due to the COVID-19-induced lockdowns causing disruptions in global supply networks. Additionally, there is also an ongoing trade war between Washington and Beijing with the former even banning the export of premium chips to China.

Google’s rival Apple has been manufacturing four iPhone models in India through its contract partners for several years now. The recently launched iPhone 14 is highly anticipated to be locally produced in the country from the fourth quarter of this year.

Related:

Via

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Google Startups Accelerator aims to boost the number of Indian Women Founders

Jed John Ikoba — Tue, 14 Jun 2022 18:18:29 +0000

Google has launched an innovative program to assist female startups in India. The Google for Startups Accelerator-India Women Founders program aims to help women CEOs to address business challenges.

The new program will help business founders address issues like hiring, fundraising, and other important aspects of their businesses. Over the course of three months, up to 20 startups with a strong female presence will benefit from the program. The female-centric startups, including those in the MVP stage, will be benefited. The initiative fits into Google’s broader program to improve female representation in the digital workforce in India.

Google has continued to expand its interventions in providing cutting-edge manpower across all spheres of the digital economy. Some of the sub-themes to be touched on during the program include mentorship, hiring of manpower, capital, access to networks, and more. Google will also offer training on mobile platforms and technology. The program is expected to further expand the low representation of women in leading positions in startups in the subcontinent. One of the poignant statistics indicates that less than 15% of Indian startups have one or more female founders.

Google seeks to break the low representation by providing sufficient encouragement and capacity building for women entrepreneurs. Applications for the Google for Startups Accelerator-India Women Founders program will continue till July 10, 2022. It will prove to be another major intervention by the search engine giant in improving gender balance in Indian startups.

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Google Pixel 6a confirmed to launch in India later this year

Sean — Thu, 12 May 2022 07:43:17 +0000

While the Google Pixel 6 series was released back in October 2021, the company has just recently launched the mid range entry of the lineup, called the Pixel 6a. And now, it is also confirmed that this model will be making its way to the Indian market.

For those unaware, the Search engine giant did not launch its latest flagship lineup last year. Although, this was also true for its yearly flagship models in previous years as well. But, the brand did launch its mid range A series models in the region. And now, the company has also confirmed that the Pixel 6a will be arriving in India. Unfortunately, Google has yet to reveal the exact launch date for the device, but it has confirmed that it will be launching later this year.

This might imply that the release date is set sometime in the second half of this year. Talking about the device itself, the Pixel 6a sports a 6.1 inch OLED display that has a Full HD+ resolution and 60Hz refresh rate. This panel supports HDR and 25 bit depth with 16 million colors. The front has a center aligned punch hole cutout and an in display fingerprint scanner as well. Under the hood, the handset is equipped with the company’s proprietary Tensor chipset with AI powered features.

This chipset is paired with 6GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 128GB of UFS 3.1 internal storage. The device also comes with the Titan M2 security chip as well and is powered by a 4,400mAh battery pack that supports 25W fast charging. For photography, the Pixel 6a features a dual megapixel on the rear, with a 12.2 megapixel Sony IMX363 primary sensor and a 12 megapixel ultra wide angle lens. The front houses an 8 megapixel selfie shooter. The device is priced at 449 US Dollars and is available in three color options, namely Black, White, and Mint Green.

Google launches its Play Pass game service in India, Here are the prices

Sean — Mon, 28 Feb 2022 08:57:31 +0000

Google has just launched a new service in India. It is the new Play Pass that was announced for mobile gamers that use Android smartphones. This service was first rolled out in the US back in 2019, and has been released in India earlier today (28th February 2022).

For those unaware, the Search Engine giant’s Play Pass is a subscription based service for mobile games, which is similar to Apple Arcade. Although, rather than providing numerous games for the platform, the company is giving plenty of pre-existing popular games that buyers can download and play. Since it is basically a game pass, subscribers will gain access to games that are usually locked behind a paywall.

In other words, you can get many paid games for free with this service. However, the service isn’t limited to just games and also offers other premium applications as well. At the moment, the Indian model of Play Pass offers over 1000 titles across 41 different categories from developers from 59 countries. Play Pass will enable Indian developers to launch their apps and games through this service to a global audience.

As of right now, Google Play Pass is being launched in India with three different plans. The first one is 1 month free trial for all users, but users will have to pay 99 INR (roughly 1.3 US Dollars) per month to continue the service. The brand is also offering an annual Play Pass as well, which costs 889 INR (roughly 1.3 US Dollars). Prospective buyers can even consider a prepaid one month subscription for 109 INR (roughly 1.4 US Dollars). The service is compatible with smartphone that run Android 4.4 or above.

Google Pixel Buds A TWS Earbuds with Real Time Translation launched in India

Sean — Wed, 18 Aug 2021 10:11:21 +0000

Google has just launched the Pixel Buds A TWS earbuds in India. These are the latest wireless earphones from the company to launch in the region and even feature real time translation.

While the search engine giant is not bringing its A series of Pixel smartphones in India, the company has launched new true wireless earbuds in the country. For those unaware, the Pixel Buds A was launched in the US earlier this year and feature custom 12mm dynamic drivers that the company promises will deliver clear and natural sounds. The earbuds are basically cut down versions of the original Google Buds, so they miss out on a few features.

This includes wireless charging support and swipe controls for volume adjustment. Although, the brand claims that the A-Series offers audio quality that is identical to the original Buds. Apart from offering natural sounds, the new earbuds also offer a Bass Boost mode that focuses on the low tones. Furthermore, it also features Adaptive Sound, which raises or decreases volume levels based on the ambient noise around the user. To enhance the calling experience, the buds also use beamforming mics to focus on the user’s voice and reduce other sounds.

Notably, an interesting aspect of the Buds A is its real time translation functionality. This feature supports 40 languages, including Bengali, Hindi, and Tamil, and translates the languages right into the users ear. The Buds also support Google Assistant as well for voice commands and IPX4 rating for water resistance. For battery, the earbuds can last for up to five hours on a single charge, with an additional 24 hours when combined with the charging case. The company claims that the users can get three hours of listening with just 15 minutes of charging.

Google has launched the Pixel Buds A is available in India for a price of 9,999 INR (roughly 135 US Dollars), which is higher than its US counterpart that costs 99 US Dollars. It is available in a single Clearly White color in India. For those interested, you can purchase the new TWS earbuds from Flipkart, Reliance Digital, and Tata Cliq, with sales starting from 25th August 2021.

Google Messages will autodelete OTP messages for Indian users

Habeeb Onawole — Tue, 29 Jun 2021 20:51:53 +0000

There are multiple services that send OTP messages to you when you want to carry out a transaction or as a form of authentication when you want to register or log in. These messages clog up the inbox, especially if you don’t delete them immediately. If you use Google Messages, then you won’t have to worry about these messages.

Among the new features that Google will be rolling out to its Messages app in India is the autodeletion of OTP messages after a period – specifically 24 hours. Users will be able to turn on the feature as seen in the gif below and this should help you clear your inbox.

Google has also announced that the app will use machine learning to automatically sort your messages into categories. Messages will now be classified into personal, transactions, OTPs, and offers, making it easier for you to find a particular message.

These new features will begin rolling out to Indian users (Android 8 and up) in the next few weeks in English. Google reiterates that these features are optional and can be turned off under the settings menu in Messages. There is no news yet on when it will be available for other regions.

Google faces antitrust investigation in India over smart TV market

Sean — Wed, 23 Jun 2021 10:43:53 +0000

Competition Commission of India has just ordered an investigation into Google. The company has allegedly abused its dominant position of Android in the region’s smart TV market.

According to a TechCrunch report, the news arrives hours after the European Union opened a formal antitrust investigation into the Search engine giant for abusing its leading role in the advertising technology sector. As per the Competition Commission of India’s initial review, which began back in 2020, Google has breached certain anti competitive laws in the region. Thus, it is now facing an investigation of this scale that could apparently take up to a year to resolve.

The agency added that “The Commission is of the prima facie opinion that by making pre-installation of Google’s proprietary apps (particularly Play Store) conditional upon signing of ACC (Android Compatibility Commitments) for all Android devices manufactured/distributed/marketed by device manufacturers, Google has reduced the ability and incentive of device manufacturers to develop and sell devices operating on alternative versions of Android i.e. Android forks, and thereby limited technical or scientific development relating to goods or services to the prejudice of consumers in contravention of Section 4(2)(b) of the Act.”

For those unaware, India is one of the largest markets by users for Google. Back in 2020, the company even pledged investing 10 billion US Dollars in the nation. In 2019 alone, 8 million smart TVs were sold in India, out of which 60 percent were powered by the Android OS. Now, a spokesperson has stated that the company is denying all allegations and added that “We are confident that our smart TV licensing practices are in compliance with all applicable competition laws.”

Google India is testing Task Mate app: earn money by completing simple tasks on your phone

Habeeb Onawole — Mon, 23 Nov 2020 01:49:56 +0000

If you live in India and are looking for a way to earn extra money, you may soon be able to do so with a new app from Google called Task Mate. The app which is still in beta provides users with tasks they can complete on their phone to earn money which can then be withdrawn.

According to a Reddit post via 9to5Google, the tasks are simple, sourced from “businesses around the world”, and are categorized as “Sitting or Field” tasks. Some sitting tasks include transcribing, recording spoken sentences, and translating from English to your local language while field tasks include taking photos of shopfronts for use in improving mapping details.

Screenshots from the app show that users will be able to see the amount earned from approved tasks as well as the amount from tasks still pending review. You will also be able to see the total number of tasks you have completed, the total number of correctly done tasks, your level, and your accuracy. Tasks can be completed anytime and from anywhere according to the description of the app on the Play Store.

Users will be able to withdraw their earnings in their local currency. To do that, they will have to register an e-wallet or account with their payment partner. When that is done, earnings can be withdrawn by hitting the “Cash Out” button.

Google Task Mate is currently available on an invite-only basis and there is no info saying how long it will be in beta. Nevertheless, now that you know about it, you can keep your eyes peeled on news related to the app. Based on the description of the app, it is expected to be available in other countries too but there is no info on which countries will be supported and when it will be available.

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Google Pixel 4a sold out in India within 30 minutes but how many units?

Sudarshan Ravichandran — Fri, 16 Oct 2020 13:03:07 +0000

Google revealed the price of Pixel 4a in India last week ahead of Flipkart Big Billion Days sale. Unlike previous Pixel smartphones, the newly launched Pixel 4a is priced aggressively in the country. It even sold out within 30 minutes as per a tweet by Google. However, the search giant did not mention the number of units people bought and that raises so many questions.

In late September, news broke out that Google has a target of producing only 3 million Pixel smartphones. Out of this, 800,000 units are said to be reserved for Pixel 5 while the remaining units will include Pixel 4a and Pixel 4a 5G. This paints a clear picture that the search giant does not have enough stock of Pixel smartphones this year.

Due to the company’s high pricing strategy in India, Pixels are not popular in the premium segment like OnePlus. Since India is a spec-hungry market, the Pixel 4a does not stand a chance against competitors. It is a niche phone in this part of the world and therefore, the company might have only put up limited units on sale.

Also, it is worth noting that last year’s Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL remained out of stock most of the times on official online partner Flipkart. Hence, hyping the smartphone going sold out just because the company did not have enough stock is a wrong thing to do ethically.

On the other hand, Indian consumers seem to have exceeded Google’s expectations. Maybe the pricing changed the mindset of buyers who had previously planned to buy some other handset. Whatever it is, this might make Google consider the Indian smartphone market seriously.

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Google says the Pixel 4A will hit India in October but no Pixel 4A 5G

Jed John Ikoba — Mon, 03 Aug 2020 17:36:21 +0000

Google earlier today announced the Pixel 4A alongside the Pixel 4A 5G and Pixel 5. While the 5G models will be available in the Fall, the Pixel 4A is already on preorder in the US and is billed to go on sale in the UK, Ireland, Germany, Australia, Japan, and Canada. While for the Indian market, the phone is said to go on sale in October.

Google did reveal some detail of the availability in India which is the world’s third-largest market after the US and China. Although the India pricing is yet to be announced, the company hinted the phone will not be available in India until October, two months from now.

According to Brian Rakowski, VP of Product Management at Google during the launch, “This year, Pixel 4a—which launches in India in October—will continue to bring features like the incredible camera and feature drops that make your phone better over time. All of this packaged in sleek new hardware at a more affordable price”.

The Google exec also disclosed that the India price for the Pixel 4A will be announced close to the October launch date. The company also disclosed that the mid-range phone will be sold exclusively on Flipkart.

In addition, Rakowski disclosed that the tech giant has got no plan to launch the two 5G models in India ever. In essence, the Pixel 5 and Pixel 4A 5G won’t be dropping in India at all. Well, except the company changes its mind due to market forces.

“Regarding the two new 5G Pixel phones that were announced globally today, these will not be available in India or Singapore, based on a variety of factors including local market trends and product features,” explains Rakowski.

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Pixel 3a XL alleged to start at INR 44,999 (~$649)

Habeeb Onawole — Mon, 06 May 2019 12:22:58 +0000

How much are you willing to pay for the Pixel 3a XL? Definitely not INR 44,999 (~$649) if you live in India. Unfortunately, if this leak is true, that will be the amount you will have to shell out for Google’s affordable Pixel phone.

According to this report from Smartprix, the Google Pixel 3a XL with 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage will be priced at INR 44,999 based on a tip from an unnamed source. That is pretty expensive for a mid-range phone. However, this isn’t Google’s fault entirely.

The “Make in India“ policy puts a high tax on products that are not manufactured in the country. While the initiative is to develop the country’s manufacturing sector, it means any product imported to the country will be sold at a much higher price than in other markets.

The leak also reveals some of the specs of the phone. The Pixel 3a XL will have a 6.0-inch FHD+ display and support 18W fast charge over USB type-C. It will have a 12.2MP primary rear camera and an 8MP front-facing camera. While the aforementioned specs are similar to what we have heard before, the processor and memory configuration is different.

This Pixel 3a XL has 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage and is powered by a Snapdragon 710 processor. Previous leaks have revealed the phone is actually powered by a Snapdragon 670 processor and has 4GB of RAM and 64GB/128GB of storage. The Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL don’t even have 6GB of RAM, so this is most likely false.

While the Pixel 3a XL is expected to be more expensive in India (rumored to be $479 in the US), ~$649 is sure a lot to pay for it. Nevertheless, we advise you to take the price with a grain of salt. The phone launches in India on Wednesday, May 8 and in the US tomorrow.

(Source)

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Google Home and Home Mini To Finally Land In India This Month

Michele Ingelido — Sun, 01 Apr 2018 14:49:26 +0000

According to a communication shared by Redington India with its retail partners, Google Home and Home Mini will be officially launched in the peninsula in April 2018. After the giant from Mountain View rolled out a new update to Google Assistant which adds the support to the Hindi language, it seems that the new smart speakers are going to hit the shelves in the world’s second highest smartphone market. The launch comes after Amazon made its Echo smart speakers (Echo, Echo Plus, and Echo Dot) with Alexa available to purchase in India back in October.

So, there will be a big competition between Google and Amazon, and it is actually hard to establish which company will get the biggest share. Actually, Alexa still cannot understand or speak Hindi, and given that Google Assistant already supports this language, this may be an advantage for Google Home and Home Mini in India. However, according to the latest tests of the virtual assistant, the Hindi support is still not perfect. While the Media Accounts on Google Assistant already support some of the most important music streaming services in India (such as Saavn and Gaana), the vocal commands to interact with these services are still not available.

But we believe that when Google Home and Home Mini will be officially launched in India there will be no issues and the software support will be complete. The two smart speakers have recently been launched in my country (Italy) with prices of €149 and €59, respectively. The Indian price of the smart accessories based on Google Assistant is still unknown at the moment. The only difference between Google Home and Home Mini is the audio quality, as the smart features are exactly the same. And, obviously, the Mini version is smaller as the name suggests.

(Via)

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Google Will Set Up Brick & Mortar Stores In India by Q4 2018: Report

Joel Joseph — Tue, 26 Dec 2017 20:54:47 +0000

Google is keen to set up brick and mortar stores in India, according to a new report from Economic Times. The newspaper agency, citing internal sources, revealed that the company is currently in talks with multiple malls to set up stores across the country. The plan is to set up “experience centres”. It is said that the company was pleased with the response received to its pop up centers opened recently in Mumbai and Delhi-NCR regions to showcase the newly launched Pixel 2 smartphones.

A senior executive of one of the malls which hosted the pop up centre said, “They got a flavour of how physical stores are also important because you can’t explain many of the features online.” The ET report adds that Google is planning to open the stores by Q4 2018. Apart from Pixel smartphones, the company is reportedly planning to sell other Google branded products such as Google Home Speakers, Chromecast, Daydream VR, and Pixel laptops.

It’s not surprising to see Google looking to expand its reach in the offline market. There’s a very solid trend among smartphone companies strengthening their hold in the retail market. OPPO, Vivo, and even Xiaomi are good examples of how strong offline presence helps to improve sales and revenue, even when the smartphone market is getting crowded. Google is way behind the top players in the Indian market which include Samsung and Xiaomi, and it makes sense to start taking steps to build a good chain of brick and mortar stores.

Mi Home

At present, big smartphones companies are adopting either single-brand license or franchise route to get their retail stores in India. The report didn’t mention what kind of strategy Google had in mind. Apple has already applied for the single brand license in India, while companies like Samsung and Xiaomi have currently adopted the franchise route to open their stores in the country. It is worth mentioning that Xiaomi has also applied for single brand license in India, but we still don’t know when it’ll get approved by the Government.