Google is reportedly planning to launch a mid-range version of its upcoming Pixel 3 smartphone, which will be the third model in addition to the expected successors of the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL.
The mid-range Pixel 3 may even be launched earlier than the premium models of the Android smartphone. The question now is whether United States customers will be able to purchase the device.
Mid-Range Pixel 3 In The Works?
Google has formalized a strategy to roll out its hardware products in India, ET Tech reported, citing four senior industry executives.
Alphabet, the parent company of Google, will be launching the Google Home smart speakers, the Pixelbook premium laptops, and Nest smart home devices in India in a bid to challenge rivals Apple, Samsung, and Amazon in the country. The executives, however, added that a mid-range Pixel 3 is also being planned to be released in India.
A mid-range version of the Pixel 3 will likely drop some of the premium specifications and features that will be included in the base Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL. The details of the mid-range device, including its price, have not yet been revealed though, so it is hard to judge if it has the potential to take the smartphone market by storm.
The ET Tech report also claimed that the mid-range Pixel 3 will be rolled out in either July or August, a few months earlier than the base Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL. Google previously unveiled its new Pixel smartphones in early October and starts shipping the devices by the middle of that month.
Google Pixel Availability Concerns
According to the report, the mid-range Pixel 3 will target "price-sensitive markets such as India." This would make it appear that the smartphone will not be exclusive to India, but it remains to be seen where else it will be made available. It is also unclear if Google will categorize the United States as a "price-sensitive market," to make the mid-range Pixel 3 available in the country.
Nevertheless, it is good to see Google planning to expand the availability of its Pixel smartphones, as availability is one of the weak points of the company's hardware products. For example, the Pixel 2 XL is only available in eight countries, compared to 110 countries for the Samsung Galaxy S9. One more country being added to the list where Pixel smartphones are available might not look much, but it hopefully leads to the devices being made available to more regions in the near future.
