Apple’s iPhone has held up consistently well over the past several years, which is pretty impressive considering how far the industry as a whole has changed since 2007. While BlackBerry is still hanging in there with a couple of Android devices and Windows Phone turned into Windows 10 Mobile (and still not doing so hot), Android has actually made some major strides from the laggy, bug-infested devices that they were once known to be. Today, many Android devices can easily match up with iOS in terms of performance, and in some cases have even surpassed it.
But Apple is still king when it comes to brand recognition, which comes easy when you are the only manufacturer of one of two of the most popular mobile operating systems. Android, on the other hand, has a few contenders when it comes to recognizable brands. Samsung, HTC, LG, Motorola (now Lenovo), Sony, Huawei, and a whole lot more are all identifiable, but it’s hard to pinpoint one as the Android equivalent to the iPhone. While Samsung may have the highest number of sales, its feature-heavy ecosystem makes it difficult to draw a direct comparison to the relatively lightweight nature of the iPhone.
In fact, most Android devices have some level of customization and bloatware that make it difficult to find a good match. There is, however, the Nexus line, which will allegedly be rebranded as Pixel in just a couple of weeks.
Pixel, as I see it, is Android’s best chance at directly competing with the iPhone. I viewed Nexus in the same light, but until last year there had always been something holding the Nexus back from being placed in the same category as an iPhone. Either the build wasn’t exactly what one would consider premium, the specs weren’t that great all around, the battery life wasn’t great... things like that. There always seemed to be at least one thing that held Nexus back. Last year was probably the best year yet for Nexus, with users being able to choose between the relatively affordable Nexus 5X or the more premium Nexus 6P – a phone which looks a bit unique, but is every bit a premium flagship.
But I think this is the year that Google brings out the big guns with the rebranding and changes brought with Pixel.
Basing everything off of allegations, leaks, and rumors, we have reason to expect that both Pixel devices will be made by the same manufacturer, HTC. HTC is well-known for having beautifully designed phones, as seen with the tragically underrated HTC 10 (and stems back all the way to the HTC M7, released in 2013). Last year’s Nexus devices were each made by different manufacturers: the 5X by LG, and the 6P by Huawei. This resulted in two very different phone designs. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but I think having the same design (even if different sizes) will help with recognition.
Speaking of recognition, another way that Google can boost Pixel is with rigorous marketing. We can see how marketing both helps and hurts smartphones in the industry. If you take a look at Samsung, for example, who has had an intense marketing team for years, does very well and is one of the most recognizable smartphone brands in the world. And then you have, ironically, HTC, who has not only marketed their phones less but has also come up with some downright weird marketing ideas over the past several years, and they haven’t done nearly as well. Google hardly marketed the Nexus, and anybody who didn’t actively go looking for it probably didn’t know it existed. Google needs to get Pixel’s name out there.
Spec-wise there doesn’t seem to be much to worry about, if rumors stand true. Specs will allegedly be on par with other flagships on the market, and in some ways may even surpass them. The Pixels may feature the latest Snapdragon 821 processor, and they may have some larger-than-life batteries. Of course, both devices will undoubtedly feature Android 7.0 (perhaps 7.1) Nougat. To continue beating a horse that is long dead, I think as long as the Pixel features a 3.5mm headphone jack and doesn’t explode, it’s probably going to be smooth sailing here.
The last piece of the puzzle that would truly help Pixel contend with the iPhone is the release of Allo, the missing partner to the already released Duo. Allo and Duo aren’t Pixel-exclusive apps, but should these two apps gain traction with people, making the switch from another Android device – or even an iPhone, given that these apps will be available for iOS users as well – could be arguably less painful. It’s not exactly iMessage, but it has the potential to be the closest thing to it.
With Samsung and Apple both under fire now for issues both intentional and not-so-intentional, Google has a seemingly huge opportunity here to push Pixel while they can. I’m excited to see where Google takes Pixel, and I can’t wait to see how it compares to the new iPhone 7 overall.
