While the surprise element had largely been missing from Google’s scheduled launch event on October 4, with leaks suggesting the launch of a new line of devices, including two new Pixel phones, a new high-end Chromebook, a mini version of Google’s Home smart speaker and an updated Daydream virtual-reality setup. However, things just got interesting with reports suggesting the launch of a third mobile as well.
The anticipation has pitted Google directly in competition against Apple, which recently launched the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X on similar lines. Reports suggest that other than the announcement of the two smartphones – touted as Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2XL – Google could bring out another smartphone called the ‘Ultra Pixel’, setting stage for its rivalry with iPhone X.
According to slides shared by Arun Maini, also known as Mrwhosetheboss on YouTube, the Google ‘Ultra Pixel’ will contain a dual-camera setup and an all-new ‘kind of’ fingerprint scanner. Maini says that the Google Pixel device may not feature the navigation buttons found on Android mobiles and may also ditch the back, home, and multi-tasking buttons.
Maini says that the Ultra Pixel will bring a new ‘fluid’ gesture control which will help navigate around the Android mobile OS, apparently similar to the concept present on the iPhone X. Another image shared by him shows a screenshot of three different smartphones, namely the Pixel 2, Pixel 2 XL and Ultra Pixel.
Besides the launch of the third smartphone, Google’s October 4 San Francisco event is also being seen with anticipation in terms of Alphabet Google’s capability to rival Apple Inc with its own hardware strategy.
Having pitted Pixel against the iPhone, Alphabet is betting big on its hardware strategy and has spent billions to produce its own hardware. “I think they need to convince everyone that their hardware strategy is justified, this is a very expensive endeavor,” Creative Strategies Principal Ben Bajarin told Market Watch.
Profitability has been a big question mark so far in this endeavor by Google. Alphabet‘s hardware sales are bundled with all non-advertising Google revenue in a bucket of sales that grew 62 per cent to $3.4 billion in last year’s holiday shopping quarter, but that amount is dwarfed by the rest of Google’s business.
