Alphabet quotes "headwinds" in smartphone sales and announces I / O material announcement – TechCrunch



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Alphabet's first quarter earnings were a disappointment for Wall Street, mainly because of insufficient advertising revenue. The hardware team also struggled with the stagnation of the global smartphone market, which affected virtually all players.

CEO, Sundar Pichai, referred to "the company's lineup of smartphones, following the launch of the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL models last fall. The executive was right to refer to the relatively recent entry of the company as a stand-alone hardware developer and to paint a hopeful picture of the industry's innovations.

"I am always excited to see the arrival of the 5G and the first folding phones, for which Android plays an important role in driving," Pichai said. Google has played an important role in the development of an Android user interface designed for the foldable form factor, as well as in working closely with Samsung on its recently-folded foldable flyer.

Chief Financial Officer Ruth Porat echoed Pichai's comments, alluding to what was coming from the company. "The first quarter results reflect the pressure on the high-end smartphone industry," said the executive. "We are excited about the current momentum of wizard-equipped home devices, especially Home Hub and Mini hubs. I / O from our hardware team. "

The reference to "premium smartphone[s]"Seems to be a circular confirmation of the Pixel rumor 3a. According to rumors, the mid-range version of the Pixel range would be a rare start in hardware I / O, to be released next month. The arrival of such a device could help relaunch the slowdown in sales of the line.

Pichai referred to the company's newly opened "campus and engineering center". Result of the contract with the troubled handset manufacturer, HTC, the Taipei R & D center will mainly focus on Google's smartphone offerings. He also spoke about the competing Amazon Home range as a major asset for its hardware offerings, especially the Mini and Hub models.

"If you're taking products like Google Home and Assistant products, we're doing very well," Pichai said. "We are seeing a strong momentum. We are the market leaders in the category, especially if you are considering a comprehensive approach. "

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