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We've talked about how it's done with its software-centric approach to the Pixel program, but one factor that's all too easy to overlook. Android phone spectrum.
Allow me to set the internship: With its Pixel phones, we are seeing you with three different generations of the device, Google is embracing the reality everyone else is ignoring and focusing on the importance of software in the phone-using experience. Sure, each new set of pixels has the usual set of hardware updates and internal improvements, but the true selling points are less than megapixels or more.
At the same time, most of the significant software innovations introduced previous Pixel models pretty quickly via over-the-air updates. And, as of last year 's Pixel 2 device, every one of those models is guaranteed to receive timely and ongoing operating system updates for a full three years from the date they launched.
Put those factors together, and you've got a powerful kind of value proposition whose full strength is just starting to become apparent – because now, the value is not attainable only for people who buy pricey flagship phones; it's also available for anyone who wants to spend a little less while still getting a standout Android experience with a special level of ongoing support.
And lemme tell ya: The impact of that can not be overstated.
The Pixel trickle
Let's think it all through, starting from the top: When you buy a Pixel 3 right now, you're getting a phone that's gonna be up and running. , and performance and security benefits aussi Google Translate to … send a message to the following news about the pixel-specific enhancements.
You can buy today, and the difference is dramatic: On most other flagship-level devices, you'll get months-late and sometimes sporadic updates through 2020 – a full year with the Pixel – and that's being optimistic. Realistically, most Android vendors do not take ongoing support seriously, even with their current-gen flagship phones. And many years of your life, well, good luck.
Where this really gets interesting, though, is when you start considering the bigger-picture implications of that Pixel phone distinction. The three-year window of rock-solid software support current-gen Pixel phone has leg up on other current-gen devices, y'see, but it gives previous-gen Pixel phone has meaningful advantages over current flagships.
After all, a Pixel 2 today will still get all software updates through October of 2020 – and get them in a timely and high-priority manner. By that metric, Google's year-old, previous-generation phone arguably gives you better value today than a brand new flagship from anyone else.
This is changing what it means to get a midrange or budget-level phone
And yet, by current pricing standards, the Pixel 2 is basically now a midrange device: Google itself is selling the Pixel 2 for $ 649, in their lowest configuration, and you can find mint-quality in the $ 400 range. These prices only seem likely to downward as time wears on.
But there's more: Just think how this situation will spread next year, when the Pixel 2 will be two years old and yet still have a full year of underwear under its belt. You will have a menu of pricing available for any budget: the current-gen model, with three full years of updates included; the previous-gen model, with two years of support still ahead; and the two-year-old version, with a year's worth of foundational improvements still remaining.
Google's software focus is thus not only altering the lifespan and value of a flagship phone; it's also completely changing what it means to get a midrange or budget-level phone, thanks to that cascading effect. And even if it behaves itself, it will not be possible to use it.
For anyone who prioritizes ongoing attention to a system and operating systems, it represents a monumental shift in the playing field – and a new decision-making variable that can not be ignored.
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[Android Intelligence videos at Computerworld]
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