At the Pixel 3 event and Google's hardware, everything is data-driven

For three years, Google has been employing to achieve a feat of size: sneaking into the cluttered consumer technology device of today market and remove customers from Apple, Samsung and Amazon.

Although best known for its world-class software, including its iconic search engine, Google Maps, Gmail, and YouTube, Google is dedicated to making itself known in the hardware industry. It now has a respectable array of gadgets, including high-end phones marketed under the Pixel brand, a virtual reality headset, a Wi-Fi router and three models of smart speakers. And that does not even include the connected thermostats and smoke detectors sold under the Nest brand.

So it's no surprise that we are waiting on Tuesday for Google to unveil the next generation of its "Made by Google" range of devices. the the rumors call New Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL smartphones to compete with recent updates from the Apple iPhone and From Samsung Galaxy Note Phones. A revised version of its Google Home speaker, would have called the Home Hub, adds a screen.

But despite all the new material, Google, who turned 20 last month, is a research company above all. Its reason for being, its worldwide fame and its currency hitting activity are rooted in being able to provide you with search results. So, despite all the attention that will be paid to the bright screens and matte finishes unveiled at its event in New York, make no mistake: it is still Google's software services and the way which they can find more information about you.

Google wants to sell you phones and smart speakers because it knows that people are not looking for anything on Google.com from their desktop. They ask their Google Home devices to read hip-hop playlists or use the cameras on their Pixel phones to determine the species of a certain flower. The more Google knows about your information and your interests, the more valuable its ads are for marketers who pay the company to target potential buyers based on their likes, dislikes, age, his interests and even his location.

The company generates about 90% of its annual sales of $ 100 billion through advertising.

And to ensure that personal data is passed on to Google – not to a rival like Amazon, which currently holds the largest share of the smart speaker market with its Echo devices – the company believes that the sale of your phones and other hardware is the best solution. continue to use his services.

"It's a bet on the future," said Ross Rubin, founder of Reticle Research. "They are trying to build a portfolio of things to complement their software."

Not a hobby

Google has worked hard to consolidate its hardware capabilities. What started as a hobby with punctual projects here and there – the short-lived Nexus Q streaming device or the disastrous glasses Google Glass – is now a legitimate material organization.

In 2016, the company called on Rick Osterloh, a former Motorola executive, to lead a dedicated team focused on creating consumer devices. That year, Google launched Pixel, its first branded phone, and a high-end alternative to iPhone and Samsung phones. Last year, Google disbursed $ 1 billion to strengthen its hardware engineering business through an agreement with Chinese manufacturer HTC. The goal was to create a range of devices that would serve as portals to Google's software offerings.

The secret weapon in all this? The Google Assistant, a digital assistant akin to Alexa from Amazon and Siri from Apple. The software is designed to use your voice to turn off the lights, lock your doors or read the headlines of the morning. Google wanted to install the wizard on as many devices as possible. But to show consumers what the software could do, Google decided to create its own hardware to demonstrate its capabilities.

Google Lens, a tool that allows users to search for information on real-world objects by pointing their camera on a smartphone, was launched for the first time exclusively on Pixel 2. And Wizard was marketed at the time. originated with Google Home and Google's Allo Chat app. at suspended development on this service).

"They used Pixel as a vessel to demonstrate their AI prowess," said Rubin. "These are really showcase pieces."

The strategy is bearing fruit. In May, Google announced that 500 million devices were delivered worldwide with wizard, including speakers, phones and TVs. The assistant now partners with 5,000 devices connected to the home, up from 1,500 in January.

Nevertheless, Google still has a long way to go. As for the battle for smart speakers, Amazon remains the champion. Echo devices from the online trading giant hold 44% of the global market for smart speakers. Google Home holds 27%, according to a report by Strategy Analytics.

The inconvenience of the data

As Google tries to gobble up your personal information further, Silicon Valley companies are increasingly scrutinized for their data collection practices. Facebook put the issue first in March after its publication. Scandal Cambridge Analytica, a UK-based digital consulting company has collected data on 87 million Facebook users without their permission.

Google has also felt some of this failure. In July, the company had been criticized as a result of information that employees of a third-party email application could read our emails if we integrated these applications into our Gmail account. A month later, Google was again hammered when the Associated Press revealed that the company tracking user locations even after they are turned off setting the location history of their phones.

As Google products become more prevalent in homes, control will intensify. The company should probably proactively address these issues at its hardware event, instead of waiting for problems to arise and get into trouble, said Bob O Donnell, Senior Analyst at Technalysis Research.

"I really think they'll have to start making public statements about privacy," he said. "Google is a long way behind in the past, they really risk losing trust issues."

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