During the Google for India 2023 event in Delhi today, Google made a significant announcement regarding the manufacturing of Pixel smartphones in India. Google’s initial foray into smartphone production in India will commence with the Pixel 8, scheduled for rollout in 2024. The tech giant plans to collaborate with both international and domestic manufacturers to produce Pixel smartphones within the country.
Rick Osterloh, the Senior Vice President of Devices and Services at Google, stated, “India is a priority market for Pixel smartphones, and we’re committed to bringing the best of our hardware and integrated software capabilities to people throughout the nation.”
The Launch of Locally Manufactured Pixel Smartphones is Set for 2024
Previously, there were reports of Google negotiating with manufacturers such as Lava, Dixon Technologies, and Bharat FIH to initiate Pixel smartphone production in India. However, during today’s event, Google did not disclose which of these manufacturers will be responsible for producing Pixel smartphones in the country. Furthermore, Google did not provide additional information about the manufacturing capacity or the specific location of the production facility.
In related news, Google recently announced a partnership with HP earlier this month to locally manufacture Chromebooks in India. Both HP and Google expressed their commitment to the Indian government’s “Make in India” initiative. HP will manufacture the new Chromebooks at its Chennai facility, where the brand has been producing a range of laptops and desktops since 2020.
As previously mentioned, Google’s initial smartphone slated for Indian manufacturing is the Pixel 8. To recap, both the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro were launched in the country earlier this month. The Pixel 8 is priced starting at Rs 75,999 in India, while the Pixel 8 Pro is available at Rs 1,06,999. Both models are equipped with the Tensor G3 chipset and OLED displays, along with in-display fingerprint sensors for added security.
The Google Pixel 8 showcases a 50MP dual-camera setup, while the Pixel 8 Pro boasts a 50MP triple-camera configuration. Both smartphones come pre-installed with Android 14 and include a 10.5MP front-facing camera. The Pro model supports 30W fast charging, while the standard model offers 27W fast charging.
It remains to be seen whether Google will consider price reductions once the “Make in India” initiative for the Pixel 8 is operating at full capacity.
