Hmm..
https://9to5google.com/2017/06/24/google-pixel-2-specs-walleye-taimen-rumors/
Smaller Pixel will still have the same huge bezels, supposedly the larger one will have slimmed down bezels. I still don't get the point of the Pixel, especially as it exists which is grossly overpriced for the design. It certainly isn't to make a lot of money because from what I understand they've only sold about a million of them, and I can't see their profit margin being anywhere close to Apple's since I don't believe they do any hardware in house like Apple does. The only other option is they want to put out a premium device to force OEM's to make better devices, similar to what Microsoft does with the surface tablets. But the only issue with that is the Pixels seem like they have worse designs than the OEM's, put the pixel next to a Samsung S8 or a LG G6 and even a blind person can tell you which one looks clunky and outdated. So I'm still confused a bit at their strategy, really the pixel is just a nexus with a higher price tag.
Agree with a lot of this, though 'overpriced for the design' is all relative to what the buyer will pay for it. We constantly see comments online is these forums that the iPhone is way overpriced for it's design/specs, yet Apple moves more of them than any other phone. I think your assumption that every consumer approaches smartphones with the same perspective as your own, someone admittedly far more tech savvy than the typical consumer, is where your argument falls down. If it was all just about how pretty a device looked, we'd see a lot more of the G6s and S8s moving off the shelves. I can't recall exactly where the stat came from (Kantar maybe), but one of the Android podcasts I listen too stated that S8/S8+ sales are actually lagging behind S7/S7 edge both vs last year AND right now.
Found the story:
iPhone 7, 7 Plus remain top sellers as Galaxy S8 sales disappoint in the US
And to be clear, I'm not trying to turn this into a 'iPhone is better because it sells more' discussion, just trying to illustrate that what the general consumer wants usually doesn't equate to the observations made here by a bunch of tech enthusiasts.
Brands carry a lot of weight and Google is one of the
biggest, most recognizable. I'd assumed since the Pixel was originally announced that Google was focusing on the long play and ultimately wanted to develop a top down ecosystem similar to Apple's, controlling the entire stack. Doing so would take years--building the infrastruture alone would be a huge investment and I just figured it wasn't about turning an immediate profit so reports of low sales numbers wasn't a concern, especially since low availability has probably been the biggest limiting factor. They priced the phone high because that's ultimately the segment where they want it to live. Discount it now and trying to move the price up later would never fly with consumers.
But the latest rumors are really confusing. Spreading productions/design of your two flagships phones across different manufacturers---how is any of this different that what they did for years with the Nexus program? They also show zero interest in living in the tablet market, which is fine if you ultimately expect Chrome OS and laptop/hybrids to be your solution but again, very little progress seems to be made here. Android TV (I LOVE my Shield TV, btw) looks like yet another platform that's going to languish and die under Google. And wearables? That's funny... I even think Apple, of all companies, showed them up a bit with their focus on AR and making an AR kit available for developers to use with any iOS device, not just specific hardware Google is using (Tango).
Google just doesn't seem to have a clear strategy in mind...or at least, that's the way it looks and I find it frustrating as hell because I think with their services/data advantage, they have the opportunity to build a spectacular ecosystem of software AND hardware.
