Google records best Pixel smartphone shipments at 7.2 mn in 2019: IDC

Google’s Pixel business reportedly pushed out its best shipments figure in 2019. The Pixel-series smartphones’ shipments grew 52 per cent year-on-year at 7.2 million units and the company had outpaced OnePlus shipments in 2019, according to Francisco Jeronimo, Associate Vice President for EMEA Devices at IDC. Jeronimo attributed strong performances in the USA, Western Europe, and Japan regions for the rise in Pixel shipments. However, he said, the company is still far from reaching the top ten list.

In retrospective, Google did not launch its flagship Pixel 4-series smartphones in world’s second largest smartphone market India. The launch was curtailed as some components of the phones’ hardware did not meet the Indian regulations. Globally, the Pixel 4-series was received with great enthusiasm, but technology reviewers and consumers had mixed review about the products. However, based on IDC's findings, the Pixel 4-series' lacklustre reception had little impact on Google's momentum in the smartphone market. In 2019, the company’s affordable Pixel 3a-series and the premium Pixel 3 series managed to drive its shipments numbers.

Earlier, the IDC executive shared the global smartphone market shipments figure for first quarter of this year. According to Jeronimo’s post, the global smartphones market shipments stood at 275.2 million with Samsung leading the charts at 58.4 million, followed by Huawei at 49 million and Apple at 36.7 million.

It is expected that the second quarter global smartphones shipment numbers would be impacted due to coronavirus pandemic. Google’s 2020 numbers would also be impacted if the company does not release a new smartphone series, may be the Pixel 4a, because the company’s Pixel 3 and Pixel 3a has reached end of its sale life cycle.