Google has done nothing different to promote Pixel in India: Mobilytiks

Google has done nothing different to promote Pixel in India and just followed the Apple way, according to a Mobilytiks report by CyberMedia Research (CMR).

The firm said that Google had launched Pixel with all fanfare to help Android get into the premium category, where only Apple is a strong brand. Apple's strong position in the premium category would mean the death of Android in this category that could also hamper its IoT ambitions.

The firm further said that this would definitely not work as Apple has a far better pull than Google for Pixel. So just replicating what a strong player has done in its 'exclusive' territory is not a rewarding strategy.

The report informed that the premium segment of Smartphones in India is driven by markets including Delhi (NCR), Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra, and Punjab.

That's where approximately 75 percent of the premium Smartphone market is, and to align Google also had a similar opportunity as was there for Apple. This is what the data also tells us. Apple doing better in a few states like Gujarat, Kerala, and Punjab also has the reason of concentration of NRIs and NRI connects in these states.

Furthermore, Google could perhaps look at the next big premium Smartphone markets of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh and carry out very focused marketing and branding activities to engage with potential buyers. Of course, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh would figure for sheer the size of market opportunity, while the socio-economic profile might not suggest a very big opportunity for the premium category.