Cache | Google may make some Pixel phones in India

The company’s decision to consider India comes on the back of disruptions in China from COVID-19 lockdowns, and Beijing’s rising tensions with Washington

Of late, Google is getting to be known for more than its search service and play store. The Silicon Valley company is now well-recognised for its impressive smartphones that offer a high quality camera. Though its Pixel 6a phones reached India quite late in July, it has received a good reception in the country.

Also Read | Google Pixel 6a: History and Pixel repeat themselves

The flagship phone offered a clean stock Android experience with regular security updates, and it ships with pure Android 12 without any pre-installed apps other than Google’s own. That also means it is bloatware free, an issue that plagues several other Android devices.

And just as the company is looking to launch its next smartphone, Pixel 7, next month, reports have surfaced that the Alphabet-owned company could make some of its Pixel phones in India, according to a report by The Information.

The company’s decision to consider India comes on the back of disruptions in China from COVID-19 lockdowns, and Beijing’s rising tensions with Washington. Global supply chains were hit earlier this year as China locked down key tech hub Shanghai due to a surge in COVID-19 cases. More recently, U.S. banned exports of some high-end chips to China, escalating tensions with the Asian nation.

According to the report, CEO Sundar Pichai had previewed a plan to make the device in India earlier this year, but has not yet made a final decision. If approved, India production operations will still require the import of components from China.

Google is said to have solicited bids from manufacturers in India to make between 500,000 and one million Pixel smartphones, according to the report. This could be the equivalent of 10% to 20% of its estimated annual production for the smartphone. Another report by Nikkei stated that the search giant was also considering Vietnam as another possible manufacturing base.