Google is one of the largest Internet technology companies in the world, and the Android system, which currently occupies a mainstream position in the smartphone industry, has a close relationship with it. Many people do not know that Google actually has a smartphone product, and that is Pixel .
Globally, Samsung , Apple , Huawei , Xiaomi , Vivo , OPPO , etc. are the mainstream smartphone manufacturers, so how does Google, as the Android system development company, perform in its smartphones? According to data from the market research organization IDC, Google’s mobile phone shipments in the first quarter of 2022 will be 1.2 million units. Although the annual growth rate is as high as 380%, the market share has only increased from 1% to about 3%, which is the largest in North America. The fifth largest mobile phone manufacturer. With such achievements, Google is naturally not a mainstream mobile phone manufacturer.
However, although the sales volume of Google mobile phones cannot be compared with mainstream manufacturers, its ambition is not small. Right now, Google’s main phone offerings are high-end models, and the last two generations seem to be doing pretty well. Moreover, there is news that Google is about to launch a folding screen mobile phone to enrich its product line. Especially in the recent period, a lot of leaks about Google’s folding screen phones have been leaked. It is reported that Google’s folding screen mobile phone will come out in 2023.
Folded Future
Whether it is consumers or smartphone manufacturers, we are all aware of a problem today, that is, the development of smartphones has gradually reached a bottleneck. In recent years, manufacturers have turned the main development direction of mobile phones to charging, screens, images, systems, etc., rather than the form of smartphones themselves. Although scrolling screens, surround screens and other products have appeared, they are only gimmicks after all. larger than actual. The decline in the attractiveness of new smartphone models to consumers caused by this situation is also another main reason why the global mobile phone market shipments will hit the worst performance in the past decade in 2022, in addition to economic factors. Of course, folding screen phones are an exception.
As I just said, the smartphone market in 2022 is not ideal, but what is more special is that the sales of folding screen phones are very good. According to the forecast issued by the research organization CINNO Research, the sales volume of folding screen smartphones in the global market is expected to reach 15.69 million units in 2022, a year-on-year increase of 107%. Moreover, Samsung, which accounts for nearly 60% of the global share of folding screen phones, is obviously very optimistic about folding screen phones. They believe that folding screens will become the first choice for consumers when buying mobile phones in the next few years. Of course, although Samsung is more convinced of this, many consumers maintain a skeptical and wait-and-see attitude towards folding screens.
We can’t predict the future, but at present, folding screen is indeed a very likely development direction of the future smartphone market. Of course, this kind of similar prediction was issued two or three years ago, but until now, this type of product is still very far away from mass popularization. However, if Google wants to continue to maintain its influence on the smartphone industry in the next era, then it must have a deep understanding of folding screen products, and launching a corresponding product is one of the ways to deepen understanding.
Pixel folding screen?
There are a lot of revelations about Google Pixel folding screen mobile phones. Judging from the currently leaked renderings, while continuing the design language of the Pixel 7 series, the Google foldable phone will also make many changes. The iconic horizontal strip lens module on the back will be more rounded and harmonious. The external screen camera of Google’s folding screen may adopt a center punch design, which will make it look more regular.
By December 2022, this long-rumored new machine appeared on the well-known benchmarking platform GeekBench5, achieving a score of 1047 points in single-core and 3257 points in multi-core. The core processor of this machine is likely to be Google’s own. Researched Tensor G2. In terms of single-core performance, the machine is roughly equivalent to the Huawei model equipped with Kirin 9000, and the multi-core performance score is basically the same as that of the Kirin 990 model. In addition, the machine will run the Android 12 operating system with built-in 12GB of running memory.
From the perspective of hardware and performance alone, Google’s folding screen mobile phone does not seem to have any advantages over products from manufacturers such as Samsung. But for the entire industry, Google’s entry can release a message that they will begin to pay attention to folding screen products, and this may bring benefits to the development of the entire industry.
What can Google change?
Folding screens can greatly change the way we interact with smartphones. As for how to change it, many smartphone manufacturers are still exploring, but Google may be able to point out a direction for this exploration.
In the tablet market, Apple’s products clearly have an advantage. One of the reasons for this is the relatively poor software adaptation and ecology of Android tablet products, and the same is true in the smart watch market. Although various manufacturers are also working hard to improve these, if Google can update the Android system for folding screen phones in a targeted manner, and at the same time promote the development of folding screen software, and quickly improve the ecology and user experience of folding screens, then this Perhaps it will be able to reverse the hesitant attitude of many consumers towards folding screen products.
However, the price of folding screen mobile phones may be the main reason that prevents this product from being widely used in the market. In this regard, the role that Google can play should be minimal. The most likely result is that we can buy very cheap Google folding screens in the seafood market in a few years.