Think the Impossible for Google’s Pixel 9 in India
Google thinks it can conquer India’s competitive smartphone market with its pricey Pixel 9, despite having a laughable 0.5% share. The company announced the upcoming release of the Pixel 9 line at its Made by Google event, complete with out-of-touch price tags for its flagship devices.
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold’s whopping starting price of 172,999 Indian rupees (~$2,060) seems laughable compared to competitors like Apple, whose iPhone 15 Pro Max costs a relative steal at 193,500 (~$2,300) Indian rupees.
What’s Googles plan to catch up in the market? Partner with a few brick-and-mortar retailers, like Tata Group’s Croma and Reliance Digital, along with its usual online partner, Flipkart. Oh, and they’re introducing some walk-in service centers to improve their laughable after-sales care.
But market experts argue that’s not nearly enough to grab attention in India’s cutthroat market. “This is just the beginning. Google still has a long, long way to go to make a significant dent,” says Navkendar Singh, associate vice president at IDC. He predicts that Google needs to spend exponentially more on marketing to even give the likes of Samsung and Apple a run for their money.
In the past, Google relied on its affordable Pixel A series, but that’s not the ticket in India’s premium smartphone market. Instead, the company’s going toe-to-toe with Apple in the $800+ segment, where iPhone sales have seen staggering 83% growth. Can the Pixel 9 reverse Google’s fortunes? Only if they’re willing to abandon their outdated approach to pricing.
