For the last few years, Google has been launching its ‘a’ series of Pixels mid-year, aimed at consumers who are looking for a good budget device. This year’s Pixel 7a is launching in India at ₹43,999 ($536), which is not exactly a pocket-friendly price for the country, but it’s closer to the US price of $499 (₹40,937).
Notably, last year, the Pixel 6a launched in India at the same rupee price while its US price was $449. At that time, consumers on Reddit and Twitter expressed dissatisfaction with the high price.
Google noted that the company will continue to sell the Pixel 6a in the country with a reduced price tag of ₹29,999 (~$365) — which is not too far off from the reduced price of $349 in the U.S. Some ecommerce platforms like Walmart-owned Flipkart are already selling the device for ₹27,999 ($341). It’s possible that the price might drop further with holiday discounts later in the year.
The company said that it is ‘excited’ to bring the 7a to India. Despite reports suggesting that Google wanted to move some production to the country, however, it is still making the latest device in Vietnam.
“It has been heartening to see the interest people across the country have shown for Pixel 6a, Pixel 7, and Pixel 7 Pro last year, and with this new introduction, Pixel remains committed to India,” a company spokesperson said.
Despite marketing efforts, Google has yet to capture any meaningful marketshare in the country. Navkendar Singh, Associate Vice President at IDC India, said that the company shipped more than 150,000 devices in the country last year. But it has already surpassed the 175,000 mark in Q1 2023 — largely thanks to the Pixel 6a. For comparison, India’s smartphone market saw 144 million shipments last year.
Google largely operates in the $300-$500 segment in India, which grew by 20% in 2022. Plus, the company primarily sells its devices through online channels, which had a 53% market share and beat the offline channel sales. Singh said more people upgrading their phones are looking towards this segment, which has also benefited from the sub-$300 segment declining by 15% last year.
The Mountain View-based company will have its work cut out against competitors like Nothing, OnePlus, Vivo, and Xiaomi who sell multiple models in the $300-$500 range.
