Did Google skip the world’s second largest smartphone market or is it the other way around?

Google’s Pixel phones have been known for their amazing camera quality resulting from their exceptional computational photography software. They managed to do all the magic with just a single camera while everyone else where slapping two, three, and some even four camera sensors on the back of their phones. Pixel 3 series cameras were arguably the best cameras on a phone till the recent launch of iPhone 11 series phones. But almost all the enthusiasts were certain that Pixel 4 would be able to second that. Well, the Pixel 4 is here. Not quite here, but it’s out. Let’s take a quick gander at all that’s new with the Pixel 4 and 4 XL.

Pixel 4 features a 5.7-inch full-HD+ Flexible OLED display with HDR support and a resolution of 444ppi. The Pixel 4 XL on the other hand has a 6.3-inch QHD+ panel at 537ppi. Both the phones are protected with Corning’s Gorilla Glass 5. In the camera department, the Pixel 4 series features a 16-megapixel primary sensor (f/2.4 aperture) with a 12.2-megapixel secondary camera (f/1.7 aperture, 77-degree field of view) at the back. It has an 8-megapixel front camera. The rear cameras support 4K video at 30fps and 1080p at up to 120fps, while the front camera supports 1080p video at 30fps.

The Pixel 4 ships with a 2,800mAh battery, whereas the Pixel 4 XL has a 3,700mAh battery. Both phones ship with an 18W fast charging adapter in the box with a USB Type-C to Type-C cable included in the box. Honestly speaking, this is a little disappointing considering the fact that other Android flagships are shipping with fast charging bricks that support up to 45W (Samsung Note 10+). The two phones have a Nano-SIM slot, along with support for an eSIM in case you need dual-SIM connectivity.

All that general specifications out of the way. Let’s talk about what makes the new Pixel special. It comes packed with full-fledged face unlock hardware including a flood illuminator and an infrared sensor. This means added safety and you can unlock your phone in the dark as well. And the best feature of the Pixel 4 has to be Soli, or a big radar sensor somewhere on the top of your display. This sensor has something called the Motion Sense, and what that means is that it can detect hand gestures and other stuff like that. For e.g., you can increase/decrease the volume, skip tracks, click a picture, etc. More apps will probably get some integrated features using this in the future. What it can also do is that it can sense if you are reaching for your phone and before you get it close to your face, it unlocks the phone. Before you know it, you are already in your phone, doing what you want to do. No need to press any buttons at all to unlock. It can do the same thing with alarms as well. Alarm volume will start getting quieter as you reach for you phone, and you can wave it off as well.

Pixel 4 and 4XL don’t seem half bad, but it is time to address the elephant in the room.

Why is the Pixel 4 and 4XL not coming to India?

As per our understanding, it could be one of the following two reasons.

1. Google’s Pixel series smartphones since the launch of the Pixel 1 have had poor sales numbers in India. While the more affordable Pixel 3A led Google to better sales figures in the U.S. with its $399 or roughly ₹28,500 pricing, it failed to make a mark in India. This is because of the much higher price in India equivalent of roughly $560 or ₹39,999 at the time of the launch. At that price, we have much more attractive options including the OnePlus 7 and the newer OnePlus 7T, Redmi K20 Pro, and ASUS ROG Phone II and more.
2. Another major reason could be that Google’s Soli Motion Sense gestures on the Pixel 4/4XL are geo-restricted and limited to 53 countries only. India does not make it to the list of countries where the motion gestures will be supported.

Google also gave an official statement regarding the same, which by all means is extremely vague. You can check it out for yourself.

“Google has a wide range of products that we make available in different regions around the world. We determine availability based on a variety of factors, including local trends, and product features. We decided not to make Pixel 4 available in India. We remain committed to our current Pixel phones and look forward to bringing future Pixel devices to India.”

Sounds vague, doesn’t it? Well, vague or not, that’s how the state of affairs for the Pixel 4/4XL look like as of now. What do you guys think? Why did Google take such a drastic step? Were you excited for the Pixel4/4XL or don’t really care much? Let us know in the comments below. Until next time, keep it tuned to DeCode India for more tech news and updates.