[spankalee]

The first priority for Android is competing against iPhone. Any self-dealing to get Pixel to have more of the Android pie would be far down the list, and probably counter-productive. It was already possible under the previous structure anyway.

[rezonant]

Correct, and it's clear that this isn't an outdated strategy from Google, just in the current cycle we saw Circle to Search launch on both Galaxy and Pixel, and most of the new AI stuff that differentiates Pixel is now coming to Galaxy as well. This might be a headscratcher if you think Google is trying to make Pixel the dominant Android phone, but that's not it. Google wants Android to be the dominant phone OS, and despite it being massively popular globally, in the US the numbers are dire, with 50-60% overall going to Apple, and as high as 80-90% of young people choosing iPhone. I love Pixel, but it accounts for approximately 5% of the market in the US, with Samsung at 22%. Those stats about young people nearly universally picking iPhone is a bad sign for Android and a bad sign for competition in the phone market as a whole.

[Rinzler89]

>as high as 80-90% of young people choosing iPhone

It's not really choosing, it's more like being handed over form parents or being force to due to iMessage network effect with teens in the US. Which teens wants to choose to be left out of group conversations?

As an adult you can give fewer fucks about normie conformism, bubble colors and people being petty over it, but as a teen it would be a death sentence for your social life. Hence why the regulatory bodies are starting to twist Apple's arm over it.

[boplicity]

> as a teen it would be a death sentence

No wonder teens these days have extremely high rates of anxiety & depression.

[eddd-ddde]

Honestly it's weird how this is a thing in the US. In what I believe is most of the world, people just use WhatsApp, no sms, no iMessage.

Same is true for any demography as well. Maybe add some Instagram for the younger groups.

[Rinzler89]

Younger groups mostly message on Snapchat not Instagram. Instagram is still mostly for pictures and "influencing".

[rezonant]

It's almost like everyone who comes in to say "people all just use Whatsapp" are going from anecdotal evidence, while the reality is Whatsapp, Snapchat, Instagram, Telegram, iMessage, SMS and Tiktok all have a share of that messaging pie-- these people just live in message app bubbles.

[eddd-ddde]

Well at least where I grew up Snapchat never really caught on. Instagram kinda held its place.

[rezonant]

I sure hope you're right!

[eschneider]

That's the situation NOW, but it can certainly change in the future. Work with Google as a hardware vendor, grow the Android market with them, and eventually they don't need you and cut you out. It happens.

[amadeuspagel]

An american company is never going to be able to produce phones as cheaply as a korean or a chinese company.

[rickdeckard]

Let me assure you, Apple is capable to produce a cheaper device than any other smartphone vendor in the world today.

[paulryanrogers]

In concert with Foxconn and others.

[tomrod]

Further, much of android could be forked.