Google spotlights AI over hardware upgrades in unveiling new smartphones at its annual “Made by Google” event in New York on August 20.

The company introduced the Pixel 10 series, including the Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro XL, and Pixel 10 Pro Fold, all powered by Google’s Tensor G5 processor and featuring a magnetic charging system called Pixelsnap.

AI features highlighted include a camera “coach” for photo guidance, an assistant that surfaces relevant information automatically, and real-time language translation for phone calls.

Hardware updates were modest, with changes like a telephoto lens added to the base model.

Prices for the new phones start at US$799, with the foldable model at US$1,799, unchanged from last year.

The Pixel lineup will be available in more markets, including Mexico for the first time. Google also introduced the Pixel Watch 4 and new versions of its Pixel Buds 2a wireless earbuds.

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🔗 Source: Reuters

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ Google’s AI-first strategy reflects its niche position in a concentrated smartphone market

Google’s emphasis on AI features over hardware upgrades makes strategic sense given its tiny market footprint.

Despite achieving record sales volumes in Q3 2024, Google Pixel holds just 1.1% of the global smartphone market and 4.3% of the US market12.

This small share forces Google to differentiate through software innovation rather than compete directly on hardware specifications or manufacturing scale with market leaders.

The company’s 76% year-over-year growth from Q1 to Q3 2023, reaching 7.8 million units shipped, demonstrates momentum but also highlights how far Google remains from meaningful market influence3.

Google’s strategy of geographic expansion into nine new countries, primarily in Central and Eastern Europe, shows the company is still in early market development phases that Apple and Samsung completed years ago4.

2️⃣ Smartphone market leadership is shifting while Google builds from the margins

The dramatic market share changes between Apple and Samsung reveal how quickly smartphone dominance can shift, creating potential openings for Google’s long-term growth.

Samsung’s US market share surged from 23% to 31% in Q2 2025 while Apple dropped from 56% to 49%, representing millions of units changing hands between the two giants5.

This 8-percentage-point swing occurred over just one year, demonstrating that even established market positions can be vulnerable to innovation and strategic execution.

Samsung’s success came through foldable devices like the Z Fold 7, which saw 25% increased preorders, showing how hardware innovation still drives major market shifts6.

While Google focuses on AI differentiation, the Samsung-Apple battle shows that breakthrough hardware categories can rapidly reshape market dynamics. This suggests that Google’s patient software-first approach may need complementing with more aggressive hardware innovation to achieve meaningful scale.

Recent Google developments

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