Google is most likely busy working on its next flagship smartphone, the Pixel 3, and even though it’s quite early for rumours, the company itself has referenced the smartphone officially. The Pixel 3 was spotted in a recent commit by XDA Developers on the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) called “Cherrypick – ‘Add device config to decide which Auto Selection Network UI to use’,” and its description mentions adding a new configuration to the Android framework “because the HAL V_1_2 only supports Pixel 3, and the new Auto Selection Network UI is based on HAL V_1_2.”.
Here HAL refers to a Hardware Abstraction Layer, which is a piece of software that connects the Android operating system (framework) and the hardware. It should be noted that the commit was first created on February 21, 2018 and the Pixel 3 moniker could be used as a codename for any of Google’s devices and not particularly for the smartphone. Speaking of the Pixel series of smartphones, a new report hinted at the possibility that Google might soon launching a mid-range Pixel phone in India. The device is said to be aimed at price-conscious markets like India and could be introduced around July-August. Also, there are rumours that the company could announce its upcoming Pixel devices by Diwali in India, which is usually when the company announces its flagship devices globally.
There are also reports that Google is planning on expanding its offering in the country by launching its Pixelbook, IoT products like doorbells, camera, alarm system and smoke detectors which are sold under the Nest Brand. It’s said that Google might make all these products available in India over the next year. The company is currently holding an event on April 10 in India and will unveil its Google Home and Home Mini smart speakers in the country.
Flipkart is already allowing users to register for being notified when the speakers will be available for purchase and has a dedicated microsite for the products. The devices could be exclusively available via Flipkart. In terms of pricing, the Google Home and the Google Home Mini are priced at $129 (Rs 8,500 approx) and $49 (Rs 3,200 approx) in the US, and could be priced the same in India for taking on Amazon’s Echo range of smart speakers.