“Even more surprising are the struggles of Google’s Pixel phone, which first launched in late 2016 to rave reviews and a major distribution agreement with Verizon. The carrier has promoted the device heavily online and in its stores, but Pixel phones in total have so far sold about 3.2 million units since their initial launch, according to estimates from Counterpoint Research. That is less than 1% of all U.S. smartphone sales in that time. Google, owned by parent company Alphabet Inc., is the world’s second most valuable company, not to mention the owner of the ubiquitous Android mobile operating system. A sluggish reception for its own smartphones bodes poorly for others looking to break into the U.S. market. Connections only go so far.”
