Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Mobile
  3. News

Google reportedly sold more phones than OnePlus in 2019

Shubham Agarwal
By

Google’s smartphone division had a markedly better 2019 than many anticipated. According to the International Data Corporation (IDC), the Pixel lineup had its “best performance ever” last year, and outsold China-based manufacturer OnePlus. Google shipped an estimated 7.2 million units — 52% more than it did in 2018.

While global figures for OnePlus’ sales in 2019 are not publicly available, Counterpoint Research claims the phone maker sold about 2 million units alone in India, its dominant market.

Recommended Videos

IDC associate vice president Francisco Jeronimo wrote in a tweet that most of Google Pixel’s growth stemmed from three markets: The United States, Western Europe, and Japan.

We’ve reached out to Google for confirmation, and we’ll update the story when we hear back.

Jeronimo didn’t share which Pixel model contributed to this surge, but based on past reports, it’s safe to assume that Google was able to build up the momentum with its affordable Pixel 3a series. On an earnings call for the second quarter of 2019, Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google parent company Alphabet, told shareholders that the company managed to double overall Pixel unit sales year-on-year for the quarter thanks to the launch of Pixel 3a in May.

Google has also actively run promotions and discounts, most of which often brought down the Pixel 4 and Pixel 3 to the budget $400 range.

A report by The Information earlier this year revealed that sales for Google’s latest Pixel 4 have been largely underwhelming despite its launch coinciding with the holiday season. In the first two quarters they were on sale, Google shipped nearly 3.5 million Pixel 3 phones, 3 million Pixel 3A phones, and paltry 2 million Pixel 4s.

Google still, of course, has a mountain to climb and despite outselling OnePlus, it has yet to breach into even the top 10 smartphone companies. In comparison, Apple sold 73.8 million iPhones in just the fourth quarter of 2019.

Google has a refreshed midrange smartphone, the Pixel 4a coming up likely this month but experts are skeptical about whether it would make a difference. That is especially due to the positive reception of Apple’s latest, affordable iPhone SE and the entry-level flagship, the iPhone 11 that was the second-best-selling smartphone globally last year despite arriving late in September.

In addition, the fate of Google’s Pixel phones itself hangs in the balance. The company’s hardware team lost two key executives this year including Marc Levoy who oversaw the Pixel phones’ highlight feature, their cameras.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Shubham Agarwal
Shubham Agarwal
Journalist
Shubham Agarwal is a freelance technology journalist from Ahmedabad, India. His work has previously appeared in Firstpost…
The Pixel 7a would be better if Google brought back this brilliant accessory
The Pixel 7a in a case and being taken out of a pocket.

The Google Pixel 7a is a great little phone, and Google makes some colorful protective cases to keep it safe. I’ve been using one since getting the phone, but it has made me really miss a product that Google seems to have forgotten about: the fabric phone case. What we’ve got for the Pixel 7a (and the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro), is an admittedly durable, but really irritating silicone case. What it does is hammer home it’s time for Google to bring back the fabric one.
The official Pixel 7a case is bad
The Pixel 7a's silicone case attracts a lot of lint Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

Google’s silicone case for the Pixel 7a will definitely protect your phone. It wraps around the sides and has a slight lip at the edge of the screen, so even if you put it face-down on a table, it’ll keep it relatively safe. The Google logo on the back has a swish brushed finish, and the buttons are separate from the case, giving them more feel and precision than if they were part of the silicone mold.

Read more
Don’t buy the Pixel Tablet; get this cheaper Android tablet instead
OnePlus Pad with official Stylo pencil stylus on a wooden table.

The market for Android tablets appears to be sinking, but the likes of the Pixel Tablet may have some role in salvaging it. The Pixel Tablet, launched last week -- exactly a year after it was first unveiled -- marks Google's reentry into the tablet segment after almost a decade.

While this development may help bring more manufacturers onto the scene, Google itself feels shy about making big claims about performance and productivity. Instead, the Pixel Tablet is projected as a mere hybrid upgrade to the Nest Hub and Nest Hub Max.

Read more
This app could be killing your Pixel phone’s battery life
Pixe 7a home screen.

No smartphone is perfect, but more so than almost any other Android phone, Google Pixel devices seem to find themselves in the spotlight for bugs and software issues. That reputation is being reinforced once again as numerous Pixel owners report that one particular app — specifically, the Google app — is causing significant battery drain and overheating issues.

If you look at the r/GooglePixel subreddit and Google's own Pixel Phone Help forums, you'll find numerous people complaining about their Pixel devices experiencing unusually bad battery life and/or poor thermals. These complaints have been ongoing since earlier this month, and one Pixel owner also reached out to Engadget to voice their concerns about what's happening. When looking through all these complaints, they all seem to come back to the Google app being the culprit.
The Google app is wrecking Pixel battery life

Read more