Google reportedly plans to end Pixel production in China by 2027

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Google is reportedly preparing to move all production of its Pixel products out of China by next year. The plan would cover not only smartphones but also devices such as Pixel Watches and Pixel Buds.

Google has been expanding manufacturing operations in Vietnam and India in recent years as it looks to reduce its dependence on Chinese production. However, a significant portion of its Pixel lineup is still reportedly manufactured in China.

The 2027 target is said to be linked to Google’s successful production of Pixel smartphones in Vietnam this year. Since smartphones are generally more complex to manufacture than smartwatches and earbuds, the company is reportedly confident that it can eventually move production of its entire Pixel portfolio.

If the plan goes ahead, Google would become the second major global smartphone brand to completely move its production out of China, following Samsung. Google’s lack of a smartphone business in China makes the transition easier, while Samsung’s minimal presence in the Chinese market also helped its move.

Google is reportedly expecting Pixel smartphone shipments to grow by 8% to 10% this year compared with the 12 million units shipped last year. The company is also said to be negotiating better memory chip prices by combining orders for its cloud computing operations with smartphone component purchases from Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron.

An executive linked to a component supplier serving Google and Xiaomi reportedly believes the company’s growing Pixel business could even take some market share from Apple in the US, Japan and Europe if Apple raises iPhone prices as expected.


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