With the promotional video launched just yesterday, October 5, 2016, Google's first flagship phones, "The Pixel" and "Pixel XL", are already creating a storm online, with people touting it to become this year's competitor in the war between Apple's iPhone 7, and Samsung's Galaxy S7.
Sensing an opportunity, Verizon is set to be the exclusive carrier of Google's Pixel phones in the US. This means that customers purchasing via Verizon get access to Verizon's services such as LTE Advanced, which will come in handy given the phone's new data-heavy features such as Google Assistant and Daydream View, which integrates into Google's virtual reality headset. It also comes with Verizon's own apps such as Verizon Messaging, Go90, and MyVerizon.
Purchasing the Pixel through Google also gives this incredible advantage. According to CNET, "Consumers can still buy the Pixel unlocked through Google, but they won't get access to deals. For example, Verizon customers will get up to $300 off for trading in older devices. The carrier is also offering a free Daydream View VR headset to anyone who preorders the Pixel prior to October 19."
Despite all the buzz and excitement this has created, Google remains slightly cautious working with Verizon. Back in 2011, a Google-powered phone was launched, the Galaxy Nexus. The partnership with Verizon yielded a strange and slow rollout. In addition, software updates for users who had purchased the phone was few and far between. Add to that the next few Nexus phones where the Nexus 4 turned out to be incompatible with the network, the Nexus 5 was skipped, and the Nexus 6 served nothing but long lines across the country.
A Verizon rep at Google's launch event spoke to The Verge, however, confirmed "that not-great history as water under a petty old bridge". The service and marketing for the Pixel is set to be different, with Verizon giving it a more "significant presence both on its website and also in its stores". Currently, both Google and Verizon are set to benefit, seeing that for most consumers in the US, buying a phone is still widely done via a carrier, in order to make the most of certain deals both phone and carrier companies offer to its customers.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
