Friendly banter between competitors has existed long before the internet era. From cola wars to Samsung taking a dig on Apple for their iPhone 6 battery fiasco, companies jump at every opportunity to take potshots at their competitors. Google had famously made fun of Apple for giving the headphone jack the axe during the Pixel launch. This time around, Google was at the receiving end of the banter courtesy of Samsung Mobile US who said that one could ‘land a plane’ on the new Pixel.
The Tweet was a dig at the uninspired, garden-variety notched design Google chose for the Pixel 3 XL and rightfully so, the Galaxy S9 and the Galaxy Note 9 are far superior to the Pixel 3 in the design department. To make matters worse, the Pixel 3 was easily the most leaked phone of the year, and we knew pretty much all there was to it well before its launch. And, the fact that the launch event was nothing short of a doozy didn’t help Google’s case in the slightest. If you thought this was the end, there’s a lot more in store.
‘Not everyone is born to lead’, says Samsung
Readers seemed to agree with Samsung, and rightfully so. Samsung has always been an industry leader in smartphone design. Even though their curved ‘edge’ screens might have been an eyesore for many, it is impossible to envision a Galaxy/Note experience without it. Every year, we anticipate Google to come up with something completely mind-blowing that sets a precedent for competition. The comment thread ended on a similar note and a whole lot of Google-bashing
Why the Pixel 3 is the most underwhelming flagship of the year
As the successors of the Nexus line, the Pixels have always been held up to a high standard. The self-proclaimed flag bearers of the Android operating system are expected to be nothing but the best in terms of hardware and software prowess. Although the Pixel 3 packs top-of-the-line hardware, it cannot hold a candle to the likes of even the Galaxy S9, let alone the new iPhones.
Google’s decision to include a secondary lens alongside the front-facing camera was a puzzling one, as all of its competitors did the exact opposite. The rear-camera stands to gain more with the inclusion of a telephoto lens/depth sensor. Another grouse with the launch event was the lack of specifications for the Pixel slate and the Pixel phones. We’d still like to see an official spec sheet at launch, even though it was leaked a long time ago.
Lastly, the pricing on the Pixel 3 and the Pixel 3 XL seem to be a tad high. Apple can get away with outrageous pricing tactics as iPhones are perceived as a status symbol, but the same can’t be said about the Pixels. Google’s last-minute teaser about ‘something big’ to be launched alongside the Pixels didn’t live up to the hype either. Yes, Google Duplex looks good on paper but it is still too early to show off a feature that isn’t even ready yet. Samsung’s criticism of the Pixel was well deserved and we hope that Google takes note and makes next year’s launch a bit more exciting.
