Pixel 6 Launch September 13th?
Apparently the Pixel 6 will launch on September 13th. Personally, I'm hopeful, but I do doubt the veracity of the rumor.
That is not to say that there aren't things which have happened in favor of such an early release as well. Just that I feel like there is more in favor of it not happening so early. Perhaps a release could be announced that early, but to have the devices actually hit shelves on that day is what I'm doubting.
In favor of an early release is the timing of the leaks. Leaks, and ones which based on what Google has confirmed were accurate have been out there for months now. This means that the devices has been finalized for some time and likely the initial run of devices has also been underway for some time. Looking at the timing of those leaks, it certainly seems to line up with an earlier than usual release.
There are, however, ways to explain that as well; specs normally wrap up fairly early in the process and COVID may have forced Google to begin production ahead of schedule in order to deliver on time. This would have lead to more data being finalized earlier than usual which in turn would have meant accurate leaks earlier than usual. Also, the radical departure in the design department was for functional reasons which also means that even the phone design itself likely would have been set in stone much earlier than usual. If they were using a more standard camera housing for example, then they would have a lot more room to make late stage changes.
But, one can't deny, the leaks did start rather early. Even for a Google product. And that COULD indicate an earlier than usual launch.
Also, not selling the 5a in as many markets created more of a pent up demand for a new product. But, the lack of a 5a in those markets was not so much strategic as it was a concession brought about by the pandemic. Had the 5a not launched in the typical countries in a normal year, then I would have taken it as a sign that Google had plans to shake things up.
So again, there certainly are reasons why it may be true. But, the last reason I'll add it confirmation bias. I know that the biggest reason I'm giving the rumors any credence is because I want them to be true. And that is the biggest reason I have for believing them.
Onto reasons against; Pixel 5 stock and pricing. The Pixel 5 ran out of stock here in Canada a few weeks back. Had it stayed out of stock, I would have said that was a strong indicator. Had it gone on sale it would have been one as well. But, it is back in stock and not on sale. Combined with the fact that Google has apparently discontinued it, coming back into stock makes no sense. Unless, they felt the need to fill the gap in time between product releases.
I bought my Pixel 3 just before the Pixel 4 was announced because it was on sale at the time. The same thing happened to all of the other Pixels. A couple weeks before the new model was announced it went on sale for a few weeks. And then the sale ended a week or so ahead of the launch of the new product. Google wants to keep selling phones, but they also want to clear out stock and then NOT have that reduced price point causing conflict with buyers when the new phone becomes available. By running the sale for at least a week or two and then having a week with no promo pricing before the new phone drops is the best way to accomplish this.
I can't see Google changing this strategy. And there isn't really any time left to run such a sale if the 6 is launching on the 13th.
This MIGHT make sense if the Pixel 6 were drastically more expensive than the 5 and they were going to keep selling both concurrently. But, as the 5 has technically been discontinued that isn't an option either.
More likely, the restock was done ahead of time anticipating both that the Pixel 5 sales would need to plug a gap in sales which would have otherwise lasted much too long (not the case if the 6 was imminent) and anticipating plans to discount it. Though, as I say this, the Sorta Sage model is already out of stock again.
This is also not much time left to invite press to an event, even a virtual one. I don't think Google is just going to silently drop a new flagship phone. And with just 2 weeks left you would really expect press to have received invites to a launch event.
Other softer reasons include the chip shortage and history. While Google seems the least married to their "release schedules" this would be quite a jump even for them, and during a chip shortage. At a time when everyone was just talking about the prospect of the launch being pushed back into November, now we're hearing it might move forward by 6 weeks instead?
THAT is probably the biggest mark against the theory. The one-two punch of the chip shortage combined with accelerating the timeline compared to previous years by over 10% of a year.
Well, that and regulatory approval. I haven't seen an announcement that such a device has passed FCC testing. While companies try to keep those sorts of things until late in the process, it is still generally weeks to months before a launch.
The Pixel 5a for instance launched on August 26 and hit FCC on July 8th. Almost 2 months ahead of its launch and about 5-6 weeks ahead of its announcement. To keep things hush-hush, flagships devices might not be pushed through until a bit sooner. But, the later you seek approval the more risk you face of time becoming your enemy or a failure breaking you release schedule.
If Google were planning to release on September 13th, then I would have expected the following:
- An FCC filing 3-6 weeks ahead of time.
- An announcement, even if it doesn't state WHAT they are planning.
- Stock would be allowed to run out and stay out
- Sales would be used to help eliminate existing stock if not selling fast enough
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