During the original iPhone introduction, Steve Jobs referenced a favorite quote of his from legendary computer scientist Alan Kay: “People who are really serious about software should make their own hardware.” This philosophy has formed the bedrock of Apple’s business strategy for decades now, save for that brief dark period during the mid-90s when Apple sanctioned an ill-fated Mac clone initiative.
Apple’s devotion to both software and hardware is part of the reason why the iPhone often outclasses every other smartphones on the market. Undeniably, the ability to fine tune software and hardware to work together seamlessly and efficiently is a huge competitive advantage.
That being the case, I’ve been especially intrigued with the Google Pixel as it marks Google’s most serious effort to date to exert strict control over the entirety of the Android experience, from both a software and hardware perspective. We’ve seen Android flagships before, no doubt, but the Google Pixel was designed by Google from the ground up.
The Google Pixel has Google “managing inventory, building relationships with carriers, sourcing components, making supply chain deals and managing distribution.”
When reviews of the Google Pixel first started appearing online, I was excited to see if the hype behind the Pixel was real. Because competition is often a necessary component and driver of innovation, I was eager to see if the Google Pixel was a device that could potentially force Apple to step up its game.
Most of the Google Pixel reviews I came across where overwhelmingly positive, but I couldn’t help but notice that Google’s smartphone, in many respects, was being afforded a pass that Apple’s iPhone rarely, if ever, receives. Whereas the iPhone is seemingly criticized for minute and arguably petty reasons, some of the Google Pixel’s shortcomings were curiously and conveniently glossed over with gusto.
Touching on this very point, Rene Ritchie has a great piece uo on more where he explains how the Pixel was graded by tech reviewers on curiously favorable curve. Remember: Google is a serious player in the smartphone business and the Pixel is priced as a premium handset. Consequently, one would imagine that the Pixel would be held up to the same level of scrutiny as the iPhone.
Alas, this was hardly the case.
The design of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s was lambasted mercilessly, and rightfully so given those unsightly antenna lines. In fact, many even brought up said design as evidence that Apple had lost its innovative edge along with its eye for industrial design. Meanwhile, the Google Pixel borrows many design elements from Apple’s 2014 iPhone design and nobody bats an eye.
It strikes me as odd that in 2016, an iPhone and an Android phone can look extremely similar and evoke completely opposite sentiments from reviewers. The Google Pixel by and large looks like an iPhone but some reviews viewed this as a positive because it was “familiar.” Meanwhile, if Apple doesn’t introduce a groundbreaking new iPhone design every year, it’s a sign that there’s trouble in Cupertino.
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