It looks like Google is stealing at least some customers from Apple. A new interview with Rick Osterloh, Google's senior vice president of devices and services, has revealed which smartphones people usually swap for Pixel phones.
The interview by Stratechery focuses on Pixel, Android and smartphone history. In the interview, Osterloh says that very few Samsung owners trade their devices for a Pixel phone. Instead, it appears that the majority of users swap over from iPhones or come from people who had previously left the market.
When asked where customers were coming from Osterloh said, "They’re coming from a large number of people, some of whom who’ve (sic) left the market and then also from Apple but ultimately, we think what we’re trying to do is we’re trying to gain Android share overall and that’s my principal goal is to try to improve Android competitiveness, improve our innovation, improve the problems we’re able to solve for users at all tiers. But we’ve certainly had issues in the premium space that we want to try to address."
Google phones have always had a strange place in the smartphone market. While they are often affordable, their chips usually leave something to be desired when compared to other devices like the Galaxy S24, and this is likely what Osterloh means by "issues in the premium space." However, the company is working to improve some of its hardware issues with a new modem, and swapping chip manufacturers from Samsung to TSCM.
However, for anyone looking to move to the Pixel series now is a great time thanks to the recent announcement of the Pixel 9 series during the Made by Google event. The new phones feature an improved Tensor G4 chip and a wealth of AI features. Google has also aimed to make as many of the new features as possible work on-device, making the AI faster and safer.
Apple losing a few customers likely won't mean much to them, but it is proof that something they are doing isn't working for everybody. The company likely thought the release of Apple Intelligence would help, but delays have muted that expectation slightly.
In the meantime, let us know if you have moved over to a Pixel phone or if you plan to. Also, check out our Pixel 9 hands-on review and the Pixel 9 Pro and Pro XL hands-on review to see what you might be missing.
More from Tom's Guide
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- Google Pixel 9 doesn’t have Qi2 — but the Google Store still has magnetic accessories on sale
- I've used the Pixel 8 Pro for nearly a year and don't plan to upgrade to the new Pixel 9 Pro — here's why
