Google says omitting the Indian market was a deliberate decision based on their research of “local trends”

If you happened to be watching the October 15 ‘Made By Google’ event livestream for the Pixel 4 and 4 XL, which wasn’t exactly met with a massive amount of enthusiasm. As far as Pixel 4 goes, this model has to be one of the most leaked smartphones in recent history; everything from specs to design were out on the global table… and for a while now, the Internet has been brimming with multiple detailed hands-on videos.

The device, priced at $799, is to be released across major markets on October 24 – except India. According to an official spokesperson at Google, the Pixel 4 “Google has a wide range of products that we make available in different regions around the world. We determine availability based on a variety of factors, including local trends, and product features. We decided not to make Pixel 4 available in India. We remain committed to our current Pixel phones and look forward to bringing future Pixel devices to India.”

All about the Pixel 4 series

So what are we missing here? There are three colours for the models: Just Black, Clearly White, and a limited edition Oh So Orange. They now also have a rear dual-camera system, which isn’t much of a surprise.

The Pixel 4 features a 5.7-inch display, while the Pixel 4 XL has a 6.3-inch screen. What Google dubs ‘Smooth Displays’ come with a refresh rate of 90Hz (which has been the talk of many tech brands such as OnePlus), a first for any Pixel phone… but this could do more harm than good considering there isn’t much of an upgrade in the Pixel 4 series’ battery life. The phones could up the RAM from 4GB to 6GB this time around. The Pixel 4 series is fuelled by the Snapdragon 855 SoC, rather than the on-trend 855 Plus.

The new Google Pixel 4 smartphones are displayed during a Google launch event in New York City, New York, U.S. | Photo Credit: Reuters

Google Assistant is also said to be far more deeply embedded in the OS (Android 10 out of the box for this one), meaning more intuitive and speedy responses when interacting with the device.

One of the newest features for the Pixel 4 series is that it claims to have the fastest face unlock system on any smartphone; fingers point to the company’s new motion-sensing Soli chip next to the front-facing camera sensor. For the Pixel 4 series, Google’s omitted the strategically-placed fingerprint sensor, replacing the security features with facial recognition unlock and basic PIN entry.

The camera, one of Pixel’s highest selling points, has undergone a further boost with astrophotography facilities, learning-based white balancing features and a wider range Portrait mode. Then there’s the new Live HDR+ which will let users preview HDR+ processing in the camera app before taking the photo, and the Dual Exposure controls which gives users the power to adjust shadows and highlights in a shot before taking the photo.

That said, it doesn’t seem like the lack of availability of the Pixel 4 will keep Google loyalists or new demographics from finding ways to buy the phone.