While Google doesn't break out its numbers for Pixel units sold, analysts estimate that customers bought around 552,000 Pixel phones by the end of 2016, according to USA Today. In comparison, Apple sold 78 million iPhones between late September and December. Samsung sold 2.5 million Galaxy Note 7 phones between its mid-August launch and its October discontinuation.



To put that in perspective, Google's market share for smartphones shipped is now less than one percent worldwide — as compared to Samsung's 18 percent and Apple's 18.2 percent — said Ramon Llamas, a research manager for the analysis firm International Data Corporation.

Google did not respond to a request for comment.

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On paper, it seemed like it should have been a slam dunk for Google given the Pixel's Google branding, Samsung's Note 7 problems, and criticism of Apple's latest iPhones not being that revolutionary. The Pixel is a solid phone thanks to its quality construction, pure version of Android and special Google features such as the voice-controlled Assistant. And Google has great brand recognition; it came in eighth in a reputation ranking looking at the world's most visible companies. Samsung, on the same list, was 49th in the wake of its Note 7 and other issues.

Plus, it's not as though Google isn't trying to sell this phone. The firm has sunk considerable effort and a reported $3.2 million in marketing costs, according to Reuters, into making the Pixel stand out as the “Google phone.” A profile of Google's ad campaign from Fast Company revealed that Google chose to feature its iconic search bar in Pixel advertising to closely tie the smartphone in with its most iconic product.

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The big problem for Pixel is that only one carrier, Verizon, sells the phone, said Jeff Moore of research firm Wave7 Research. While users can get it directly from Google for full price of $649 — and take it to another carrier if they want — that's not an option that a majority of wireless customers think about.



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“That's a big minus,” Moore said.

Companies sometimes offer phones with just one carrier, particularly when launching a new line; Apple's iPhone was an AT&T exclusive at first, and Google has tapped Verizon as a carrier partner for its co-branded Nexus phones in the past.

According to Wave7's research, the Pixel got off to a good start with many in the survey saying demand was as high for Google's phone as for other well-known manufacturers. But some of that excitement is starting to cool. Verizon representatives surveyed by Wave7 estimated that the Pixel accounted for 6.2 percent of activations in February, a decline from the previous three months.

Compounding the availability issue, Moore said, is that stores are having trouble keeping the phones in stock. That's a good sign for Google in terms of demand, but also a bad sign for the company in terms of being able to capitalize on that demand, he said.

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Google has had some trouble getting enough parts to make its phones, according to reports from the Verge as well as other industry analysts, due to the unexpected demand.

That's not to say the Pixel couldn't pick up more steam over time. After all, the smartphone world seems a little boring right now, judging by the headlines coming out of last week's Mobile World Congress. The most-discussed phone launched at the usually jam-packed show was a revived Nokia phone that last saw its heyday in 2000. But Samsung is set to announce its new phone on March 29; if it's a hit, analysts said, Google's set to face fiercer competition.

Google professes to be happy with the Pixel's sales. When talking to investors about Google's last earnings report, chief executive Sundar Pichai said that he was “thrilled” with the reception that the company's hardware had received this past holiday season.

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Moore, the Wave7 analyst, said he's still bullish on Pixel. “They've gained a foothold at Verizon, and I'm sensing that demand is there.” Google, he said, has the deep pockets and the branding to push it forward.