Google's upcoming Pixel 4a successor could be made in India - Android

The search giant is looking to capture a greater share of India's mid-range smartphone segment this year.

What you need to know

• A Google executive has revealed that the tech giant plans to significantly increase its focus on the Indian smartphone market this year.
• Google's upcoming Pixel 5a could be available in India in much greater numbers than last year's Pixel 4a.
• The executive also revealed that the Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G weren't launched in India due to the higher cost of 5G chipsets.

Google is planning to start manufacturing Pixel phones in India, according to a new report. The report also claims that the company has big plans for country's smartphone market this year.

Speaking to The Economic Times, a senior Google executive revealed that the company doubled inventory for Pixel phones in India last year. This year, it plans to "further increase the focus and get a larger share from global inventory for the India market."

The executive added that Google is "closely monitoring" the pricing strategy of rivals like Apple and OnePlus in the ₹30,000 to ₹40,000 ($410 to $550) segment. Google's aggressive pricing strategy for the Pixel 4a apparently "gave good results" last year, which suggests the upcoming Pixel 5a may launch at a similar price point in the country.

Along with shedding light on Google's Pixel smartphone strategy for the Indian market, the report also reveals the reason why the Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G weren't launched in the country last year. The source told the publication:

Why do we want an expensive phone when Indians can't use 5G. Because of hardware cost, 5G variants weren't launched in India.

If a recent leak is to be believed, the Pixel 5a will be announced on June 11. The follow-up to Google's best cheap Android phone is expected to feature a similar design to the Pixel 4a 5G and a new Snapdragon 700-series chipset from Qualcomm.