Google Pixel 8 Now Made in India
Google has officially started production of its Pixel 8 smartphone in India, the company announced on social media this Monday. This move comes less than a year after the device’s global launch in October 2023. During the Google for India event that same month, Rick Osterloh, Google’s Senior Vice President of Devices and Services, confirmed plans to assemble the Pixel 8 in India by 2024. However, the production is currently limited to select variants of the Pixel 8 series.
Local Manufacturing Partner
In a recent post on X (formerly known as Twitter), Google India revealed that the first batch of Pixel 8 units has rolled off the production line in India. The Pixel 8 series includes the standard Pixel 8, the Pixel 8 Pro, and the newly released Pixel 8a. However, according to a report by TechCrunch, local manufacturing has so far commenced only for the base Pixel 8 model.
Google has partnered with Compal, its global manufacturing arm, and Dixon Technologies, a local electronics manufacturing services (EMS) company, to handle the production. The plant has an initial capacity of 100,000 units per month, with around 25-30 percent of the output earmarked for export.
Timing and Market Implications
The start of Pixel 8 production in India comes just hours before Google is set to unveil its latest flagship, the Pixel 9 series, at the global Made by Google event today. An additional launch event specifically for India is scheduled for tomorrow, August 14.
It remains unclear whether the local production of the Pixel 8 will impact its pricing. Currently, the Google Pixel 8 is priced starting at Rs. 75,999 in India, available in two storage configurations: 128GB and 256GB. The device is sold exclusively through Flipkart, Google’s only authorized seller in the country. However, this distribution model could expand soon, with expectations that the Pixel 9 series will be available offline through retail stores like Croma and Reliance Digital.
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