When the major problems with version updates go away and the major smartphone makers finally start guaranteeing an update period, Google may find a way to completely end Android's fragmentation. It turns Android into a service.
There are also signs of this. On February 11th, Google announced several new features of Google Photos first applied to the Pixel, but contrary to expectations, it is not expanding to all Android phones. Instead, Google offers these new features (Portrait Blur, Color Pop, etc.) as a benefit for Google One subscribers, which is a paid service with new machine learning-based effects.
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| Some Google Photos features will remain dedicated to the Pixel and Google One services |
Of course, it's not a very important feature, and most users may not care if the feature is there or not. However, Google's decision to leave these new features for paid services shows that the way Google deals with Android apps and Android system updates may change in the future.
Pixel as a platform
Google's own Pixel smartphone seems to be turning into a service. Since its launch in 2016, the Pixel has been a showcase for the latest software and hardware created by Google. It starts with the Pixel Launcher and the Google Search Box widget and continues with the latest Pixel Feature Drops. Feature Drop is a feature that allows the Pixel to first use the features of the new system and apps before they become available to other Android phones.
For example, Google Photos' Portrait Blur feature also first appeared in December 2019 as a pixel picture drop. This benefit has always been free for Pixel users, but technically it is a paid feature.
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| Hardware was not an important factor in the pixel, but the weight is gradually decreasing |
It seems that Android features are more important to Google than the smartphone's own specifications or screen. Features like 5G and reverse wireless charging are cool, but that doesn't make the Pixel a great smartphone. At the heart of the Pixel is a pure and flawless Android experience, which is hard to see on other Android phones. Whether you pay $699 to buy the Pixel 5 or $349 to buy the Pixel 4a, it's the platform you buy. And now Google may want to sell this platform to everyone.
Hardware is a secondary element
Android's best features don't depend on hardware at all. Features like fast charging, battery saving, caller ID, car crash detection, and the latest camera features are supported on all Pixel phones, including models released a few years ago. You don't need to purchase the latest Pixel phone to use these features, nor do you need to update Android separately.
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| Pixel is already an Android subscription service |
Android is the reason why pixels exist.
You can see where these traits are headed. Like a new feature in Google Photos, available only to Google One subscribers, Google could also offer a standalone Pixel Launcher that works on all Android phones. Users who couldn't use the Pixel because they didn't purchase it can subscribe to the service to unlock features or apps. It looks like Android, but it is an independent service from the user's smartphone.
In summary, it is not fundamentally different from the current environment. If you upgrade your smartphone every two to three years and use online storage for a fee, you're paying $10-20 per month for Android phones. In this context, the idea of providing a Pixel Launcher that can be used immediately on the Galaxy S21 as a subscription service is not very strange.
The new Pixel comes with a three-month Google One service, but it's not how Google turns the Pixel itself into service. For example, instead of selling the Pixel 4a for $349, Google could give you a free phone and charge $15 per month for the Pixel Launcher and 200GB of Google One storage. Of course, it also guarantees a three-year update.
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| Pixel is already an Android subscription service |
By turning the Pixel and its features into a launcher, Google can basically get rid of fragmentation. You don't even have to worry about when your Android phone will be upgraded to the new version. The Pixel Launcher brings the required features and leaves security updates as regular system updates. It can be the ultimate Android regardless of which smartphone users are using.
Google Photos' new feature maybe just one of the benefits of the Google One service, which has no special perks. However, it could be the starting point of a new strategy for Google to freely expand its services beyond the limits of Pixel phones.
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