Google Working on Mid-Range Pixel Smartphone Series With Android Go: Report

Google currently offers only the Pixel range of smartphones that is known for offering flagship specifications at premium price points. But, as per a new report, that is set to change for good. Rumours suggest the Mountain View-based tech giant is looking to launch a new inexpensive mid-range smartphone series that is codenamed Desire. This is of particular interest as HTC's mid-range smartphones also bear the Desire moniker. Additionally, Google had recently acquired a major chunk of HTC's mobile engineering division to boost the Pixel range of smartphones.

According to a report by Chinese blog Qooah, Google's upcoming Desire series of mid-range smartphones might be powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 600 and Snapdragon 700 series of mobile SoCs. The flagship Pixels will continue to be powered by the Snapdragon 800 series. Additionally, the report also reveals that the upcoming Google mid-range Pixel handset will run Android Go out-of-the-box. The company, back in December last year, announced the arrival of Android Oreo (Go Edition) that is supposed to power phones with less than 1GB RAM.

Before Google shifted to the premium Pixel brand, the tech giant used to sell comparatively inexpensive Nexus smartphones that offered the same clutter-free Android experience for purists. With this expected mid-range lineup, the company might be looking to regain the audience that it lost in competing with premium market leaders such as Apple and Samsung.

To recap, the Google Pixel 2 and Google Pixel 2 XL debuted back in October 2017. Both variants offer significant upgrades in terms of camera, software integration, and performance compared to their predecessors. However, Google ditched the 3.5mm headphone jack and instead offers audio connectivity via the USB Type-C port also used for charging.