Google’s Pixel phone is proving to be an impressive device if somewhat lacking in the innovation department. However, one of the biggest complaints that analysts have leveled against Google is the company’s apparent lack of commitment to really become a smartphone hardware seller. The tech giant is about to move one step closer to satisfying the demands of critics, however, by opening a physical shop in 96 Spring St., New York City.
The shop will be called “Made By Google” and it will actually be a pop-up setup, Tech Times reports. The shop will be selling a variety of products that are part of the hardware line that Google just unveiled during the Pixel event. Naturally, the Pixel smartphones will also be sold at the shop, which makes it the first direct line to the product that customers can use.
The shop will open on October 20th, which also happens to be when the smartphones will become available on the shelves of retailers. More than just the physical location, however, it’s the “Made by Google” branding that’s going to make the biggest difference on how the industry views the company’s chance as a hardware seller.
This is important as well, since the major impression that critics have when it comes to Google’s phone offerings so far, from the Nexus to the Pixel is little more than an experiment. As Forbes reports, if this keeps on happening, the company’s newest smartphone is going to fall by the wayside, especially when going up against Apple and Samsung.
Among the obstacles that Google is going to have to overcome include the phone’s announcement so close to when the iPhone 7 came out. Although Samsung is dealing with the huge fiasco of exploding phones right now, it still has the S series of phones to offer. Finally, Google’s cancellation of the Aria modular phone project was a huge blow to the company’s budding image as a serious smartphone competitor.