FEBRUARY 2021 PCWorld 107other phones have closed the gap with night
mode and portrait mode enhancements. A
jump in camera performance in 2021,
especially at a lower price point, would help it
reclaim the crown.
LEVERAGING THE
ANDROID ADVANTAGE
Finally, there’s Android itself. With
timely updates, quarterly feature
drops, and exclusive and “Pixel-first”
features, Google has positioned the
Pixel as the utmost Android
experience at every price point. The
relationship is only going to get tighter
with Android 12.
Aside from features and
optimizations, I’m expecting Google
to push the Pixel’s guaranteed Android
updates from three to four or even five
years. After Samsung upped its
promise to three years in 2020,
and Qualcomm announced that it
will be supporting four years of
updates with the 888 processor,
the Pixel needs to set itself apart
from the pack. Years of timely
updates is one of the Pixel’s
strongest points. An iPhone-like
level of guaranteed updates would
make it the unprecedented champ.
Google’s 2020 Pixel moves
were definitely surprising, but I don’t
think it means Google is giving up
on its handset as an influencer in the Android
universe. Quite the opposite: With a few
changes in 2021, the Pixel could finally become
the phone it was always meant to be.The camera has always been the Pixel’s best feature.
The Pixel 5 (left) could bring the same high-end experience
that you get on an iPhone.