Google will remove the last of its Pixel production from China starting in 2027, moving production to Vietnam and India.
This is currently only a report and may or may not be true. But Google is unlikely ever to confirm it, so we’ll have to wait and see. Google would be following Samsung here, making a substantial move away from China for smartphone manufacturing.
According to Counterpoint Research, this is how it affects these three markets. For China, losing flagship Pixel volume will be a very small dent for a supplier base this size, but it is “symbolically significant”. For India, it is positioned to benefit most from US-bound volumes, given its relatively lower tariff exposure versus Vietnam, and it already has a template to follow from Apple’s iPhone export success in India. Finally for Vietnam, this would consolidate its position as a genuine flagship-grade production hub, not just a low-end assembly line.
It’ll be easier for Google to leave China than Apple
Nikkei Asia reports that it’ll be easier for Google to move out of China than Apple, because Google doesn’t officially sell phones in the country. Keep in mind that China has banned all of Google’s services since the early 2000s.
Additionally, the publication notes that the Pixel user base is relatively small, so it’ll be easier to move. Google can also tap into the supply chain ecosystem that Samsung has already established in Vietnam. Given how closely Samsung and Google work together, this is a very real possibility.
Google has also apparently told its suppliers that it’s planning to raise Pixel phone shipments by 8-10% this year, up from 12 million units last year. Google, of course, is using Pixel to get people to use its AI products like Gemini more and more. That’s why the ‘Pro’ models have the HiLight feature this year.
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