Google finally has its ecosystem of devices: How it’s a challenge and an opportunity

When it comes to hardware and devices, Google has never been belligerent. Contrast it with the likes of Xiaomi, Realme, or Oppo — Google has been mellow for a variety of reasons. As has been Apple. Yet there’s the much hallowed Apple ecosystem. Over the years, even Samsung has gradually made an ecosystem of devices. No company actually directly calls it an ecosystem but when you have a number of devices it automatically gets created.
Take the case of Apple. The Apple ecosystem is one where every device works seamlessly and the integration is done quite impeccably. Say, you have an iPhone. Then the AirPods will connect, get paired and work absolutely flawlessly. Or if you have a MacBook and an iPhone then there are a lot of features that can be shared. It’s the same with Samsung — the Galaxy Watch or the Galaxy Pro Notebook will work extremely well with a Galaxy smartphone.

Google finally has its own ecosystem now

For years, Pixel devices meant just smartphones. Google in the past tried its hands at the notebook but it didn’t really spell success for the Mountain View-based tech giant. Google didn’t really have its own smartwatch or a tablet. That was until the Made by Google event held on October 6. Google unveiled an all-new Pixel Watch and gave a glimpse into the Pixel Tablet as well. “This is what we have been building up to for a while: delivering a lineup of beautifully designed Pixel phones, watches and earbuds that work together to understand your needs and deliver the helpfulness you expect from Google.” So yes, now with the Pixel Watch and the Pixel Buds and soon the Pixel tablet, Google will have an ecosystem that will allow users to have easy access and connectivity between multiple devices.

Google says that at the heart of the Pixel ‘experience’ — the company isn’t calling it an ecosystem — are the Pixel 7 phones. Furthermore, Google says that it is a combination of three things that will drive the Pixel devices. “All of this is brought to life thanks to our combination of foundational technologies, artificial intelligence, Android and Google Tensor.” The Tensor chip powers the Pixel smartphones and will later do the same for the Pixel tablet.
One of the big reasons — apart from excellent software and hardware — why Apple’s ecosystem remains coveted and difficult to leave is how well it works. If you have an iPhone then there’s no way that a Windows PC will give the experience a MacBook will. Or try working on any Android tablet if you have an iPhone. There’s always something missing and that something is the access to the Apple ecosystem. Google has finally created its own ecosystem. We will have to wait and see how well it works as creating one and delivering in it are totally different things. This could be a real test and opportunity for Google. A test because it can finally lay to bed those claims about hardware not being the company’s cup of tea. And an opportunity because in the Android world Google can deliver a tablet and a smartwatch that works with a phone that is not of a different brand.