Google may have missed a big chance to become a major smartphone maker - The Washington Post

Also see Google will release a new Pixel phone this year (Engadget)

"Since its October launch, Google's Pixel phone has received rave reviews, and Google recently confirmed to the Android-focused publication Android Pit that it will release a new Pixel this year. Yet despite these successes, it seems the phone may be experiencing some trouble on the sales front and may have missed an opportunity to capitalize on competitors' missteps.

While Google doesn't break out its numbers for Pixel units sold, analysts estimate that customers bought around 552,000 Pixel phones by the end of 2016, according to USA Today. In comparison, Apple sold 78 million iPhones between late September and December. Samsung sold 2.5 million Galaxy Note 7 phones between its mid-August launch and its October discontinuation.

To put that in perspective, Google's market share for smartphones shipped is now less than one percent worldwide — as compared to Samsung's 18 percent and Apple's 18.2 percent — said Ramon Llamas, a research manager for the analysis firm International Data Corporation."

Google may have missed a big chance to become a major smartphone maker - The Washington Post