Quote from: Blob on May 20, 2020, 04:52:15
Google can either keep producing underwhelming "flagships" in an already saturated market, never gain market share, or they can make something affordable and sufficient for 100% satisfaction in 99% of users at half the price of a flagship and enjoy 4x more sales.
The Smartphone market is crying for a feature complete phone with no notch. If they can deliver 3.5mm and an SD card slot, this phone will be an absolute winner; a direct competitor to Sony's $1300 flagship with barely any downsides for 99% of users.
Let's not forget the Google software and updates premium and being a US company.
Since when is $700 affordable? It's still very much a premium phone territory. As evidenced by iPhone. The $350 question is what they can possibly offer compared to Pixel 4a that's worth the money. The people you speak of would probably be just as happy with the cheaper 4a. Except for the knowledge they've got the (relatively) cheap Pixel. And Google still can't match Apple for software updates. Not to mention that the market for more affordable phones is even more crowded.
Personally, I wouldn't count on the headphone jack or card reader.