Packaging error confirms Google is cheapening out on the Google Pixel 2
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It’s OK to charge premium prices for premium hardware. What is not OK is trying to charge premium prices for sub-par hardware and trying to milk buyers for all their are worth, which is what it appears Google is dead set on doing with their Pixel 2 range.
Not only does the Pixel 2 come with a dated design, and the Pixel 2 XL comes with a screen from the rejected part bin, but now it has been revealed that Google intentionally cheaped out on included accessories with the smartphone range.
Neither handset comes with included headphones, despite requiring a still uncommon USB-C headset.
Now a shipping error, which resulted in Lucas Everett receiving an early version of the packaging, has revealed that Google was planning to include a set of wired headphones with the premium-priced smartphone, but changed their mind at the last minute.
https://twitter.com/lucaseverett/status/923969809779437569
Everett picked up the Pixel 2 at Verizon, and the manual makes a clear reference to the headphones, which were not included. It also did not include a USB-C to 3.5mm dongle, which raises further questions about Google’s quality control.
The dongle is of course further evidence of Google trying to bilk Pixel 2 buyers, with Google earlier charging $20 for the accessory, before being shamed into dropping the price to $9. Of course, even the move to drop the headphone jack was likely motivated by an attempt to sell expensive Bluetooth Pixel Buds.
One would expect such deceitful strategies from a failing company desperate for money, rather than one of the richest companies in the world, and we do have to wonder what is going on in Google’s smartphone division to lead to such behaviour. I suspect it is related to Alphabet’s divisions being under more stringent requirements to pay for themselves, which led to cuts in Google Fiber for example, which suggests to me that if the smartphone division does not swim by itself it may very well sink and not be around for too long.
Via the verge
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