New reports out of 9to5Google and Android Police indicate that Google’s Pixel lineup will soon ditch Verizon exclusivity status, a void the phones have been in since their inception back in 2016. According to the reports, the 2018 Pixel 3 and the upcoming Pixel 3a may soon make it to T-Mobile’s network and be sold directly through the Uncarrier. Right now, the Pixel 3a is being tested on T-Mobile’s network before it gets released.
Expanding the Pixel’s reach through different carriers than Verizon is a good sales plan for Google. There’s not a doubt in my mind that Pixel sales have had to slump over the past few months, and having one principal avenue of selling the devices to U.S. consumers isn’t great if you want to keep pushing out units. With the introduction of the Pixel 3a on T-Mobile, there’s a good chance Google will sell plenty of them over the next year. And if the Pixel 3 and 3 XL reach the Uncarrier as well, the search giant will likely sell more phones than it has before.
All of this comes with a disclaimer that we really don’t know how Google will ditch Verizon exclusivity and begin selling its phones through other carriers. There’s a chance that all future Pixel phones like the Pixel 4 will land on T-Mobile beginning day one, but there’s also a chance that once Verizon is satisfied with the amount of time it used to exclusively sell the phones, other carriers will be allowed to distribute them. There are many unanswered questions, but we expect to hear answers sooner than later.
