Google Pixel

Google Pixel sales continue to rise, with Japan now being the biggest market

Ben Schoon | Jul 7 2023 - 7:02 am PT

Google’s Pixel phones have slowly but surely been gaining traction in the smartphone market, and, according to a new report, much of that sales growth is now coming from Japan in 2023.

Counterpoint Research reports that Google Pixel shipments jumped 67% globally year-over-year coming into Q1 2023. That was driven largely by sales of Pixel 6a, Pixel 7, and Pixel 7 Pro. That alone is a solid figure, especially as the overall smartphone market continues to shrink.

More interesting, though, is where some of that growth is coming from.

Year-over-year, a much larger percentage of Google Pixel shipments are now coming from Japan versus the rest of Google’s markets. In Q1 2023, Japan made up 34% of Google Pixel shipments, up from just 10% the previous year. That also puts Japan as the top region for Pixel, where the United States has dropped from 51% down to 31%. That’s not to say Pixel sales in the US have dropped, but rather that more of the brand’s growth is happening in Japan. Western Europe, meanwhile, saw a drop from 24% to 17%, while other markets combined rose from 14% to 18%.

Apparently the Pixel 7a was a big contributor here, with the mid-range device seeing a 74% jump in shipments over the Pixel 6a during their respective first three weeks.

The Pixel 7a was especially successful in Japan, where smaller screens are more popular and where carriers control the market tightly. Google started selling 7a at DOCOMO, Japan’s third major cellular carrier along with SoftBank and AU, where Pixel 6a and other prior models were also sold. Notably, though, Pixel 6a still managed to be the top-selling Android phone in the country for seven consecutive months in the country.

Google has also apparently now earned the second-place slot in Japan behind Apple, surpassing local brands such as Sharp and Sony. Google holds roughly 9% of the market.

It’s interesting to see this shift within Google’s brand, and it also helps to explain some of Google’s past Japan-specific marketing pushes, as well as why the country earned one of just four slots in where the Pixel Fold is sold.