Google May Move All Pixel Production Out of China in 2027

Google could be getting ready to make a major change to the way it builds Pixel devices. A new report claims the company plans to move its remaining Pixel production out of China from 2027, with India and Vietnam expected to take a bigger role. Google hasn't confirmed the move yet, but if it happens, it will follow a path Samsung started years ago.

Google already makes some Pixel devices outside China, so this wouldn't be a sudden move. The company has been building up production in both India and Vietnam as it tries to rely less on Chinese factories.

According to the latest report, Google could use India to make more Pixel phones for the US market, while Vietnam may take on a larger share of production as well. The company has already made high-end Pixel phones in Vietnam, and that seems to have given Google more confidence in the plan.

Here's the thing, though. Moving production out of China should be much easier for Google than it would be for Apple.

Pixel phones aren't officially sold in China, and many Google services are blocked there. Google also ships far fewer phones than Apple, so it doesn't need to move an iPhone-sized supply chain across several countries.

Samsung is a good example of where Google could be heading. The Korean company has built a huge manufacturing base in Vietnam, where it has been making Galaxy phones for years. Samsung opened its first mobile phone factory in the country back in 2008 and has since turned Vietnam into a major part of its global supply chain.

That existing electronics industry could make Vietnam an obvious choice for Google as well.

India is just as interesting. Smartphone makers have spent years expanding production there, and Google could use those factories to supply more Pixels to the US and other markets.

To be honest, this feels less like Google leaving China and more like the company finally building a wider supply chain. Depending too much on one country is risky, especially when trade rules and relations between the US and China can change quickly.

The timing also makes sense. Google is reportedly planning to increase Pixel shipments by around 8% to 10% this year, after shipping about 12 million phones last year.

Those numbers are still small next to Samsung and Apple, but Pixel has been growing. Google now has a stronger position in markets such as the US, UK and Japan, even though its global market share remains modest.

And I think that's the important part here. Google doesn't need to become Samsung overnight. But if it wants Pixel to grow beyond being a showcase for Android and Gemini, it needs a supply chain that can grow with it.

Moving the remaining production out of China could be another step in that direction. Samsung already showed that you don't need China to build millions of flagship phones. Google may be ready to follow.