Analyst says Google's hardware will produce nearly $3 billion in profits for 2018
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Most tech firms put hardware first, and then dabble in services or advertising to balance the ups and downs of device sales. But Google, the Alphabet subsidiary, does it the other way around. The company's Google search engine is an advertising juggernaut as are its apps like Google Maps and YouTube. But Google's devices have "gained critical success and are starting to gain material commercial traction," according to RBC Capital Markets analyst Mark Mahaney. As noted by CNBC, the analyst wrote a note to clients late last week that is bullish on Google's hardware.
Because Google's hardware allows it to serve more ads to consumers, it is an important part of the company. Still, most brokerage firms, including RBC, know what brings home the bacon for Google investors. For example, Morgan Stanley analysts recently said that Google should give away the Home Mini smart speakers for free to increase the number of ads it serves to consumers.

Financial projections for Google's hardware business from RBC Capital Markets analyst Mark Mahaney
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