iPhone SE 3, Pixel 6 series are not selling, according to a new report

The only indication about sales of the new Pixel 6 line that we have seen came back in February when Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai, talking about fourth-quarter results, said that the new models helped generate an "all-time quarterly sales record for Pixel." Google was very optimistic about the Pixel 6 series to the point that it asked its supply chain for enough components to produce twice the number of units that it sold during the prior year.

In 2020 Pixel shipments were estimated by IDC to be 3.7 million units, a sharp decline from the 7 million delivered in 2019. For 2021-22, Google believed it had a big winner with the current models. For the first time, Google designed its own chipset called the Tensor which allowed it to add special features to the new Pixels that it would not have been able to do with chipsets purchased off of the shelf.

It also hiked the build quality of the phones, added a 50MP camera sensor to both the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, and gave the latter variant a periscope lens to provide 4x optical zoom and 20x using Super Res Zoom. It also priced both phones aggressively (starting at $599 for the Pixel 6 and $899 for the Pixel 6 Pro) and the premium model comes with 12GB of RAM and up to 512GB of storage.

And while there was genuine excitement at first about the new phones, they launched with a laundry list of bugs and a finicky under-display fingerprint scanner that had users longing for the rear biometric scanner found on the back of previous models (outside of the Pixel 4 line which used a facial recognition feature based on the same 3D mapping used by Apple's Face ID).

While the Pixels are known for being buggy out of the box, Google has always been able to improve the experience by sending out software updates. But this time, every time Google plugged a hole, another one started leaking. Still, this writer owns the device, paid for it myself, and still loves it.

But a report today posted by PCMag and written by research firm Wave7 reveals how the Google 6 series is struggling at the cash register. One rep said that sales of the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro are being limited to "diehard" Pixel fans.

The report says that Google has had to start paying "kickbacks" to reps. Known as "spiffs," this is standard operating procedure for many manufacturers as Samsung also uses this practice. Wave7 points out though that Google's Pixel 6 kickbacks are "very high." So don't be surprised if you visit a carrier store and the salesman is practically throwing the Pixel 6 line in your face.

Google Pixel 6

The Pixel 6 is also available at BestBuy with our without carrier plan activation. All storage and color versions are in stock.

$599

Expired

Google Pixel 6 Pro

Same BestBuy conditions apply to the Pixel 6 Pro too. You can get an unlocked version or a version with a carrier plan.

$899 ⁹⁹

Buy at BestBuy

Wave7's data show that other than some customer demand in the series at Verizon stores, there is no interest in the handsets and that is a shame. Not everyone is experiencing all of the bugs and there still is plenty to like about the phones.

In addition to the latest Pixel models, another highly anticipated handset not scoring points at the cash register is the iPhone SE 3. 56% of carrier reps say that the newly released iPhone SE has attracted demand from consumers than the amount that the previous iPhone SE model garnered last year. 8% of the reps surveyed said that the newer model has more demand.

Even Ming-Chi Kuo, the analyst who knows what soup the Apple cafeteria will be serving on July 24th, 2029, called interest in the lower-priced model "lackluster." Wave7 says that Apple does not seem to be too interested in marketing the iPhone SE 3. The research firm wrote, "Wave7 Research is unaware of any TV, radio, outdoor or print advertising for the device," and one Verizon rep told the researcher that "not many people know it came out."

Considering the poor demand for the iPhone 12 and 13 mini series, the smaller 4.7-inch display on the iPhone SE might be the main reason why buyers are not rushing to pick up the device. However, there is one bright spot for Apple. Wave7 notes that while the iPhone doesn't command a huge share of phones purchased from prepaid wireless firms, "customers tend to opt for the iPhone SE and iPhone 11."

The report adds that right now, Metro, Boost, and Cricket all have iPhone SE offers.