There has been a clear shift in Google’s smartphone hardware strategy over the past few years. From its reliance on the cloud to power various facets of its AI-infused apps, newer Pixel models have leveraged hardware to run a variety of smarts on-device and offline. This allows for immediacy and privacy, both beneficial to the end-user, but also pushes the company to deliver even more impressive hardware with each upgrade. Naturally, with this switch, older Pixel phones no longer receive the cutting-edge features that made the series an attractive long-term handset.
But what if Google changed this? What if it pivoted to offering older Pixel phones that can’t process data locally, with the option to use the cloud instead? This comes with its own pros and cons, of course, but we still believe that consumers should be given the option. So, we asked our readers in a recent poll, “Would you use Pixel 9/10 features on older Pixels if they were cloud-based?” Here’s how you voted.
