Google Pixel Phone, the Korea release. Recruiting Korea's Essential Manpower

  Google Pixel Phone, domestic release... "Recruiting Korea's Essential Manpower"

'Pixel Mobile Wireless Team' Engineer Job Announcement... Evaluation of "Preparation for release of pixel phones and devices"

The possibility of a Google-designed 'pixel phone' landing in Korea has been raised. Google started hiring mobile-related engineers in Korea, and this job group was found to be an 'essential manpower' for smartphone manufacturers running business in the domestic mobile communication market. The industry is paying attention to whether Google can fill the void in the domestic market caused by LG Electronics' withdrawal from the smartphone business.

According to the IT industry on the 26th, Google is hiring engineers to work in the domestic 'Pixel Mobile Wireless Team'. One of the positions being recruited is 'Carrier System Software Engineer', who will be in charge of network linkage and verification between Google mobile products and mobile carriers.

As a qualification for this job group, Google required experience in developing mobile operator software such as mobile operator's message service (RCS), built-in subscriber identification module (eUICC), and e-SIM, including smartphone software development experience.

Another job that Google hires in Korea, 'Technical Account Manager (Carrier Relations)', also requires experience in collaboration with mobile carriers. Google explained in the announcement that "it will be responsible for the technical approval of wireless hardware products, as well as management and certification between the carrier partners."

A telecommunications industry official said, "According to the announcement, it seems that Google is preparing to launch a pixel phone or device to which e-Sim is applied in Korea. said.

Reference phone Pixel designed and built by Google

The Pixel Phone is a strategic smartphone launched by Google in 2016 under the slogan 'Made by Google'. Although Google built the Android operating system (OS) ecosystem, its presence in the hardware sector was insignificant. The phone business continues. Although Google Pixel Phone sold only about 8 million units last year, it is the first reference phone to be equipped with Google's latest Android OS and other services.

However, so far, it has not been confirmed whether Google has directly proposed the release of smartphones to the three domestic mobile carriers. In addition, the industry expects that even if the Google Pixel phone is released, it will be after next year. This is because they have just started hiring people and that Google has announced the launch of a new smartphone, the Pixel 6, around October of this year.

Google has a launch event for 'Android Auto' at Kia Beat 360 in Apgujeong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul on the morning of the 12th. 'Android Auto' supports all models of Hyundai and Kia Motors currently on the market in Korea, and Kakao's navigation app 'Kakao Navi' ' as standard. In addition, 'Android Auto' provides various functions such as connection with a vehicle equipped with a display and an Android OS (operating system)-based smartphone, navigation and music playback, phone calls, sending messages, and checking schedules. 

If Google releases a pixel phone in Korea, the impact it will have on the domestic market is paying attention. This is because Google did not release a smartphone in Korea after the last 'Nexus' series in 2013. There was an opinion that some people would have hesitated to launch the product in Korea because of its hardware business cooperation with Samsung Electronics.

LG phone vacancy, Google's anti-abuse law also affected?

At present, there seems to be no room for Google Pixel phones to enter the domestic market. Until last year, the domestic smartphone market was a three-way battle between Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, and Apple. According to market research firm Counterpoint Research, as of last year, the share of each brand in the domestic smartphone market was 65% for Samsung Electronics, 20% for Apple, and 13% for LG Electronics.

However, LG Electronics' withdrawal from the smartphone business at the beginning of this year is expected to act as a positive variable for Google's entry into the market. Recently, the proportion of self-sufficient phones through online sales in the domestic smartphone market has also increased. In addition, as Korea is the first country to commercialize 5G, it is analyzed that Google may have selected Korea as a test bed for expanding 5G Android-based services. With the recent passage of the 'Google Gap Prevention Act' to prevent Google's compulsory in-app payment in the mobile market and the imposition of fees for digital goods, the National Assembly is also paying attention to the correlation between Google's Pixel Phone launch.

At the same time, attention is being drawn to 'e-Sim', which is one of the development experiences that Google is hiring for engineers. The e-SIM is a subscriber identification method that registers a number in the e-SIM module built into the terminal instead of the existing plastic USIM card inserted into the terminal. The advantage is that there is no need to issue a new SIM card even if you change mobile carriers. The three domestic mobile carriers have not yet adopted e-Sim as a commercial service. However, it is known that the government and the three mobile carriers are considering introducing an e-SIM as early as next year.