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Google Pixel smartphone chaos could continue into 2021 as company extends work from home policy

By Anam Hamid

Published: Jul 27, 2020, 11:16 AM

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Google Pixel smartphone chaos could continue into 2021 as company extends work from home policy

Google employees will not be returning to their offices until at least July 2021, reports The Wall Street Journal.

Previously, the plan was to let the staff work from home through the end of the year amid the coronavirus outbreak.

Employees whose role requires in-person presence will be going back to work. Others have the option to perform their duties remotely through June 30 next year.

Although Google is the first major US company to extend the work from home policy for so long, a couple of others such as Twitter have made remote work their new normal. The search giant's decision is expected to affect most of its 200,000 full-time and contract employees. It covers staffers in most of its major offices in the US, UK, Brazil, India, and elsewhere.

How will this decision affect the 2021 Pixel lineup?

The move could have serious implications for Google's upcoming hardware, including its Pixel line of phones. This year's lineup, which reportedly includes the Pixel 5, Pixel 4a, and Pixel 4a (5G) is already subject to chaos. The decision to have most of its staff work remotely can derail its next year's plans too.

Previously, we were hearing that next year's Pixel 6 will have a Google-made chip, but given the new announcement, it remains to be seen how things proceed. The Pixel 4a's launch has been disrupted because of the pandemic and thus it's only natural to assume that the company's upcoming phones will be affected even more. In addition to that, even Nest and server hardware production will likely be impacted.

Google's Pixel phones are apparently manufactured in Vietnam and earlier it was said to be moving the production of Nest and server gear to Taiwan and Malaysia. Since Google HQ is in the US, work from home could seriously affect the prototyping and testing phases. That said, since travel restrictions are easing up, we will have to wait and see how things turn out.

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Anam Hamid is a computer scientist turned tech journalist who has a keen interest in the tech world, with a particular focus on smartphones and tablets. She has previously written for Android Headlines and has also been a ghostwriter for several tech and car publications. Anam is not a tech hoarder and believes in using her gadgets for as long as possible. She is concerned about smartphone addiction and its impact on future generations, but she also appreciates the convenience that phones have brought into our lives. Anam is excited about technological advancements like folding screens and under-display sensors, and she often wonders about the future of technology. She values the overall experience of a device more than its individual specs and admires companies that deliver durable, high-quality products. In her free time, Anam enjoys reading, scrolling through Reddit and Instagram, and occasionally refreshing her programming skills through tutorials.