Google snuck in 5G access for Pixels in some unexpected markets

Jay Bonggolto
·2 min read
The bright display on the Google Pixel 8 Pro.
The bright display on the Google Pixel 8 Pro.

What you need to know

  • Google expanded Pixel phone 5G availability to additional countries where previous models lacked 5G support.

  • With the addition of these new markets, the total count of supported regions now stands at 38, offering more choices for potential Pixel buyers.

  • Despite the expansion, Google does not officially sell its latest Pixel phones in the newly added markets, underscoring the complex distribution strategy of the company.

Google just added more countries where you can get your hands on the Pixel phones' 5G connectivity.

The search giant has quietly turned on 5G for Pixel phones in more places where even models like the Pixel 8 series didn't originally support connectivity features like 5G, VoLTE, or Wi-Fi calling. According to 9to5Google, Google added seven new territories to the mix, such as Croatia, Iceland, Latvia, Greece, Hungary, Lichtenstein, and Slovakia.

Now, with these new additions, the total count of supported markets stands at 38. This means more choices for users eager to snag one of Google's popular Android phones.

It's worth mentioning that Google doesn't actually sell its latest Pixel phones, like the Pixel 8 series and the Pixel 7a, in any of these newly added markets.

As per 9to5, the Pixel 8 series is exclusively sold through official Google Stores in just 20 countries. These include Austria, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Switzerland, Taiwan, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, the UK, and the United States.

It's unclear why the Mountain View-based tech giant is making this expansion, but it's likely that Google is broadening support in these areas due to a high number of people purchasing Pixels through unofficial channels in these countries.

In any case, this move should hopefully give Pixel owners a consistent connectivity experience as they move from one country to another.

Even so, Google Pixel's 5G availability still seems quite limited, with some regions like South America and Africa left out. Since 2020, users have been voicing concerns about the lack of universal Pixel 5G availability, and unfortunately, that doesn't seem to be changing anytime soon.