Google’s Pixel may be the new kid on the flagship smartphone block. Apple’s iPhone and Samsung’s Galaxy still dominate. But Pixel is catching up fast in its offering if not its sales. And Pixel has just joined iPhone and Galaxy in a very exclusive club.
“Google Pixel phones are built on a foundation of mission-ready resilience and intelligent security that is seamlessly integrated into the Google ecosystem.” Google says, confirming it now had DOD Information Network (DoDIN) approval.
This, the company says, shows its phones “are the highest rated for security features empowering government employees to securely connect and collaborate from virtually anywhere—even the most remote environments.”
Reputationally, the market sees Pixel as a step behind Samsung and iPhone. The other two, larger phone brands have centered on security and privacy much more, especially Apple, and they don’t have the Google ad-tracking business as an ever present anchor.
But Google is changing the Android game and no phone benefits more quickly or completely form that than its own. Pixel is first top security updates, new versions of the Android OS, and features such as Advanced Protection Mode and network defenses.
Samsung, meanwhile, still struggled to catch up on OS upgrades — One UI 7 and One UI 8 being cases in point, and its monthly security updates often miss deadlines set by America’s cyber defense agency, taking the course of a month to roll out.
Google pushes its security to every Pixel user everywhere, more or less all at once. Just as Apple does with iOS updates. Pixel updates are “seamless,” Samsung’s are now. And Apple’s updates are about to see a major refresh to roll out even more efficiently.
But Pixel is still Google and it’s yet to take serious market share from Samsung or iPhone. That said, one market where it is flying is the U.S. and this will help.
“In today’s complex and ever-evolving threat landscape,” Google says, “federal agencies require secure, reliable, and innovative solutions to fulfill their critical missions.” The new certification, it says, is a “significant milestone that underscores our commitment to providing federal agencies with secure, cutting-edge technology.”
This is especially big news for Samsung. Because Google has a unified ecosystem with Pixel that the Galaxy-maker can’t match. It controls its hardware and OS and “DoDIN APL certification is just one example of why Pixel’s seamless Google Cloud integration and robust security features make it a strong choice for public sector applications.”
Is Google’s phone a serious competitor to Apple and Samsung when it comes to security. The U.S. military says it is. And that does seems to be a “significant milestone.”
