Google is reportedly getting reading to unveil a budget version of its flagship, and has other hardware devices in the works.
According to Nikkei Asian Review, a well-respected Japanese business site, Google wants to do an “aggressive push into hardware” this year, starting with the Pixel 3 Lite. We've heard much of this before, as noted by 9to5Google. For instance, there have been many leaked photos of the Pixel 3 Lite, while past reporting suggested it will feature a 5.6-inch IPS display, Snapdragon 670 processor, 4GB of RAM, and a plastic body, among other things.
Nikkei’s report seems to corroborate what's been said in the past, but it also throws some new fuel on the fire. It claimed the Pixel 3 Lite, which is expected to debut this spring alongside a Pixel 3 XL Lite model, will cost less than Apple’s $749 iPhone XR. Google is also planning to launch a new version of its Google Home smart speaker, it claimed, as well as a new security camera and a smartwatch to compete with Apple Watch.
Let's be real and note that Google's "hardware ambitions" for 2019 would most likely include all these devices and more. The Nest team was integrated with Google last year, after all, and Google has made many versions of the Google Home (Mini, Max, and Home Hub). A smartwatch has also been rumoured. Google even recently acquired some of Fossil's watch tech and seems keen to round out its wearable department with expert blood.
So, in a nutshell, expect not only a budget Pixel 3 Lite this spring, but maybe even a speaker, camera and watch at some point in the year. None of this has been confirmed by Google, but due to past leaks and stories from several sites, it is very plausible that Nikkei's reporting here is correct.