The recently launched Google Pixel smartphone is expected to reach 3-4 million shipments in the second half of 2016, according to Luke Lin, senior analyst of Digitimes Research. While this total pales in comparison to the number of iPhone 7 shipments expected through the end of the year, it will still provide a major boost to Taiwan smartphone maker High Tech Computer (HTC), the manufacturer of the phone. Lin indicated that Pixel shipments will account for 40-50% of HTC's smartphone shipments in the second half of the year.

Although the Pixel was jointly designed by Google and HTC, it is a Google branded device so all related HTC shipments to Google are considered JDM (joint design manufacturing) shipments by Digitimes Research and not HTC branded shipments.

According to Google, the Pixel smartphones come in two sizes: 5- (Pixel) and 5.5-inch (Pixel XL), both adopting Qualcomm's quad-core Snapdragon 821 processor, a 12.3-megapixel back-end camera and a 8-megapixel front-end camera. The Pixel smartphone is priced starting US$649.99.

Lin noted that while many market watchers have compared the Pixel smartphones with the iPhone 7 in terms of specifications, expected shipments are quite another story. Apple's new smartphone shipments are expected to achieve far more volume (about 20-30 fold) than Google's Pixel in the second half of the year.

Digitimes Research's Taiwan Mobile Device Tracker - HTC's handset shipments are expected to reach 6.5-7 million units in the second half of the year, up less than 10% from 5.8-6.1 million units in the first half.