Those that dream of a cheap Pixel 3 option in 2018 might just have had their prayers answered!

Word on the street suggests Google is making a cheaper Pixel 3 for release inside 2018.

The handset, which will launch alongside two additional Pixel 3 devices, will be a new version of the handset that will sit below the two current styles of Pixel devices.

But there is one issue…

It might not even come to the US and UK.

Why? Apparently, Google will use it to target India and other emerging countries, which doesn’t bode well for those looking for a new Nexus phone in the west.

The news comes via ET Tech, which reports that Google has now finalised its strategy for India in 2018/19.

According to the sources, Google will bring its Google Home products to the region as well as the cheaper Pixel 3 handset.

Cheaper Pixel 3 Specs?

Nothing is known about the handset's specs just yet.

However, the device could – and this is pure speculation on my part – feature the same specs as the first-generation Pixel device, just with a new design.

This would make the handset a great fit for the country, as the hardware is still great but it would, importantly, keep the price nice and low, as that hardware is now two years old.

This is basically what Apple did with its iPhone SE, and I don’t see any reason why Google couldn’t do it with its cheaper Pixel 3 in 2018.

This is kind of typical of Google, though.

The company often has multiple initiatives running at once. Android One was meant to be for emerging countries.

But that now appears to have been replaced with a cheaper Pixel 3 handset.

Or… perhaps it hasn’t. No one really knows at this stage of the game.

One thing is certain, however:

There is a MASSIVE demand for high-quality, cheaper phones in the US and UK.

The void left by Google’s Nexus phones is still felt to this day.

Stock Android, fast updates, great software and specs – they were kind of unbeatable in this regard. And then there was the price: way cheaper than everything else.

When's This Cheaper Google Pixel 3 Landing? 

The cheaper Pixel 3 handset is expected to get a release in either June or July, though there has been no mention of how much it will cost.

Just that it will be cheaper than Google’s normal Pixel phones.

Google normally unveils its new Pixel phones in October, with a release coming a few weeks after.

This ensures the phones are on market during November and the all-important Q4 sales period which is the busiest quarter of the year.