Google Japan has been advertising the upcoming Pixel 3 announcement on social media. Users burned by the Pixel 2 scorch and burn FeliCa non-support debacle are hopeful that Google has seen the error of its ways and that Pixel 3 will deliver proper FeliCa support. There are some possibilities:
1) Pixel 3 does not support FeliCa: this is unlikely given how much Google has advertised in Japan and would kill the Pixel brand in Japan forever.
2) Pixel 3 does the iPhone 7 thing and only supports FeliCa on Japanese specific SKUs: this is more likely but will piss off Android fans outside of Japan.
3) Pixel 3 does the iPhone 8 thing with a global FeliCa Pixel 3: most people will be happy and inbound Android users can finally join the Mobile Suica party.
4) Pixel 3 does the iPhone 8 JP global FeliCa but TD‑LTE Band 42 support is JP carrier exclusive: MVNO fans will be frothing at the mouth and cursing at the wind.
5) Pixel 3 does the iPhone 8 global FeliCa thing with TD‑LTE Band 42 JP SKUs both in SIM-free and select carrier locked arrangements: this would be the best outcome for MVNO users and for actually selling some product.
We’ll find out on October 9.
Update: results here
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