Several rumors so far have suggested that the Pixel 8 line will be more expensive than the current lineup and a leaked Google document says that the series will start at a higher price but it’s not all bad news.
9to5Google today said that a retail source told them that both new phones will be $100 more expensive than their predecessors but that doesn’t seem to be the case.
X user @Za_Raczkewho is known for leaking Pixel-related stuff, managed to obtain a copy of a Google promo doc that also mentions the prices for the upcoming phone. Assuming that the material is legit, the Pixel 8 will start at $699, which will make it more expensive than the Pixel 7 which costs $599.
Pixel 8 vs Pixel 7 price and specs
The document says that the Pixel 8 Pro will continue to start at $899, meaning it will cost the same as the Pixel 7 Pro.
This year’s Pixel 7a was also slightly more expensive than the Pixel 6a and came with several upgrades, including new camera sensors, a higher refresh rate screen, and support for wireless charging. Also, rising component cost may have compelled Google to hike the price.
Google’s rationale behind only increasing the price of the Pixel 8 is not easy to explain. Both phones will be powered by the new Tensor G3 chip which is expected to have newer cores and a new GPU. They will allegedly also have bigger batteries and charge at a faster rate. The phones are also likely to have a bigger main camera. And lastly, they may both be supported for longer than the current iteration.
Some of the key changes will be exclusive to the Pixel 8 Pro though. Only this model is rumored to get a higher resolution 48MP ultrawide camera, a new time of flight module, and a thermometer sensor.
Logically, it’s the Pixel 8 Pro that should have become more expensive. But since the base model was considerably more affordable than competing phones, perhaps Google thought it was a better idea to raise its price. Whether this will prevent it from becoming one of the best phones of 2023 remains to be seen as one of the best things about Pixel handsets is their reasonable prices.
Google has confirmed that the new phones will be unveiled on October 4. 9to5Google says they will hit the shelves on October 12.
