Google raised the starting price of every Pixel phone by $100 compared with last year and is leaning heavily on trade-in discounts — changes that could foreshadow how Apple approaches pricing for upcoming iPhone 18 Pro models.
Pixel price hike: what changed
Google increased the baseline prices across its Pixel lineup: the Pixel 11 now starts at $899 (up from $799), the Pixel 11 Pro at $1,099 (up from $999), the Pixel 11 Pro XL at $1,299 (up from $1,199) and the Pixel 11 Pro Fold at $1,899 (up from $1,799). Google also raised Pixel Watch 5 prices: the 41mm model is now $399 (up from $349) and the 45mm model is $429 (up from $399).
To offset some of the increases, Google raised base storage on some models: the Pixel 11 and Pixel 11 Pro now start with 256GB instead of 128GB, meaning their new $100 jump is technically the same as last year’s 256GB price. The Pixel 11 Pro XL and Pixel 11 Pro Fold already started with 256GB last year and remain at that baseline, so those devices represent straight price increases.
Google also reduced RAM in some base models to mitigate costs. The base Pixel 11 Pro and Pixel 11 Pro XL now ship with 12GB of RAM instead of 16GB. Last year, all Pixel 10 Pro devices had 16GB; this year, buyers must pay at least $1,219 for the 11 Pro and $1,419 for the 11 Pro XL to get 16GB of RAM. A customer buying the Pixel 11 Pro will now pay $100 more for a 128GB storage increase and 4GB less RAM than the 10 Pro last year.
Despite the RAM reduction, Google said this year’s Pro models will deliver faster, smoother performance through software and silicon optimization: “Pixel’s full stack approach allows us to optimize the way on-device models load and execute, keeping our hardware lean, fast, and highly responsive. In fact, through software and silicon optimization, you can expect faster and smoother performance from this year’s Pro models when compared to last year’s comparable 256GB SSD SKUs.”
Trade-in push and pricing presentation
Google is prominently displaying trade-in discounts on product pages, listing discounted starting prices before showing full retail pricing. The Pixel 11 Pro is advertised “From $499” with a trade-in, and the Pixel 11 Pro XL “From $699.” Purchase pages do not reveal the full price for a chosen model until a customer declines a trade-in, and Google also highlights carrier discounts and monthly payment options.
Apple already emphasizes trade-ins and monthly financing when launching new iPhones, but whether it will mirror Google’s visible trade-in-first presentation is unclear. Apple recently introduced an Apple Upgrade program in partnership with Klarna that offers fee-free 12-month through 36-month payment plans for purchases.
Implications for iPhone 18 Pro and memory cost pressures
Analysts have suggested iPhone 18 Pro models could be up to $300 more expensive than iPhone 17 Pro models, though Apple has also negotiated lower prices for other components that could offset some memory cost increases. Both companies have been affected by rising memory prices: Apple CEO Tim Cook likened the situation to a “100-year flood,” saying there have been “exponential increases in memory prices,” which contributed to price hikes for some iPads and Macs. The shortage of memory chips—largely because manufacturers are prioritizing chips for AI data centers—has driven RAM prices sharply higher.
iPhone prices have not increased yet, even though some other manufacturers have raised theirs, and multiple rumors suggest iPhones could be more expensive starting in September. Apple could adopt a similar approach to Google by increasing base storage while raising prices, but so far it does not appear likely to reduce RAM in Pro models: the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max already start with 12GB, and Apple may be constrained from making major RAM cuts without affecting Apple Intelligence and Siri AI features it plans to roll out this fall.
