Don’t Anticipate a Low-Cost Google Pixel Phone in the Near Future

By Maggie On Oct 9, 2023

The Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro debuted recently, and the Google Pixel 8a is expected to arrive next year. However, the prospects for a truly budget addition to the Pixel lineup seem rather slim.

Nanda Ramachandran, vice president of Google Mobile Business, told Der Standard (via Android Police) that there are currently no plans to develop a low-cost Google Pixel phone. According to Ramachandran, such a device would require too many compromises.

For example, taking the Google Pixel 7a as an example, it still contains the Tensor G2 chip that is inside the Google Pixel 7 Pro. This means you won’t be sacrificing processor performance, even with a more affordable price tag.

Ramachandran also mentioned that the Pixel series intends to expand its presence in European and Asian markets to increase brand awareness and of course increase sales.

With the Pixel 7a starting at a retail price of $499 / £449 / AU$749, there’s not much room for further price cuts. As seen in our list of the best budget phones, there are smartphones available for significantly less than the Pixel 7a.

It’s worth noting that there’s been a price increase between the Pixel 7 series and the Pixel 8 series, reflecting improvements in internal specs, camera systems, and the extension of software and security updates to seven years.

The new Pixel phones are also packed with advanced AI features, and the trade-off in those aspects is to hit a price point around a third of the cost of the Pixel 8, which wouldn’t be in line with Google’s current strategy, Ramachandran explained.

Google has a solid track record of delivering mid-range mobile phones that strike a good balance between price and features and offer significant cost savings without too many compromises. Therefore, there is considerable interest in what the Pixel 8a will bring to the table.