How the price of Google Pixel phones changed over the years - Android

With premium and affordable phones, Google's Pixel has something for everyone. Here's how the series' prices have changed.

Google‘s first smartphone line — the Nexus series — definitely wasn’t synonymous with ultra-premium design and features. The company has attempted to change that perception with its current phone family, the Google Pixel series. But that Nexus-to-Pixel name and strategy shift also resulted in another key change — higher prices.

While flawless hardware still isn’t Google’s strong suit, the company’s software innovation has taken the Pixel series from zero to tech-enthusiast hero in just four short years. By 2020, the Pixel price range spans from $349 to $999, which is quite a departure from the early years. More recently, Google’s mid-range “Pixel a” and Pixel 5 series have put Google hardware on the radar for mass consumers too.

To see how the company’s roadmap has changed since 2016, we’ve compiled price tags and some key product talking points for every Pixel handset so far.

Read more: All Google Pixel phones released so far

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Google Pixel price: $649 – $869

At $649, the original Pixel seems quite cheap compared to today’s flagships, but this wasn’t a particularly affordable debut. Samsung launched its Galaxy S7 flagship for $689. Meanwhile, the swanky S7 Edge variant retailed for $779, just a fraction more expensive than the Pixel XL’s $769 debut. The 128GB Pixel XL cost an eyewatering $869, while the ill-fated (see combustible), but far more sophisticated, Galaxy Note 7 cost $850. The Pixel series clearly intended to play with the big kids from day one.

See also: Google Pixel redux review: Proof of the power of software

Google didn’t shy from charging premium prices, even though, frankly, the first-generation Pixel’s hardware was hot garbage. The metal and glossy finish chipped too easily, the phone lacked the increasingly standard IP68 water and dust resistance rating, and the rear camera didn’t even feature OIS. There really wasn’t a lot of hardware on offer for such a high price tag.

Instead, Google Assistant, the Pixel Launcher, and Google’s impressive HDR+ photography software won Google some early fans. To this day, software remains one of the most compelling reasons to purchase a Pixel handset.

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Google Pixel 2 price: $649 – $949

Google sought to keep the entry point to the Pixel series reasonably affordable with the arrival of the Pixel 2. The company stuck to its $649 base entry point for 64GB storage and $749 for the 128GB version. However, Google saw room for a price hike with the Pixel 2 XL. Its base cost leaped to $849 and $949 for the 128GB variant, a full $80 more than its first-generation equivalent.

See also: Google Pixel 4a vs older Google phones: Should you upgrade?

$80 is hardly the largest price hike in history, but that put the Pixel 2 XL directly up against the $850 Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus. Perhaps not the best move for a phone that would prove to have some battery life and display issues, while also daring to ditch the headphone jack ahead of the curve. Google made strides with in-house hardware though, introducing the Pixel Visual Core to enhance the phone’s AI and image processing capabilities, giving rise to one of the best cameras phones on the market.

Even with the considerably high cost in mind, Google did enough to refine its original vision and just about justify the higher price. As we said at the time, you don’t buy a Pixel just for the hardware. Instead, the Pixel 2 series was carried by its stellar software, three years of OS updates, and a best-in-class camera system.

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Google Pixel 3 price: $799 – $999

After leading the way with 2017’s Pixel 2 XL, it was only a matter of time until the smaller entry in the series saw its price go up too. That happened a year later with the $799 Google Pixel 3. That’s a full $150 more than the most basic original Pixel and Pixel 2.

See also: Google Pixel 3 XL redux: It hasn’t aged well

At the same time, the Pixel 3 XL saw its price rise by $50 compared to its predecessor. This put the 128GB storage option right on the $999 mark. Pretty pricey for a phone sporting just 4GB of RAM and a single rear camera. This was the year that Apple and Samsung normalized the idea of $1,000+ smartphones, which caused plenty of backlash at the time. Perhaps Google felt justified keeping pace with the big players.

The Pixel 3's $150 price hike is Google's most controversial (so far).

Google did make efforts to justify its higher price with more competitive hardware this time around though. An IP68 water and dust resistance rating, a cracking P-OLED display, a wide-angle selfie camera, wireless charging, and a revamped premium look launched the Pixel series from a flawed but plucky underdog into a mainstream worthy smartphone. Just don’t mention the unsightly “bathtub” notch on the Pixel 3 XL or the dubious battery life.

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Google Pixel 3a price: $399

2019’s Pixel 3a marked a major shift in Google’s smartphone strategy. With an affordable $399 price tag ($479 for the 3a XL), the Pixel 3a halved the cost of entry into Google’s ecosystem.

Google’s less than perfect hardware was easier to overlook at this price point. Plastic bodies, thicker bezels, and slower memory were all perfectly acceptable trade-offs. This was especially true because the Pixel 3a packed in many of Google’s previously high-end software features, including its industry-leading camera capabilities. Better still, the lower end specs helped ensure Google’s more affordable phones could easily last a full day of use.

Overall, the Pixel 3a XL may have been a tad on the expensive side, especially in markets with plenty of affordable alternatives. But the smaller and cheaper Pixel 3a was a really competitive package, priced just right for Western audiences.

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Google Pixel 4 price: $799 – $999