Home Mobiles Low-cost Pixel phone? Google clarifies there won’t be one

Low-cost Pixel phone? Google clarifies there won’t be one

The Google executive clarifies that the essence of Pixel phones is not only cameras and security but also smart features driven by AI.

By Sai Krishna -

Published On: October 10, 2023

Highlights

With the Pixel 8 Pro, Google breached the $1,000 price tag in the smartphone market.
Nanda Ramachandran, Google's Vice President of Mobile Business clarified there will not be a $200 Pixel phone.
Improved displays, new cameras, a more powerful chip, and a significant investment in delivering seven years of software support are the reasons for Pixel 8 price hike.

Google places its Pixel-numbered phones in the flagship segment, while the A-series is placed in the premium mid-range segment to cater to a wide range of customers. With the Pixel 8 Pro, Google breached the $1,000 price tag in the smartphone market. At this juncture, there's a general wondering whether there would be a budget Google Pixel phone. Nanda Ramachandran, Google's Vice President of Mobile Business clarified there will not be a $200 Pixel phone.

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Low-cost Pixel phone?

In a conversation with the Austrian newspaper Der Standart (via Android Police), Nanda Ramachandran confirmed that a Pixel phone priced at around 200 euros ($200) is not on the company's roadmap.
The reasoning the top executive gives is that the phone would entail "too many compromises to offer the quality Google strives for."
"It's pretty unlikely we'll go in that direction," clarifies Ramachandran.
The Google executive clarifies that the essence of Pixel phones is not only cameras and security but also smart features driven by AI.
Google says that maintaining the true nature of all these elements is not possible on a device that is priced at around $200, explains the Google Vice President.

Pixel 8 price hike reason

When asked about the Pixel 8's price hike compared to the Pixel 7, which is around $100 cheaper during release, Ramachandran justifies the increase. He cites improved displays, new cameras, a more powerful chip, and a significant investment in delivering seven years of software support.

While Google doesn't have a budget $200 Pixel phone on the horizon, rumours and reports regarding the mid-range Pixel 8a have started surfacing online. This will come as a successor to the Pixel 7a and renders of the same have recently leaked online. These showed the design will be almost identical to the standard Pixel 8, including symmetrical bezels, rounded edges, and a horizontal camera module.