Why is Google Pixel 7 series up to 21 percent costlier in India?

Published On: October 8, 2022

Highlights

Google’s latest premium handsets are up to 21 percent costlier in India than in the US.
A spokesperson from Google says local taxes and customs duties are why the Pixel 7 series is pricier in India.
The Pixel 7 costs Rs 59,999, and the Pixel 7 Pro retails at Rs 84,999, purchasable via Flipkart in India.

Google launched this year’s flagship series, the Pixel 7 lineup, at its #MadeByPixel 2022 hardware event on October 6th. At the launch event, the company revealed Google Pixel 7 series pre-booking starts after the event ends, and it’ll hit the store from October 13th. The Pixel 7 costs Rs 59,999 (Approx. USD 725), and the Pixel 7 Pro retails at Rs 84,999 (Approx. USD 1,027), purchasable via Flipkart in India.

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Google sells them for USD 599 for the Pixel 7 and USD 899 for the Pixel 7 Pro in the US market. Comparing the Indian pricing of Pixel 7 series phones to the US market, Google’s latest premium handsets are up to 21 percent costlier in India. A spokesperson from Google answers why the Pixel 7 series is pricier in India than in the US.

Why is Google Pixel 7 series expensive in India?

When questioned about the Pixel 7 series Indian pricing, the spokesperson from Google responds (via): “We determine local pricing based on a number of factors, including local taxes and customs duties. We believe the pricing reflects the value of our premium phones, the high-end hardware specs, and the best-in-class AI-powered software experience.”

Google is yet to reveal its smartphone manufacturing location.

TechArc chief Analyst, Faisal Kawoosa, said that despite the phones being manufactured in India or not, the company should make them for India, and the crucial aspect of boosting it is its pricing. And by doing so, Google would become a strong competitor in the Android premium space next to Samsung and OnePlus.

This won’t be the first time we witnessed steep pricing for the Pixel smartphones in India—Google maintains a good track record for messing up with the phone’s pricing in the country.