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New Pixel phones, old tax problems.
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.
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.