Google just made the Pixel 11 wait pointless for many buyers
A Google exec says the company can't keep absorbing rising component costs.
It's not just the Pixel 11 that will cost more. | Image by My Mobiles
Many people will decide against upgrading their phone this year. Apple has already hinted that the iPhone 18 Pro will cost more, Samsung jacked up the price of its foldable lineup, and now, Google has confirmed that the upcoming Pixel 11 is following suit.
While everyone seems to be using AI strictly for quick searches and cat videos, that hasn't stopped tech giants from gobbling up the world's RAM supply to train their models. This has driven up component prices, making devices costlier to build.
9to5Google discussed the elephant in the room with Google’s Vice President of Devices and Services, Shakil Barkat, and he laid it all out: the Pixel 11 will indeed cost more, just as rumors suggested.
Barkat pointed to a "severe, supplier-driven RAM memory crisis," noting that memory prices are rising at an unprecedented rate. He cited Morgan Stanley data showing a sixfold increase in the cost of 1GB of RAM, from $2.80 in 2025 to $12 this year.
Barkat explained that Google shielded its "consumers from supply fluctuations for as long as possible," but the "economics have fundamentally shifted and we’re not immune to that."
The updated price tags will reflect supply realities, though Google promises to keep offering "premium experiences at an accessible value." It will roll out promotions, trade-in deals, and bundled offerings such as Google One to "make the Pixel lineup accessible."
Older devices will feel the pinch, too. While Barkat didn't reveal exact figures, he insisted the lineup will remain "incredibly competitive."
Meanwhile, the company is "aggressively engineering its way through these challenges." It's working to reduce the memory requirements of Android and apps to "enable devices to have less RAM while maintaining a great user experience."
Google also gave itself a quick pat on the back for designing its own AI models, software, and chipsets, which allows its on-device models to run far more efficiently.
Google will reveal the Pixel series on August 12. It could have kept mum on the impending price hikes, but it's perhaps giving consumers a chance to upgrade before prices go up.
For context, the Pixel 10 starts at $799, scaling up to $1,799 for the Pixel 10 Pro Fold. The new models are expected to jump by about $100 across the board.
The base model may come with double the storage at 256GB, but the standard Pixel 11 Pro might downgrade from 16GB of RAM to 12GB.
The Pixel 11 will be powered by the 2nm Tensor G6 chipset, which might not offer a massive performance leap over the G5. Battery capacities might shrink slightly, but that might not be noticeable due to efficiency improvements. A faster Face Unlock is also expected. A light-based notification system called Pixel Glow will be built into the flash unit.
Unless the Pixel Glow turns out to be more than just fluff, the Pixel 11 doesn't seem to have anything going for it. However, Pixel phones are known more for their experience than their specs, so it might be too soon to decide.
Blame the memory shortage
While everyone seems to be using AI strictly for quick searches and cat videos, that hasn't stopped tech giants from gobbling up the world's RAM supply to train their models. This has driven up component prices, making devices costlier to build.
9to5Google discussed the elephant in the room with Google’s Vice President of Devices and Services, Shakil Barkat, and he laid it all out: the Pixel 11 will indeed cost more, just as rumors suggested.
Barkat pointed to a "severe, supplier-driven RAM memory crisis," noting that memory prices are rising at an unprecedented rate. He cited Morgan Stanley data showing a sixfold increase in the cost of 1GB of RAM, from $2.80 in 2025 to $12 this year.
Google can't keep shouldering the cost
Barkat explained that Google shielded its "consumers from supply fluctuations for as long as possible," but the "economics have fundamentally shifted and we’re not immune to that."
The updated price tags will reflect supply realities, though Google promises to keep offering "premium experiences at an accessible value." It will roll out promotions, trade-in deals, and bundled offerings such as Google One to "make the Pixel lineup accessible."
Older devices will feel the pinch, too. While Barkat didn't reveal exact figures, he insisted the lineup will remain "incredibly competitive."
Meanwhile, the company is "aggressively engineering its way through these challenges." It's working to reduce the memory requirements of Android and apps to "enable devices to have less RAM while maintaining a great user experience."
Google also gave itself a quick pat on the back for designing its own AI models, software, and chipsets, which allows its on-device models to run far more efficiently.
What's your reaction to this news?
Say it like it is
Google will reveal the Pixel series on August 12. It could have kept mum on the impending price hikes, but it's perhaps giving consumers a chance to upgrade before prices go up.
For context, the Pixel 10 starts at $799, scaling up to $1,799 for the Pixel 10 Pro Fold. The new models are expected to jump by about $100 across the board.
The base model may come with double the storage at 256GB, but the standard Pixel 11 Pro might downgrade from 16GB of RAM to 12GB.
Should you skip the Pixel 11?
The Pixel 11 will be powered by the 2nm Tensor G6 chipset, which might not offer a massive performance leap over the G5. Battery capacities might shrink slightly, but that might not be noticeable due to efficiency improvements. A faster Face Unlock is also expected. A light-based notification system called Pixel Glow will be built into the flash unit.
Unless the Pixel Glow turns out to be more than just fluff, the Pixel 11 doesn't seem to have anything going for it. However, Pixel phones are known more for their experience than their specs, so it might be too soon to decide.
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