High-end Android phones have become more expensive in recent years as iPhones have become cheaper.
For proof, look no further than Google’s prized Pixel range, which looks set for back-to-back price increases upon its expected launch in August.
Pixel 9 rumoured price
In France, the standard Pixel 9, for instance, will reportedly start from €899 for the 128GB model this year, and €999 for 256GB, up €100 and €140 from 2023.
In the UK, that could equate to a £100 mark-up for the Pixel 9, bringing its price in line with the iPhone 15 at £799.
And to think that just two years ago you could buy a Pixel 7 for a more affordable £599. Then, Google added an extra £100 on top for the Pixel 8 in 2023 – now it could wind up doing the same this year, too.
Pixel 9 Pro rumoured price
As for the Pixel 9 Pro, it will reportedly start at the same price of €1,099 with 128GB of storage, but go up to €1,199 with 256GB (+€40 versus last year), and €1,329 for 512GB (+€30).
By comparison, the Pixel 8 Pro cost £999/£1,059/£1,179 in the UK at launch, so don’t be surprised if we get the higher storage charges as well.
Pixel 9 Pro XL rumoured price
The prices for Google’s new phones are detailed in a leak out of France, as spotted by smartphone news site GSMArena.
Along with the standard Pixel 9 and its premium Pro variant, this year’s Pixel 9 range is rumoured to include two additional phones.
There’s the Pixel 9 Pro XL, which sounds like Google’s answer to the iPhone 15 Pro Max and Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, thanks to its massive 6.7-inch screen — with a price to match: €1,199.
Pixel 9 Pro Fold rumoured price
And, at the top of the pile, is Google’s follow-up to the Pixel Fold, and its second stab at a folding phone, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold – its new name signalling its anointment to the Pixel clan.
The uber-pricey new device is expected to cost €1,899 with 256GB of storage and €2,029 with 512GB. Again, that could result in a maximum bump in the UK of an estimated £50 and £80, respectively, from last year’s prices of £1,749 and £1,869.
Pixel 9 release date
Google is poised to release the four new Pixel phones at an event on August 13. But, if they all look out of your budget, you could wait six months for the cheaper Pixel 9a.
Pixel 9 is already out in Algeria.
— Hani Mohamed Bioud (@hanibioud) July 1, 2024
Storage: 256GB
Color : Pink
I'll keep you updated tomorrow morning. pic.twitter.com/0mE1QlCbEg
Are phones getting more expensive?
It’s not just traditional flat phones that are getting pricier either, but those of the bendy variety, too. Just last week, Samsung announced the Galaxy Z Fold 6 for £1,799, an extra £50 compared to last year’s model.
By contrast, Apple cut the price of the majority of iPhone 15 models last year, with yearly savings of up to £100 for the £999 iPhone 15 Pro.
However, those drops came after one of the most significant increases in the phone’s history in 2022, when the iPhone 14 went up by £50 and the 14 Pro by £150, respectively.
Of course, phone makers will argue they have valid reasons for upping the price of their invaluable devices. Nowadays, the best phones offer improved features and tech, from the advanced cameras with powerful photo-editing software on the Pixel 8 to faster processors like Apple’s A17 Pro chip.
With the advent of energy-hungry generative AI on smartphones, along with 5G, those handy new tricks are getting costlier to deliver. Add to that inflation raising the cost of parts, and you can see why some of the best phones suddenly cost a lot more than they did just two years ago.
