The Google Pixel 8 and the Google Pixel 8 Pro have now launched, and the Google Pixel 8a could be with us sometime next year – but what are the chances of a truly budget phone completing the Pixel range? Pretty slim, it sounds.
VP of Google Mobile Business Nanda Ramachandran shared The standard (through Android Police) that there are currently no plans for a cheap Google Pixel phone. According to Ramachandran, this would involve too many compromises along the way.
If you take the Google Pixel 7a for example, it still features the Tensor G2 chip found in the Google Pixel 7 Pro, so you don’t lose any processor performance despite the lower price.
Ramachandran also officially says that the Pixel series will expand to more markets in Europe and Asia, with the aim of getting the brand more widely recognized – and of course boosting sales at the same time.
The price is correct
With the Pixel 7a starting at $499 / £449 / AU$749, you can’t get much lower – but as you can see from our list of the best budget phones, you can pick up a smartphone for a significant amount of money. less than the Pixel 7a.
There has actually been a price jump between the Pixel 7 series and the Pixel 8 series, which is reflected in the improvements to the internal specifications, the camera systems and the extended seven years of software and security update support.
The new phones are also packed with AI wizardry, and cutting back on these features to reach a price somewhere around a third of what the Pixel 8 costs wouldn’t make sense for Google right now, according to Ramachandran.
Google has a strong track record when it comes to its mid-range handsets, which balance price well with features – costing significantly less without too many compromises – so we’re curious to see what the Pixel 8a will bring.