C. Scott Brown / Android Authority
TL;DR
- A new report attempts to outline not just Google’s pricing plans for the Pixel 10 phones this year, but also the next few generations to come.
- Pricing on lower-level models could remain unchanged for the time being.
- The biggest movement could impact the Pixel Pro Fold, with Google slashing prices over the next few years.
This year has the potential to be a momentous one for Google and its smartphone ambitions, as we’re expecting a big shift in the custom silicon powering these handsets as Google moves to TSMC for fabrication of its Tensor G5 chip. We’ve already brought you a ton of early information about what to expect from the Pixel 10 family, most recently detailing Pixel 10 camera hardware, but so far we haven’t had much insight into what Google could be thinking in terms of its pricing strategy. Now a new report attempts to start filling in those blanks — albeit not at all in the way we were expecting.
Let’s start by looking at what Google’s pricing across Pixel phones is right now: We’ve got the Pixel 9a starting at $499, the Pixel 9 at $799, Pixel 9 Pro at $999, the 9 Pro XL at $1,099, and the Pixel 9 Pro Fold at a whopping $1,799.
In a report covering the next few years of possible Pixel pricing, Android Headlines lays out its expectations for the Pixel 10 series and beyond. Starting with budget-minded Pixel 10a, Google is supposed to keep pricing at the existing $499 level, and stick with it at this low point through at least the Pixel 12a in 2027.
The base Pixel 10 phone could also avoid a price increase, arriving this year at the same $799 level. We also hear that the Pixel 10 Pro may stay put at $999. While Android Headlines sounds unsure about this model’s long-term prospects, it reports that Google’s committed to offering this entry in the Pixel family through at least 2028.
Lanh Nguyen / Android Authority
Here’s where things start getting complicated. The Pixel 10 Pro XL is supposed to get a price bump, starting at $1,199 this time around. But that could also correspond with Google eliminating the 128GB storage option at this level, meaning we’d be paying the same as we were for the 256GB Pixel 9 Pro XL.
The biggest movement, though, could happen at the highest level, and if this source is correct, we could be about to see Pixel Fold prices seriously drop. According to the report, Google is planning a multi-year strategy to rein in its foldable pricing. This upcoming generation could see a $200 price cut, with the Pixel 10 Pro Fold selling for “around $1,600.” By 2027, with the presumptive Pixel 12 Pro Fold, that number could fall even lower, down to just $1,500.
That’s a wild idea, especially with that overlapping with some of the higher storage-tier options for the non-folding Pro models. The source here seems unclear if this represents expected cost-savings from manufacturing, or if Google could just be looking to corner the foldables market, even if that means reducing per-device profit.
Right now, this is a sprawling report without much in the way of evidence to back up its claims, so while we’ll be keeping these figures in mind, we’ll continue to look for corroboration of Google’s release strategy for this year’s upcoming Pixel 10 family.
