Google's $100 Pixel Price Hike and Trade-In Push Hint at Apple's iPhone 18 Pro Plans

Google raised the price of its latest smartphones compared to last year, and the increase may hint at what Apple will do with the iPhone 18 Pro models.

All of Google's Pixel starting prices are $100 higher than they were last year.

• Pixel 11 - $899, up from $799
• Pixel 11 Pro - $1,099, up from $999
• Pixel 11 Pro XL - $1,299, up from $1,199
• Pixel 11 Pro Fold - $1,899, up from $1,799

The 41mm Pixel Watch 5 is now $399, up from $349, and the 45mm model is now $429, up from $399.

With the price hikes, Google increased the base storage for some of its devices, which Apple did with the iPhone 17 Pro. The Pixel 11 and Pixel 11 Pro now start with 256GB instead of 128GB, so pricing is technically the same as last year's 256GB model. The Pixel 11 Pro XL and Pixel 11 Pro Fold started with 256GB last year and still do, so those devices have straight price increases.

Google also cut RAM in some models to mitigate costs. The base Pixel 11 Pro and Pixel 11 Pro XL have 12GB RAM instead of 16GB RAM. Last year, all Pixel 10 Pro devices had 16GB RAM, but this year, Pixel users need to pay at least $1,219 for 11 Pro and $1,419 for the 11 Pro XL to get 16GB RAM.

A customer buying the Pixel 11 Pro will now pay $100 more for a 128GB storage increase and 4GB less RAM than the 10 Pro last year.

Google is heavily emphasizing trade-in offers, which has the effect of distracting customers from the price increase. Google's product page lists trade-in discounts before actual pricing, stating the Pixel 11 Pro is priced "From $499" with trade-in, while the Pixel 11 Pro XL is "From $699." Purchase pages for the new devices don't even reveal full pricing for a chosen model until a customer declines a trade-in. Google also shows carrier discounts and monthly payment options.

Apple already focuses on trade-in offers and monthly financing when launching new iPhones, but whether it will go as far as Google remains to be seen. Apple recently announced the Apple Upgrade program in partnership with Klarna, offering fee-free 12-month through 36-month payment plans for purchases.

Google told Engadget that despite the decrease in RAM, this year's models will perform faster than the comparable 2025 models.

Pixel's full stack approach allows us to optimize the way on-device models load and execute, keeping our hardware lean, fast, and highly responsive. In fact, through software and silicon optimization, you can expect faster and smoother performance from this year's Pro models when compared to last year's comparable 256GB SSD SKUs.

Analysts think the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ models could be up to $300 more expensive than the iPhone 17 Pro models, but Apple also negotiated lower prices for other components, which could help absorb some of the increased price it has to pay for RAM.

Both Apple and Google have been affected by memory price hikes that Apple CEO Tim Cook likened to a "100-year flood." He said there have been "exponential increases in memory prices," leading the company to raise the cost of its iPads and Macs. Memory chips for consumer devices are in short supply because chip manufacturers are prioritizing chips for AI data centers. The lack of supply has caused RAM prices to skyrocket.

iPhone prices have not increased yet, even though other manufacturers like Samsung have raised prices. Multiple rumors suggest iPhones will be more expensive starting in September. Apple could use the same tactic as Google and increase base storage while hiking prices, but so far it doesn't look like the company will lower the amount of RAM in the Pro models.

The ‌iPhone 17‌ Pro and Pro Max already start with 12GB, and Apple likely can't make major changes without impacting the Apple Intelligence and Siri AI features it is rolling out this fall.