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Cheap Pixel phone? Google dismisses idea of budget handset
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A Google executive has dismissed the idea of a budget Pixel phone, saying a low-end handset would require too many compromises.
With the newGoogle Pixel 8 phonescurrently up for pre-order ahead of this month’s release – and now at a higher price than previous years – the question of whether the company will ever drop into the budget section of the market has arisen again.
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VP of mobile business Nanda Ramachandran told the Austrian newspaperDer Standardthat the hallmarks of the new Pixel phones – cameras, AI and security – wouldn’t be possible on a device that comes in at a couple of hundred quid.
“It is quite unlikely that we will go in that direction,” he told the paper. “We would have to make too many compromises for that.”
Whether there’d even be a demand for a budget Pixel phone remains to be seen, given thePixel 7aand its predecessors do a good job of maintaining much of the experience without too much compromise in the mid-range. Google also believes the Pixel 8 range remains good value despite the increase in price for this cycle.
“If you look at the Pixel 8, then we have renewed almost everything compared to thePixel 7,” Ramachandran added. “And of course, the seven years of update support are also a significant investment.”
The longevity promise is significant. The phone will besupported through 2030with access to Android updates all the way. Google is also promising to sell replacement parts so users have a better shot at fixing their phones and keeping them active throughout this decade.
The Pixel 8 phones also have a brand new Tensor chip, better screens and plenty more.
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Chris Smith is a freelance technology journalist for a host of UK tech publications, including Trusted Reviews. He’s based in South Florida, USA. …
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Founded in 2003, Trusted Reviews exists to give our readers thorough, unbiased and independent advice on what to buy.
Today, we have millions of users a month from around the world, and assess more than 1,000 products a year.
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
