Google's new Pixel phones see price hikes amid global RAM shortage

Google reveals its latest Pixel range at a higher price point, citing global RAM shortages and component costs as key factors driving the increase in flagship device prices, including a new foldable model.

Google’s latest Pixel phones arrive at a moment when higher prices are becoming harder to avoid across the smartphone market. At its Made by Google event on Wednesday, the company unveiled new handsets, a foldable, a smartwatch and a tracker, with most of the devices priced above the models they replace.

The clearest change is at the entry level. The Pixel 11 now starts at $899, up $100 from the Pixel 10, but Google has also removed the 128GB version and made 256GB the new base configuration. The Pixel 11 Pro keeps its starting price at $1,099 for 256GB, although the top 1TB model rises to $1,499. The Pixel 11 Pro XL and Pixel 11 Pro Fold both take a straight $100 increase across their storage tiers, with the foldable topping out at $2,249 for 1TB.

Google has pointed to the same pressure affecting much of the device industry: a shortage of RAM, or random access memory, which has pushed up the cost of components. Samsung has given a similar explanation for its own recent foldable price increases. In Google’s case, the shortage has also changed the memory mix inside the Pro phones. The 256GB versions now ship with 12GB of RAM, while the 512GB and 1TB models retain 16GB. Google says software and silicon improvements will make the new phones faster and smoother, although that claim will need to be tested in full reviews.

The new phones are available to preorder now and will go on sale on August 20. The Pixel 11 comes in frost, pistachio, hibiscus and obsidian. The Pro models and the Pro Fold are available in canyon, fog, olive and obsidian. Even so, the pricing underlines how premium Google’s flagship range has become, particularly at the top end where the foldable now sits well above most conventional smartphones.