Google’s new Pixel phones cost more this year, and buyers of the Pro models are also getting less base RAM.
The Pixel 11 starts at $899, up $100 from the Pixel 10, while the Pixel 11 Pro starts at $1,099. Google has doubled base storage on the Pixel 11 and Pixel 11 Pro to 256GB, but the Pro and Pro XL now start with 12GB of RAM instead of the 16GB offered on the previous two generations.
- Pixel 11: $899
- Pixel 11 Pro: $1,099
- Pixel 11 Pro XL: $1,299
- Pixel 11 Pro Fold: $1,899
- Pixel Watch 5: $399
Google says a supplier-driven RAM shortage forced changes to pricing and memory configurations, creating an unusual trade-off for buyers: more storage and higher prices, but less memory on the flagship Pro models.
Pro models cut RAM
The bigger trade-off comes with the Pixel 11 Pro and Pro XL. Their base configurations now include 12GB of RAM, down from 16GB in the equivalent Pixel 9 and Pixel 10 Pro models.
Customers who want 16GB must move to more expensive configurations. The Pixel 11 Pro costs at least $1,219 with 16GB of RAM, while the Pro XL requires at least $1,419.
Google blamed a supplier-driven RAM shortage for the changes. “The tech industry is navigating a severe, supplier-driven RAM shortage and we will need to adjust Pixel 11 pricing and RAM configurations to mitigate this while delivering maximum value for our customers,” a Google spokesperson told Engadget.
The company also said software and chip-level optimization should help the new Pro models perform faster and more smoothly than comparable 256GB models from last year.
AI raises the stakes
The changes arrive as Google pushes Gemini deeper into the Pixel experience. New features include Rambler, which is designed to understand less structured speech, and expanded camera-based access to Circle to Search. The Pixel Watch 5 also adds Gemini-powered health coaching.
That makes the RAM reduction a more important consumer question than it might have been on a conventional phone. Google is effectively betting that tighter hardware-software integration can compensate for reduced memory while its AI ambitions demand increasingly capable devices.
For everyday users who mainly message, browse and stream, the difference may be difficult to notice. More demanding workloads such as gaming and video editing could make the lower RAM ceiling more relevant, Engadget reported.
The increases suggest that rising memory and storage costs are beginning to affect consumer devices more directly. Apple has also warned about sharp increases in memory prices; Google’s pricing strategy could offer clues about how other premium smartphone makers may respond in upcoming product launches.
Other News: Google and Anthropic are expanding their AI infrastructure relationship through a new TPU financing network aimed at supporting the massive computing demands behind advanced AI models.