Google verifies increased prices for the Pixel 11 due to a sixfold rise in RAM expenses.

      Google has announced that the forthcoming Pixel 11 lineup will be priced higher than previous models, citing a significant increase in RAM costs due to the rising demand from AI data centers. In a Thursday interview with 9to5Google, Shakil Barkat, Google's vice president of devices and services, noted that while the company had managed to protect consumers from fluctuations in supply for a considerable time, the situation has now fundamentally changed. Price adjustments will be made across the entire Pixel range, including the Pixel Watch, to align with what Barkat refers to as the realities of supply.

      Barkat referenced data from Morgan Stanley indicating that the price of one gigabyte of RAM rose from $2.80 in 2025 to $12 this year, marking an approximately sixfold increase. This drastic rise means that for a flagship phone with 16 GB of RAM, the production cost has surged from around $45 to roughly $192 per unit, based on the bank's analysis. This increase is attributed to memory producers reallocating their wafer capacity towards high-bandwidth memory utilized in AI data centers, which has reduced the supply available for consumer devices.

      Google will disclose specific pricing during its Made by Google event on August 12 in New York, although leaked retail listings have provided some insights into the expected costs. The base Pixel 11 is projected to start at $899, a $100 increase from the Pixel 10's initial price of $799, with the 128 GB storage option completely removed and 256 GB becoming the new standard. The Pixel 11 Pro and Pro XL models are also anticipated to see a $100 price hike each, and leaked specs suggest a reduction in RAM from 16 GB to 12 GB for the 256 GB storage variant of the Pro models.

      Earlier this year, Samsung set a precedent with the Galaxy S26, which saw a $100 price increase on two of its three models and the removal of the 128 GB option, branding the change as a storage enhancement. Apple has been implementing price increases across its entire product range since June, with Tim Cook describing the hikes as "unavoidable," and is likely to raise iPhone prices again with new model launches in September. Additionally, Qualcomm has notified customers that chip prices will experience double-digit percentage increases on shipments following September 1.

      Beyond pricing, Google is taking further steps. Barkat mentioned that the company has initiated a focused effort to lower memory requirements for Android and its associated app ecosystem, aimed at allowing devices to operate with less RAM without compromising the user experience. The company credits its vertically integrated strategy—combining its Tensor chip, Android software, and on-device AI models—for enabling more efficient loading and execution of models than competitors relying on off-the-shelf components.

      The impact of these engineering enhancements on the potential price increase will be revealed on August 12, when consumers will learn how much more they will need to spend to maintain their phone's RAM separate from AI servers.

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Google verifies increased prices for the Pixel 11 due to a sixfold rise in RAM expenses.

Google VP Shakil Barkat states that the Pixel 11 series will have a higher price due to a sixfold increase in RAM costs, and the company is modifying Android to utilize less memory.