Google has all but confirmed that the upcoming Pixel 11 will cost more than its predecessor, making it the latest tech product to fall victim to what industry insiders are calling RAMageddon. The company’s Vice President of Devices and Services, Shakil Barkat, told 9to5 Google in a recent interview that pricing adjustments are coming to the Pixel lineup as the economics of the component market have fundamentally shifted. While he noted that Google had shielded consumers from supply fluctuations for as long as possible, he admitted the company is not immune to the soaring costs of memory.
The price increase should come as little surprise to anyone following the electronics industry lately. The explosion of AI data centers has created massive demand for RAM, straining global supply chains and driving up costs across the board. Companies ranging from Apple to Nintendo, Microsoft to Roku, have already raised prices in response, and Google appears ready to join the club rather than continue absorbing the hit to its profit margins.
According to rumors circulating ahead of the official announcement, the base model Pixel 11 is expected to land at $899, though that higher price tag would come with 256GB of storage instead of the standard 128GB found in previous generations. Interestingly, the Pixel 11 Pro might actually see its RAM cut from 16GB down to 12GB, suggesting Google is looking at multiple ways to manage the supply crunch without pushing prices even higher on its premium tier.
Thankfully, we won’t have to wait too long to see exactly how this shakes out. Google is scheduled to unveil the next generation of Pixel devices on August 12th, when all the speculation about pricing, specs, and storage configurations will finally be put to rest. For now, though, anyone in the market for a new phone later this year might want to start budgeting a little extra just in case.