Pixel 11 price hike leaks don’t tell the full story

It's much better than it looks

It’s the news many of us were dreading. The Pixel 11 looks set to get much more expensive.

According to a new report, Google will raise prices across all four Pixel 11 series phones: regular, Pro, Pro XL and Pro Fold.

French site Dealabs (which has a strong track record for Pixel news) suggests that the base Pixel 11 will now start at £879/€999 – that’s a hefty hike of £80/€100 compared to the Pixel 10. Meanwhile, the Pixel 11 Pro Fold would set you back at least £1,799/€1,999. Ouch.

However, if this leak turns out to be accurate, Google’s price rises are nowhere near as bad as they look. Let me explain.

A real-terms price drop

The headline figures look bad, but that’s for a very simple reason: Google has reportedly ditched the 128GB models.

It means both the regular Pixel 11 and 11 Pro will now supposedly start with 256GB of storage, joining the Pixel 11 Pro XL and 11 Pro Fold.

The 256GB model of the Pixel 10 cost £899/€999 at launch. So, the Pixel 11 is actually £20 cheaper in the UK for the same amount of storage, and identical in the EU.

It’s the same story for the Pixel 11 Pro. Its £1,079/€1,199 starting price is also £20 less in Britain and unchanged in Europe. Not so bad, is it?

overall, this is a smart response to the ongoing ‘RAMaggedon’

Of course, it’d be better if Google didn’t introduce any price rises, and 128GB of storage is enough for most people. Also, the Pixel 11 Pro XL (from £1,279/€1,399) and Pixel 11 Pro Fold (from £1,799/€1,999) are more expensive than their predecessors for the same amount of storage – £80/€100 and £50/€100, to be exact.

But overall, this is a smart response to the ongoing ‘RAMaggedon’, where huge demand from AI datacentres has sent the cost of the RAM that smartphones rely on skyrocketing. Introducing any notable upgrades without increasing prices is impossible, unless companies are prepared to absorb a big hit to their profits.

Release date revealed?

Google has settled into a consistent August launch month for its flagships, and the Pixel 11 series is unlikely to be any different.

But what we didn’t have was a more specific release date – until now. Dealabs suggests that the new phones will begin shipping on 20 August. That’s eight days earlier than the Pixel 10 in 2025. The site is less certain about the launch date, but 11 August is suggested.

Let’s hope we see all four models in August, and the Pixel 11 Pro Fold isn’t pushed back to later in the year like its predecessor.

As for upgrades, the Pixel 11 series is expected to get Google’s new Tensor G6 chipset and new main rear cameras across the lineup. ‘Pixel Glow’ RGB lights are also expected to make an appearance on some models, likely around the edge of the camera bar.

Dealabs has also revealed the colour selection, including brand-new ‘Moss’ and ‘Pine’ green shades across some models.

Learn more about the new phones in our comprehensive Pixel 11 series guide.