Google has confirmed that its upcoming Pixel 11 series will be hit by price increases, blaming a severe supplier-driven memory crisis.
The company says it has absorbed higher component costs for as long as possible but can no longer shield buyers from the impact, as tech outlets report.
Google Vice President of Devices and Services Shakil Barkat recently said during a company event that memory prices have risen at a level the industry has never seen before. He pointed to Morgan Stanley data showing the cost of 1GB of RAM climbing from $2.80 in 2025 to $12 this year.
Price adjustments are expected across the Pixel family, including the Pixel 11 lineup, with exact pricing due to be announced at Google’s August 12 event. Previous leaks suggested that the Pixel 11 and Pixel 11 Pro could launch at $100 more than their predecessors, although both may also move from 128GB to 256GB of base storage, which would soften the higher entry price.
The Pixel 11 Pro XL and Pixel 11 Pro Fold appear less protected from the increase, with leaked pricing pointing to a straightforward $100 hike. The entry Pixel 11 Pro may also drop from 16GB of RAM to 12GB as Google tries to control component costs, while existing Pixel devices could also become more expensive, though Google has not said which models would be affected.
Google’s optimization push
According to industry voices, Google has also begun a dedicated effort to reduce how much RAM Android and the wider app ecosystem need.
That strategy matters because Android must support a far wider range of devices, chips and manufacturer software than Apple’s tightly controlled iPhone lineup.
Apple has long benefited from controlling both the hardware and software in its devices, allowing iPhones to run smoothly with less memory than many Android rivals.
Google believes its control over Android, Tensor processors and on-device AI can help models load and run more efficiently, even as hardware costs keep rising.
By Nazrin Sadigova
