Google launched the Pixel 8 series at a higher price than the 7 series, and that was a big factor in how people voted in last week’s poll. Nearly four in ten voters think the Pixel 8 Pro is too expensive for what it offers, even with its exclusive new features.
But there’s one obstacle to overcome before you can reach the “buy” button: the Google Store only sells Pixels in a few countries. Google is slowly improving on this front: the Pixel 6 series launched in 9 countries, then the Pixel 7 series was available in 17 countries, and now the 2023 models are available in 20 countries. This still leaves many potential buyers no choice but to import and hope for the best.
Coming back to the price, $1,000/€1,100/₹107,000 is a lot to invest in a phone, so many are waiting until reviews prove that the Pixel 8 Pro is worthy of its price. Of course, Google promises 7 years of updates, so the cost can be spread over a longer period of time.
But people have their doubts, especially regarding the Tensor G3 chipset. Is it as good as Google says? Or will it become unusable before the 7-year support period expires? We’ll be doing a full series of tests soon and will have a better idea of what the future might hold.
Of course, Pixel phone prices tend to drop pretty quickly, so this was another reason to hold off on purchasing on launch day (which was this Thursday). But there is yet another reason.
And this affects the Google Pixel 8 much more: most people interested in this class of phones are just waiting for the Pixel 8a to arrive. That’s a compliment to the Pixel 7a, which was so good that it definitely cannibalized some sales from the more expensive phone.
Google must have learned its lesson. First, the Pixel 8 costs more than its predecessor, leaving a gap for the 8a to fit into. Second, we’ve heard that some features will be scaled back (for example, the Tensor G3 may be clocked lower) to give people more reason to pick up the more expensive Pixel 8 over the phone.
Google has finally put Pixel phones on the right track: Sales have grown this year in the United States and Japan, for example, two affluent markets. And the promise of 7 years of support has put pressure on other manufacturers to improve their support. Now, if it could just find a way to expand availability faster, that would be great.
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