‘Supply realities’ will likely mean higher prices, says Google VP Shakil Barkat. However, the base Pixel 11 might come with 256GB of storage instead of 128GB.
Another day, another piece of hardware that’s going to cost more thanks to the RAM shortage and the AI data center boom. Ahead of the Pixel 11 launch, Shakil Barkat, Google’s VP of Devices and Services, told 9to5Google that the entire Pixel family will see price “adjustments.”
He wasn’t ready to share specifics, instead saying that price changes “will be rolled out dynamically to match supply realities.” Barkat put the price rises down to the fact that “there’s never been an increase in memory prices like the world’s going through right now,” highlighting research from Morgan Stanley that showed that the price of a single GB of RAM has increased sixfold in roughly a year.
If you had your eye on the upcoming Pixel flagship, you’ll have to wait for Google’s Aug. 12 event for official details. However, you might get more for your money on the Pixel 11. As WinFuture’s Roland Quandt reported on Bluesky, the base Pixel 11 will have 256GB of storage.
The Pixel 10 starts at 128GB for $799. while the Pixel 10 Pro is $999 for 128GB. The Pixel 10 Pro XL, however, is only available in 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB variations, starting at $1.199.
Will that change in the coming months? Barkat also said the RAM disruption will affect “in-market Pixel phones,” though he didn’t specify a model. One silver lining is that Google is trying to engineer its way through these challenges by enabling devices to “have less RAM while maintaining a great user experience.”
News like this shouldn’t be particularly surprising. IDC predicts that smartphone prices could rise by an average 3% to 5% in 2026 in the moderate scenario, or by 6% to 8% in its pessimistic scenario. IDC also predicts consumers will hold off making new purchases, with the total smartphone market contracting by as much as 5.2%.
Prominent figures in the industry, such as Nothing CEO Carl Pei, have openly urged consumers to buy smartphones now to avoid future price increases. The company he co-founded, OnePlus, recently dropped out of the US and European markets altogether.
Other major smartphone makers are also raising their prices. In April 2026. Samsung raised prices in the US on several of its highest-end smartphones due to hardware shortages. The 512GB Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Galaxy S25 Edge went up by $80. Motorola’s Moto G, meanwhile, skyrocketed 50% to $299.99 in April.