Google said the Google Pixel 11 Pro and the rest of the Pixel 11 lineup will cost more than earlier models because rising memory prices are pushing smartphone production costs higher. Buyers of the Pixel 11 should expect the sticker shock to come from RAM economics, not a new premium feature.
Shakil Barkat, Google’s Vice President of Devices and Services, described the situation as a “severe, supplier-driven RAM memory crisis” and said there has “never been an increase in memory prices like the world’s going through right now.”
Shakil Barkat and RAM costs
Barkat said Google had “shielded our consumers from supply fluctuations for as long as possible,” then said “the economics have fundamentally shifted and we’re not immune to that.”
Morgan Stanley data cited by Google showed the cost of 1 GB of RAM climb from $2.80 in 2025 to $12 this year, which explains why price pressure is reaching phones even before any Pixel 11 hardware lands in buyers’ hands.
Pixel 11 pricing and storage
Google said official pricing will be announced during its Made by Google event on Aug. 12, and it hinted that current Pixel devices already on the market could eventually receive price adjustments as well.
Leaks indicate the base Pixel 11 and Pixel 11 Pro may replace 128 GB storage with 256 GB as the starting configuration, while some reports suggest entry-level Pixel 11 Pro models could ship with 12 GB of RAM instead of 16 GB; a Pixel 11 Pro XL leak on starting price points to the market already trying to price in those changes.
Google One and Pixel Watch
Google said the entire Pixel family, including the upcoming Pixel 11 series and Pixel Watch lineup, will receive price adjustments that will be rolled out dynamically to match supply realities.
The company also said promotions, trade-in offers, and bundled perks such as Google One will remain a central part of how it makes the Pixel lineup accessible, even as it raises prices because memory costs have changed faster than its old pricing model could absorb.
The open question is how much each Pixel 11 model will cost when Google announces official pricing on Aug. 12.
