Source: Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro get slight price increase in the US, available in-store October 12

Google is set to launch the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro on October 4, and through a huge series of leaks, we’ve seen a ton of information come out. Now, we’ve learned the US price for the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, and it’s going up a bit.

Since the Tensor reboot with Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, a huge part of the equation for selling the Pixel flagship series has been on pure value. Google’s flagship phones have come in at hundreds of dollars less than comparable hardware. For instance, the Pixel 7 available for sale today retails for $599, a full $200 less than the comparable Samsung Galaxy S23. Pixel 7 Pro, meanwhile, retails for $899, which is $300 less than the Galaxy S23 Ultra. And, largely, those price differences have been a big part of what has made Pixel so attractive despite shortcomings in Tensor and signal performance.

With the Pixel 8 series, though, we’ve learned that Google will be increasing the price of both devices in the US market.

Through a retail source, 9to5Google can report that Pixel 8 will cost $699 while Pixel 8 Pro will cost $999 – a $100 increase across the board.

Both devices will launch in retail stores on October 12, and Google has already confirmed that pre-orders will open on October 4. A price increase was also noted in leaked pricing from European markets.

Update: Pixel 8, 8 Pro, and Pixel Watch 2 pricing for the UK has also leaked

Notably, this comes after the Pixel 7a also saw a $50 increase in price to $499. As our Max Weinbach explained at the time, that price increase came as Google’s mid-range device brought a big camera upgrade, a 90Hz display, and wireless charging. As for Pixel 8, the hardware upgrades incoming are a bit muddier.

A leak earlier this weekend implied that the main camera sensor on both Pixel 8 devices may not be changing, though other camera upgrades appear to be in store such as auto-focus on the selfie camera and on the Pixel 8’s ultrawide sensor. Tensor G3 is also reported to be a considerable upgrade in terms of modernizing the hardware, and, as we previously reported, Google is planning to lengthen the lifespan of these devices, which does come at a considerable long-term cost.

The big question mark surrounds storage. Many devices, such as Samsung’s 2023 flagships and the recent iPhone 15 Pro Max, have moved to starting at 256GB for their base model. The Pixel 8 series, though, will apparently still offer a 128GB model.

Whatever the reason, it will be interesting to see if Google’s new devices can live up to their higher price tags.

Max Weinbach contributed to this report.

More on Pixel 8:

• Pixel 8 camera specs leak, adds manual controls, AI to change faces, Magic Editor, more [Video]
• Here are all of the Google Pixel 8 colors [Gallery]
• Google Tensor G3 could run cooler in Pixel 8 with an alleged new packaging method