The initial lack of success could have spelled the end of the Pixel line, but Google invested heavily and opted for a more committed future. According to reports on internal documents, one would like to be able to present an alternative to Apple at some point. The Pixel smartphones will be more important in bringing services like Google One, search and YouTube Premium to the people. And in 2023 we see the first clear indications of plans to 2025.
Google is slowly moving into the high-priced segment. Even the supposed price of the Pixel Tablet of at least 500 euros was shocking and the Pixel 7a should also reach a new, higher price level with 500 euros. Not to mention the Pixel Watch, which only started at 379 euros. In fact, Google is breaking new ground with the Pixel Fold, the group’s first foldable will probably cost 1,700 euros.
Is Google leaving the middle class behind?
So far, Google has been a long way from such prices, but the wind is slowly changing, we only wrote about this a few weeks ago. The assumption has long been made in the industry broad, that due to rising prices, the A series is very unstable. The Pixel 7a could be the last model in this series.
Google could become one of the manufacturers that focus exclusively on premium devices. The cheap crowd, which only brings in money through sales and not through subscriptions and services, is left to other brands. Apple does it similarly, the SE model is available at longer intervals and at over 500 euros it was certainly no longer a budget smartphone.
differences negligible
The Pixel 7a will be so much better than its predecessor that it’s priced and technically far too close to the Pixel 7. It will already be more difficult to sell well in 2023, since a Pixel 7 will be available at the same price or even cheaper due to its slightly older age.
In any case, I think the reasoning is understandable. In the current price constellation, a Pixel 7a is almost superfluous. The Pixel 3a vs Pixel 3 used to have an MSRP of over $400, and that made a huge difference. In 2023, the difference between the Pixel 7a and the Pixel 7 could be just 100 – 150 euros in terms of the RRP.
