Google will unveil the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro later on Wednesday, but the phones hold virtually no secrets. It’s not just that Pixel phones appear in leaks in the months before Google’s launch event. That’s already an established tradition. But the Pixel 8 rumor season was more productive than ever before.
We learned everything about the new phones from Google’s marketing materials, which included Pixel 8 promo clips. On top of that, we’ve seen early hands-on previews of the new Pixel phones.
The Pixel 8 and 8 Pro prices also leaked, with a report a few days ago claiming that Google will offer great perks during preorders. As expected, the Pixel 8 models will be more expensive than their predecessors. But they’ll be very competitive when it comes to flagships. We’re looking at prices that are better than the iPhone 15 series.
With that in mind, we have a last-minute Pixel 8 leak that offers additional good news to those looking for more built-in storage. The 256GB tier upgrade seems especially exciting.
The 128GB Pixel 8 will cost $699, $100 more than its predecessor. But insider Arsene Lupin also listed the price for the 256GB option. We’re looking at a $60 fee for double the storage, or $40 cheaper than last year.
According to the same leaker, the 128GB Pixel 8 Pro will also cost $100 more than its predecessor. That’s $999 for Google’s cheapest iPhone 15 Pro Max rival. But double the storage to 256GB, and you’ll pay $1,059. The same $60 upgrade fee applies.
However, this is where things get interesting. The 512GB Pixel 8 Pro will cost $1,179, or $120 more than the 256GB. The 512GB Pixel 7 Pro was $100 more expensive than the 256GB version.
It seems slightly more expensive to double the storage to 512GB this year. But the upgrade from 128GB to 512GB will cost you $180 for the Pixel 8 Pro, compared to $200 for the Pixel 7 Pro.
The same leaker also lists the prices for the Pixel Watch 2: $349 for Wi-Fi and $399 for LTE. They match last year’s prices.
With all that in mind, yes, it looks like you’ll have to pay more for the Pixel 8 phones than you expected. To put things in perspective, the iPhone 15 starts at $799 ($829 without carrier deals), while the iPhone 15 Pro Max starts at $1,199. These are the direct competitors of the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro.
Since I mentioned the preorder leak from a few days ago, I’ll remind you that Google will give you a free Pixel Watch 2 with Pixel 8 Pro preorders.
As for the base Pixel 8, a leak from Europe revealed that the Pixel 8 will come with free Pixel Buds Pro (worth $199) during preorders.
Regardless of the Pixel 8 version you choose during preorders, that’s tremendous value. The free perks will more than offset that price hike. Also, considering the cheaper storage upgrade, ordering a 256GB Pixel 8 or Pixel 8 Pro seems like a no-brainer, thanks to those preorder deals.
Google will probably confirm everything later on Wednesday during its Pixel launch event.
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