According to The Verge, the full Pixel 11 lineup leaked ahead of Google's August 12 event. The base Pixel 11 starts at $899 with 256GB storage, while the Pro and Pro XL jump to $1,099 and $1,299. Both Pro models get 12GB RAM and the new Tensor G6 chip. The base model loses its telephoto lens entirely.
Phone buyers tolerate price hikes when they get something tangible in return. More storage helps. But removing the telephoto from the base model while asking for $899 makes the lineup easier for Google to manufacture, not easier for people to justify. At this price, buyers compare specs directly and they notice what got removed.
Google is betting that storage bumps and chip names can cover for thinner differentiation. That math worked when Pixels were the value pick with a real camera advantage. At $899 and above, buyers notice what got removed, not just what got renamed. A missing telephoto lens is easier to understand than Tensor G6.
Filed to the Technology desk · Aug 1