News / Consumer Electronics

Key Facts:

RAM Price Surge

$2.80 to $12 per GB

Event Date

August 12, 2026

Expected Price Bump

~$100 across lineup

Base Storage Change

128GB to 256GB

Google has confirmed that the upcoming Pixel 11 series will cost more than its predecessors. In an interview with 9to5Google, Shakil Barkat, Vice President of Devices and Services, attributed the increase to what Google describes as a “severe, supplier-driven RAM memory crisis.” The company will announce exact pricing at its Made by Google event on August 12, 2026, in New York City.

Barkat pointed to Morgan Stanley data showing that the cost of 1 GB of RAM has risen from $2.80 in 2025 to $12 in 2026, a roughly sixfold increase. He described the surge as unprecedented: “There’s never been an increase in memory prices like the world’s going through right now.” Google, he said, has “shielded our consumers from supply fluctuations for as long as possible,” but the “economics have fundamentally shifted and we’re not immune to that.”

The price adjustments will apply to the entire Pixel family, including devices already on the market. Barkat specifically referenced “in-market Pixel phones,” which likely includes the Pixel 10a, released earlier this year. Google did not say when existing model prices will rise, but the message to prospective buyers is clear: purchase sooner rather than later.

How the Crisis Is Reshaping Pixel 11 Specs

The RAM shortage is not just pushing prices up. It is forcing Google to rethink hardware configurations. According to multiple leaks, the entry-level Pixel 11 Pro will likely ship with 12 GB of RAM instead of the 16 GB found on the Pixel 10 Pro. The 16 GB configuration may still exist, but only on higher storage tiers.

At the same time, Google appears to be eliminating the 128 GB storage option across the lineup. The Pixel 11 and Pixel 11 Pro are expected to start at 256 GB. That doubles the base storage, which partially offsets the price increase, but it also removes the cheapest entry point into the Pro line. For the Pixel 11 Pro XL and Pixel 11 Pro Fold, leaked pricing suggests a straight $100 increase at the same 256 GB base storage level.

Rumored Pixel 11 Lineup: Specs and Pricing

The table below compiles verified leaks and Google’s own statements to show how the lineup is shifting. Prices are US estimates based on current leaks. Final figures will be confirmed on August 12.

Model	Base RAM	Base Storage	Est. Starting Price	Price Change vs Pixel 10
Pixel 11	8 GB or 12 GB	256 GB	~$899	+$100
Pixel 11 Pro	12 GB	256 GB	~$1,099	+$100
Pixel 11 Pro XL	12 GB	256 GB	~$1,299 to $1,399	+$100
Pixel 11 Pro Fold	12 GB or 16 GB	256 GB	~$1,899 to $1,999	+$100

Sources: 9to5Google, Android Authority, Digital Trends, Android Police. Pricing is unconfirmed until Google’s August 12 announcement.

The Industry-Wide RAM Crisis

Google is not alone. The memory shortage is affecting every smartphone manufacturer. IDC predicts global smartphone shipments will drop by 12.9 percent in 2026, the largest single-year decline in over a decade, directly because of RAM supply constraints. Counterpoint Research forecasts a 2.1 percent shipment decline and warns that memory prices could rise another 40 percent through the second quarter of 2026.

The root cause is demand from AI data centers. As cloud providers and enterprises rush to build out generative AI infrastructure, they are consuming enormous volumes of high-bandwidth memory. That production capacity is coming at the expense of mobile memory supply. According to IDC, the bill of materials for low-end smartphones is already 25 percent higher than at the beginning of 2026. Mid-range phones are seeing 15 percent increases, and high-end models roughly 10 percent.

Nothing CEO Carl Pei put the choice facing manufacturers in blunt terms: “Brands now face a simple choice: raise prices by 30% or more in some cases, or downgrade specs. The ‘more specs for less money’ model that many value brands were built on is no longer sustainable in 2026.”

IDC expects RAM prices to stabilize by mid-2027, which means the current squeeze will likely persist through the next two flagship cycles from Google, Samsung, and Apple.

Google’s Response: Engineering Around the Problem

Beyond passing costs to consumers, Google says it is “aggressively engineering its way through these challenges.” Barkat described a “dedicated effort” to reduce memory requirements across Android and the broader app ecosystem. The goal is to enable devices to run well with less RAM without degrading the user experience.

Google credits its vertical integration, full stack AI, software, and custom silicon approach with helping on-device models load and execute efficiently. The Tensor G6’s 2 nm architecture should extract more performance per watt than the previous generation, which may help justify the reduced RAM and battery capacities on paper. Whether that arithmetic holds up in daily use is a question for testing, not specifications.

Barkat also emphasized that Google remains committed to “delivering premium experiences at an accessible value.” Promotions, trade-in offers, and bundled perks like Google One subscriptions will remain, which he called a “central part of how we make the Pixel lineup accessible.”

What This Means for Buyers

If the leaks and Google’s statements hold, the Pixel 11 generation represents a shift in how Google positions its hardware. The company is no longer racing to pack in the most RAM or the largest battery. Instead, it is optimizing around efficiency and trading raw spec sheet numbers for software-driven performance claims.

For consumers, the practical impact is higher prices and fewer configuration options. The removal of the 128 GB tier means the cheapest Pixel 11 Pro will cost more than the cheapest Pixel 10 Pro did at launch, even though the base storage has doubled. Buyers who do not need 256 GB will have no choice but to pay for it.

For current Pixel 10a owners or anyone considering an in-market Pixel device, Barkat’s warning that existing prices will also rise adds urgency. If you were planning to buy a Pixel 10a at its current price, waiting may cost you.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the Pixel 11 announcement?

Google’s Made by Google event is scheduled for Wednesday, August 12, 2026, at 6 PM ET in New York City. The event will be livestreamed on Google’s YouTube channel.

Why is the Pixel 11 getting more expensive?

Google cites a global RAM shortage driven by AI data center demand. The cost of 1 GB of RAM has risen from $2.80 in 2025 to $12 in 2026. Google says it absorbed these costs for as long as possible but can no longer do so without adjusting prices across the Pixel lineup.

Will the Pixel 11 Pro have less RAM than the Pixel 10 Pro?

According to leaks, the entry-level Pixel 11 Pro may ship with 12 GB of RAM instead of the 16 GB standard on the Pixel 10 Pro. A 16 GB configuration may still be available on higher storage tiers. Google has not confirmed final RAM configurations.

Will existing Pixel phones also get price increases?

Yes. Barkat confirmed that price adjustments will apply to “in-market Pixel phones,” which likely includes the Pixel 10a. Google has not specified when those price changes will take effect.

Is Google the only company raising smartphone prices?

No. IDC and Counterpoint Research report that multiple Android manufacturers have already raised prices by 10 to 20 percent in early 2026. Samsung’s Galaxy S26 lineup and Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro models are also expected to see price increases due to the same memory shortage.

Sources

9to5Google: “Google confirms Pixel 11 price increase, reveals ‘dedicated’ effort to make Android more RAM-efficient” (July 24, 2026)
IDC: “Memory shortage could cause the biggest dip in smartphone shipments in over a decade” (February 27, 2026)
Counterpoint Research: Smartphone market forecast revisions (December 16, 2025)
TechCrunch: “Memory shortage could cause the biggest dip in smartphone shipments in over a decade” (February 27, 2026)
Android Police: “Pixel 11 leak reveals the trade-off Google is making with its next flagship” (July 7, 2026)
Digital Trends: “Made by Google August 2026: Everything we expect from the Pixel 11 launch event” (July 14, 2026)
Republic World: “Pixel 11 Pro Leaks Show Google Isn’t Just Adding Features, It’s Taking Some Away” (June 25, 2026)
Ars Technica: “Google’s Pixel 11 launch event is set for August 12, with possible price increases” (July 7, 2026)

This article was published on July 25, 2026. Pricing and specifications are based on leaks and executive statements; final details will be confirmed at Google’s August 12 event.

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Google Confirms Pixel 11 Price Hike, Cites “Severe” RAM Memory Crisis

The cost of 1 GB of RAM has surged from $2.80 to $12 in one year. Google says it can no longer absorb the increase, and the entire Pixel lineup will see price adjustments.