Skip to main content

Don't expect a budget Google Pixel phone anytime soon

The Google Pixel 8 and the Google Pixel 8 Pro have now launched, and the Google Pixel 8a could be with us sometime next year – but what are the chances of a truly budget phone to round out the Pixel series? Pretty slim, it sounds like.

VP of Google Mobile Business Nanda Ramachandran told Der Standard (via Android Police) that there are currently no plans for a low-cost Google Pixel phone. According to Ramachandran, it would involve too many compromises along the way.

If you take the Google Pixel 7a, for example, it still features the Tensor G2 chip inside the Google Pixel 7 Pro, so you're not losing anything in terms of processor performance, despite the cheaper price.

Ramachandran also goes on the record to say that the Pixel series is going to be expanding into more markets in Europe and Asia, with the aim of getting the brand more widely recognized – and of course boosting sales at the same time.

The price is right

With the Pixel 7a coming in at a starting retail price of $499 / £449 / AU$749, there's not that much lower to go – but as you can see from our list of the best budget phones, you can pick up a smartphone for significantly less than the Pixel 7a.

There has actually been a price jump between the Pixel 7 series and the Pixel 8 series, reflected in the improvements to the internal specs, the camera systems, and the extended seven years of support for software and security updates.

The new phones are also packed with AI wizardry, and cutting back on those features to reach a price that's somewhere around a third of what the Pixel 8 costs wouldn't make sense for Google right now, according to Ramachandran.

Google has a strong track record when it comes to its mid-range handsets, which do a decent job of balancing pricing against features – they cost significantly less without too many compromises – so we're interested to see what the Pixel 8a will bring.

You might also like



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Windows Copilot leak suggests deeper assimilation with Windows 11 features

Key Windows 11 features may soon be customizable as Microsoft further integrates its Windows Copilot AI assistant into the operating system. This tidbit comes from tech news site Windows Latest , which claims to have discovered new .json (JavaScript Object Notation) files within recent preview builds of Windows 11. These files apparently hint at future upgrades for the desktop AI assistant. For example, a “TaskManagerService-ai-plugin.json” was found which is supposedly a “plugin for Task Manager integration”. If this ever comes out, it could give users the ability to “monitor or close running apps using” Copilot. In total, six are currently tested and they affect various aspects of Windows 11. Next, there is an “AccessbilityTools-ai-plugin.json” that gives Copilot a way to “control accessibility [tools]. This would make it "easier for those with [a] disability to navigate through the system.” Third is “ai-plugin-WindowsSettings.json” for controlling important Windows 11 set...
Post a Comment
Read more

Google Chrome releases security fix for this major flaw, so update now

Google says it has fixed a high-severity flaw in its Chrome browser which is currently being exploited by threat actors in the wild.  In a security advisory , the company described the flaw being abused and urged the users to apply the fix immediately.  "Google is aware that an exploit for CVE-2023-2033 exists in the wild," the advisory reads. Automatic updates The zero-day in question is a confusion weakness vulnerability in the Chrome V8 JavaScript engine, the company said. Usually, this type of flaw can be used to crash the browser, but in this case it can also be used to run arbitrary code on compromised endpoints.  The flaw was discovered by Clement Lecigne from the Google Threat Analysis Group (TAG). Usually, TAG works on finding flaws abused by nation-states, or state-sponsored threat actors. There is no word on who the threat actors abusing this flaw are, though. Read more > Patch Google Chrome now to fix this emergency security flaw > Emergency...
Post a Comment
Read more

Samsung's ViewFinity S9 may be the monitor creatives have been searching for

Originally revealed during CES 2023 , Samsung has finally launched its ViewFinity S9 5K monitor after nine long months of waiting.  According to the announcement, the ViewFinity S9 is the company’s first-ever 5K resolution (5,120 x 2880 pixels) IPS display aimed primarily at creatives. IPS stands for in-plane switching , a form of LED tech offering some of the best color output and viewing angles on the market. This quality is highlighted by the fact that the 27-inch screen supports 99 percent of the DCI-P3 color gamut plus delivers 600 nits of brightness.  Altogether, these deliver great picture quality made vibrant by saturated colors and dark shadows. The cherry on top for the ViewFinity S9 is a Matte Display coating to “drastically [reduce] light reflections.”  As a direct rival to the Apple Studio Display , the monitor is an alternative for creative professionals looking for options. It appears Samsung has done its homework as the ViewFinity S9 addresses some of...
Post a Comment
Read more