The Google Pixel range is becoming a confusing mess

The debut of the Pixel 9 series this week brought some big upgrades to the lineup, but it has also made Google's Pixel lineup incredibly confusing in terms of availability and varying pricing.

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The core lineup of Google Pixel devices for 2024 is pretty easy to parse in and of itself. There's the base Pixel 9 for $799, which offers access to the bulk of the AI ​​features, the same great main camera, and a compact form factor. Then there are two sizes of the Pixel 9 Pro that offer a bit more power and better cameras. And finally, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, which takes the best elements of the Google experience and adds them to a premium foldable device with a big screen. And underneath all of that, you'll find the Pixel 8a as Google's most affordable device.

The problem arises when you zoom out further and consider prices.

The Pixel 7a, Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro are also sold in the Google Store.

It makes sense to keep the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, especially given the 7-year update commitment, but they're still selling at their original prices of $699 and $999 respectively. That's technically cheaper than the equivalent Pixel 9 series models, but it feels a little odd to sell the same phone for the same price a year later.

Even more confusing is that the Pixel 7a and Pixel 8a are sold side by side. Both phones sell for $499, even though the Pixel 8a is a year newer and gets a full 7-year update plan, while the Pixel 7 only gets 5 years of updates (with just three Android updates).

And what's more, Google apparently plans to start selling the Pixel Fold again soon. Plus, you can still buy a Pixel 7 or Pixel 7 Pro for $599 or $899, respectively, via a direct link.

If you look at the overview of what you can actually buy in the Google Store today, it hardly makes sense.

• Pixel 7a: $499
• Pixel 8a: $499
• Pixels 7: $599
• Pixels 8: $699
• Pixel 9: $799
• Pixel 7 Pro: $899
• Pixel 8 Pro: $999
• Pixel 9 Pro: $999
• Pixel 9 Pro XL: $999
• Pixel 9 Pro Fold: $1,799

This is incredibly confusing!

The logical step, in my opinion, would be to kill off the Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro, and Pixel 7a altogether. They're outdated in more ways than one, and only one cycle of full Android updates remains. The Pixel 8 and 8 Pro should probably be discounted by about $100 as well. The Pixel Fold, if it has to come back, should also be heavily discounted from the Pixel 9 Pro Fold's $1,799 – the successor is simply far too big an upgrade to justify keeping the original at any expensive price.

In principle, Google should follow Apple’s example.

It's great to keep older generations, but only if the price is brought down enough to make it worth it. Yes, the Pixel 8 series is already cheaper, but that's only because the Pixel 9 series is a bit more expensive (mostly due to hardware upgrades).

And it's not like that's a foreign concept to Google! That's exactly what the company did with the Pixel Watch. The price of the Pixel Watch 2 dropped to $249 with the debut of the new $349 Pixel Watch 3, while the original model was discontinued. Makes sense!

What do you think of Google’s current product range?

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Made by Google 2024

The big story of the week was, of course, Google's recent launch event. The Pixel 9 series, Pixel Buds Pro 2, and Pixel Watch 3 have all arrived and look great. You can find our full coverage of the launch below.

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