Google is exhibiting the Pixel 8 and Pixel 7a, two of its smartphones equipped with Android ... [+]
This story was updated on April 18th, update below.
After discounting the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro in December, January, February and March, Google has again slashed prices for its flagship phones with a new sale.
The Pixel 8 ($549) and Pixel 8 Pro ($799) are retailing for $150 and $200 less respectively. Google has stuck with this level of discount for most of its previous sales, with the bigger price drops often reserved for the Pixel Fold, which is $500 cheaper right now.
The company is gearing up for Google I/O next month, which will likely see the announcement of the Pixel 8a. The impending launch has seen the Pixel 7a discounted a few times recently, with the budget phone currently selling for $150 less than its regular $499 price.
I have said before that if you’re looking to pick up the Pixel 7a as cheaply as possible, and you can stomach holding out, I wouldn’t be surprised if that price dropped again. Google might discount the device more during the transition period to the Pixel 8a. Other retailers will also want to clear their remaining stock in preparation for the 8a release.
The latest sales mean Google has knocked hundreds of dollars off its current Pixel lineup at some point every month in 2024. That’s alongside handing out $125 gift cards to YouTube Premium subscribers when buying a Pixel 8 and emailing $100 coupons to random Google Photos users.
Google is no stranger to discounts, but this level of aggressive pricing is a new tactic for the company. It’s not alone either, Samsung has repeatedly discounted its Galaxy S24 range, while Motorola appears to be running a near-permanent sale for every phone in its roster.
Google is currently massively revamping its core subscription services and trying to make them as appealing as possible, which is likely linked to incessant hardware discounts. Once you’re in an ecosystem, you tend to stay there.
The company recently bundled Nest Aware and FitBit Premium into its Google One cloud storage plan. It also added new AI-powered editing tools to its desktop Google Photos platform, with Google One subscribers getting more edited photo saves per month (non-subscribers only get 10).
There isn’t a better time to buy an Android phone than right now, but the low hardware prices may come with a catch. We’re starting to see the difference between the free experience and the paid-for AI-powered experience. Certain features, like getting more Google Photos saves, or garage door detection on the Nest Aware platform, are paywalled. Samsung has already hinted at charging for certain AI features beyond 2025 and I suspect we’ll see more examples of tiered smartphone experiences as companies go all-in on mobile AI.
April 18th update: Samsung has now launched another new deal to compete with Google. The Korean company appears to be giving away a free Galaxy S24, or Galaxy S24 Plus, with pre-orders for select TVs. Samsung is emailing customers registered to its site with the offer, which requires people to fill in a questionnaire about what type of TV they prefer, and which freebie they want: either a phone or sound bar.
The email says that the “free gift” is applied at checkout and only for pre-orders (the new TVs launch next week), but in the terms and conditions it looks like the offer is available until May 14th. The Galaxy S24 Ultra isn’t included in the deal and the three eligible TVs for the free S24 Plus are the QN900D, QN800D and QN90D. For a free base unit of the Galaxy S24, customers have to buy the QN95D/, QN90D or QN85D.
