Similar to the company’s Pixel 9 discount before the Galaxy Z Fold 7 debuted, Google’s latest Pixel 8 Pro discount is its best yet, and lands weeks before the official Pixel 10 announcement.
Google has slashed the cost of the Pixel 8 Pro by $400, bringing the price down to $599. That figure is a bit of marketing because the Pixel 8 Pro hasn’t been $999 for a very long time, and the company runs consecutive deals, so it’s rare to pay full price for a Pixel phone.
Nonetheless, $599 is a very good price for the 2023 Google flagship. The phone also comes with a Pixel Watch 2 and a free case. Alongside the 10% store credit for Google One members.
The downside is the poor trade-in pricing. Historically, Google has always been behind Apple and Samsung in valuing your used phone. That changed with a recent Google U.K. deal that raised trade-in prices to heights I haven’t seen before for old handsets, some of which are essentially defunct (including the embattled Pixel 6a). Here is a selection of Google U.K.’s trade-in prices three weeks ago.
- Google Pixel 7 Pro – £454 ($618.75)
- Google Pixel 6 Pro – £415 ($565.60)
- Google Pixel 5 – £377 ($513.81)
- Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max – £657 ($895.42)
- Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max – £447 ($609.21)
- Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra – £517 ($704.62)
- Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus – £373 ($508.36)
In comparison, the company is now paying far less for the same phones. For example, Google values the Pixel 7 Pro at $145, the Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max at $355, and the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra at $224. Those Samsung and Apple handsets will likely net more on the secondary market.
The Google Pixel 8 Pro Is Still Worth Considering
Even without a hefty trade-in discount, this is a solid deal for a phone that isn’t wildly different to its successor, the Pixel 9. AI tools like Magic Editor, Best Take, and Video Boost have made it over to last year’s Google phone. Formerly exclusive Pixel 9 features, such as the Pixel Weather app, have now migrated over to the Pixel 8. Only the updated hardware separates the two phones.
The Pixel 8 will likely disappear from the Google store after the Pixel 10 lands in August. This may be one of the last chances to buy the phone directly from Google, if that matters to you. Another distinct possibility is that Pixel 8 Pro prices crash (at other retailers) after it disappears from the Google Store and the Pixel 10 lands because of its age. Being two generations old used to matter pre-2024, but with five years of software updates and security patches left, the risk is reduced.
