Update, Sunday July 27, 2025: This article has been updated with additional details on the Pixel 10’s new chipset.
As Google prepares to announce the Pixel 10 and Pixel 10 Pro in late August, some of the biggest questions have been about the price of the new handsets. With flagship phones from the likes of Apple and Samsung regularly pushing base models into four-figure prices, how competitive will Google’s pricing decisions be and what do they say about its strategy?
Pixel 10 And Pixel 10 Pro Pricing
We have European pricing across the four main models, which are broadly similar to the pricing of the Pixel 9 family. The Pixel 10 starts at €899 for 128 GB, the Pixel 10 Pro at €1,099 also for 128 GB, and the Pixel 10 Pro XL listings drop the 128 GB option to start at €1,299 for 256 GB. Finally, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold starts at € 1,899 for 256 GB.
Both the Pro XL and the Pro Fold, sitting at the top of the portfolio, do not have 128 GB versions listed. That’s not to say the 128 GB option is definitely gone—perhaps these will be available only through the Google Store, region-locked, or as network exclusives. We shall see during the Made By Google launch event scheduled for Aug. 20.
By echoing 2024’s pricing across the range, Google offers us a glimpse into the wider strategy it is using to address both the consumer market and its Android Partners.
Pixel 10 And Pixel 10 Pro Strategy
The steady approach to pricing—which is arguably mirrored by the incremental updates to the physical design of the Pixel 10 family over the Pixel 9—shows Google’s confidence in the market. There may be new features added to the hardware and software of the Pixel package, but the value proposition has not changed; so neither has the price.
That could be a quiet victory on retail shelves. There’s an expectation that the price of the new model will rise compared to the existing model. Because the counterpoint to this is that if Google did lift the prices on the Pixel models, then the difference between its smartphones and the likes of the iPhone Pro or Galaxy S Ultra models would be more apparent; the increased performance of the latter would be noticeable, and the value conscious consumer would look at the closer pricing and decide that the jump to a more recognisable phone brand would be easier to make.
Yet there is something more for the price-conscious buyer. Because of the lower starting price for each model, moving up to a model with increased storage feels like good value, in part due to keeping the Pixels lower than the entry-level pricing of the aforementioned Apple and Samsung devices.
Pixel 10 Pro’s Key Change
Update, Sunday July 27, 2025.
9to5Google’s Ben Schoon reports on the small advantages that the Pixel 10 family is picking up across the board. These will all add up to create what will still be an evolutionary step up in hardware, but one of these will offer some key changes.
With the launch of the Pixel 6, Google introduced its chipset design, which has been updated annually. The Tensor Mobile range prioritised a smoother user experience and efficiency over ultimate power. With the Pixel 8 and the third generation, the Tensor chipsets picked up dedicated hardware for artificial intelligence. Yet the chips have a reputation for running hot and not delivering the ultimate power of the equivalent Snapdragon chipset.
The latter is by design—trim back on the top end and use that capacity for the AI routines—but the former looks likely to be addressed in the Pixel 10 family. As Schoon points out, the move from Samsung Foundry to TSMC should offer more efficiency, an upgrade in performance over last year’s model, and a cooler-running chipset.
Finding Value In The Pixel 10 And Pixel 10 Pro
Pricing for the Pixel 10 Pro and the rest of the Pixel 10 lineup is familiar. Google continues to offer a flagship experience at a price that will be perceived as lower than that of its competitors’ flagships. Part of me wonders if this is because the real value in the Pixel family for Google is in the software and subscription services such as Google One and Google Gemini.
Now read the latest Pixel 10 Pro, Samsung Galaxy, and smartphone news in Forbes’ weekly Android news digest…
