Google Joins Rivals in Memory-Driven Price Hikes for Pixel Devices

Google has joined Apple, Microsoft, and Nintendo in raising prices for its products due to surging memory chip costs. The company's Vice President of Devices and Services, Shakil Barkat, attributed this decision to unprecedented pressure from rising memory prices.

Barkat pointed out that the price of 1 GB of RAM has increased sixfold since last year, from $2.80 in 2025 to $12 this year, according to Morgan Stanley data. He stated that Google has 'shielded our consumers from supply fluctuations for as long as possible,' but now the company is forced to adjust prices due to shifting economics.

The Pixel family of devices will see price adjustments, which will be rolled out dynamically to match supply realities. The upcoming Pixel 11 series, set to launch on August 12, may feature a base model with 12 GB of RAM instead of the previously rumored 16 GB, and a $100 price increase is expected for both the Pixel 11 and Pixel 11 Pro.

This move comes after Apple raised prices for Macs, iPads, and iWatches last month, Nintendo increased the Switch 2 gaming console's price in May, and Microsoft bumped up the Xbox price in August. Google's stock dipped nearly 8% last week due to its decision to raise capital expenditure targets.