Google confirmed the Pixel 11 phones will cost more than the Pixel 10 models. The base Pixel 11 will start at $899, up $100 from the previous $799 starting price. This price hike reflects a big jump in memory costs that phone makers face today.
RAM prices have surged sixfold in just one year. The price per gigabyte jumped from $2.80 in 2025 to $12 in 2026. This increase is driven by demand for high-bandwidth memory used in AI data centers. For a flagship phone with 16 GB of RAM, the memory cost alone rose from around $45 to roughly $192.
This steep rise in RAM costs means phone makers must rethink their designs or pass the cost to buyers. Google’s Pixel 11 Pro and Pro XL models are also expected to rise by $100 each. Interestingly, leaked specs suggest these Pro models might reduce RAM from 16 GB down to 12 GB at the 256 GB storage tier, which is now the new baseline because the 128 GB option has been dropped.
Samsung’s Galaxy S26 followed a similar pattern. The company raised prices by $100 on two of three models and also removed the 128 GB storage option. Apple has been raising prices across its product lineup since June and plans to increase iPhone prices this September. Qualcomm, a major chip supplier, warned that chip prices will rise by double-digit percentages after September 1.
Google’s Response to Rising Memory Costs
Google isn’t just raising prices. It is also working to reduce memory use in Android and its apps. The company combines its Tensor chip, Android software, and on-device AI models to load and run AI models more efficiently. This approach aims to cut the memory needed for everyday tasks.
Shakil Barkat, Google’s vice president of devices and services, said, “The economics have now fundamentally shifted.” This means the old ways of building phones are no longer cost-effective. Buyers will find out the full impact of these changes on August 12, when Google reveals exact Pixel 11 pricing at its Made by Google event in New York.
Why Does Memory Cost Matter So Much?
RAM is a key part of modern smartphones. It lets apps run quickly and smoothly. More RAM allows phones to handle complex tasks, like AI features and multitasking. But the memory inside phones is linked to the same technology powering AI data centers.
AI data centers use high-bandwidth memory that is expensive and in high demand. This demand pushed prices up sharply. So phone makers face a choice: keep adding more RAM and raise prices, or find smarter ways to use less memory.
Google’s plan to optimize Android and its AI models shows one way to cut memory use. By making software smarter, phones can work better without needing as much hardware. This could ease the pressure on memory prices in the future.
Whether Google’s software tweaks will fully offset the higher RAM costs remains to be seen. But the company is clearly trying to protect users from the full brunt of these expensive components.
Based on
