Purchasing a Google Pixel 8 or Pixel 8 Pro may cost more than expected, according to a "retail source" who spoke to 9to5Google, who claims you'll have to pay $699 for the Pixel 8 and $999 for the Pixel 8 Pro.

This price would make both models $100 more expensive than replacing the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro. according to leaker Roland Quandt, who says the Pixel 8 will start at £699 and the Pixel 8 Pro at £999. a similar price increase could happen in the UK. Potentially, the Pixel 8 will start at £699 and the Pixel 8 Pro at £999.

If you've been paying attention to Google's recent smartphone pricing, you may have seen this coming. The mid-priced Google Pixel 7a, launched earlier this year, also received a price hike, moving into the $500 price range, following the $450 Pixel 6a.

The good news for phone buyers is that even with the price increase for the Pixel 8, both models are considerably cheaper than the equivalent-sized iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro Max. However, the two Pixels will be priced uncomfortably close to the Samsung Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus.

At the very least, if the Pixel 8 series is going to be more expensive, there are many upgrades ahead. As seen in previous leaks and the new big spec dump by leaker Kamila Wojciechowska and 91mobiles, quite a bit has changed or been added.

Aside from the new rounded design that Google has already heavily teased, the basic Pixel 8 also features a new 6.2-inch OLED display with 60 - 120Hz adaptive refresh rate, a larger 4,575 mAh battery, a new The Pixel 8 Pro also continues to leak with a new front camera, a 6.7-inch OLED display with 1-120Hz, an updated 48MP ultrawide camera, a new rear temperature sensor, and an even larger 5,575 mAh battery with 30W fast charging. capable of 30W fast charging, and an even larger 5,050mAh battery.

These physical changes to the phone, plus the reported seven years of full software support, sound like worthy updates to the Pixel flagship model. However, it remains to be seen if these will be enough to justify the price increase to potential Pixel buyers.

Nevertheless, we'll have to wait a little longer for the answer to that question; Made by Google will take place next week on October 4, and Google has already announced that this is the date when the new Pixel will be announced and available for pre-order.