Google Pixel 11: Higher Prices, Less RAM, and the Global Memory Crisis That's Changing Smartphones

Google officially unveiled the Pixel 11 lineup at its Made by Google event on August 12, 2026, and the headline news is not a camera upgrade or a new chip — it's a sweeping price increase driven by a global memory shortage that Google’s leadership calls unprecedented. Shipping with Android 17 and the new Tensor G6 chipset , the four new models arrive with a $100 price jump across the board, reduced RAM on Pro variants, and the elimination of the 128GB storage tier . Here is everything you need to know about the Pixel 11 lineup and the memory crisis that shaped it.

US Pricing: Every Pixel 11 Model Is $100 More Expensive

Google’s 2026 smartphone lineup starts higher across every model compared to the Pixel 10 generation:

• Pixel 11 — $899 (up from $799)
• Pixel 11 Pro — $1,099 (up from $999)
• Pixel 11 Pro XL — $1,299 (up from $1,199)
• Pixel 11 Pro Fold — $1,899 (up from $1,799)

The consistent $100 increase means the entry-level Pixel 11 now costs what the Pixel 10 Pro cost last year — a significant shift in Google’s value positioning.

Australian Pricing: 9–11% Increases

Australian buyers face similar upward pressure, with starting prices reflecting both the price hike and the elimination of the 128GB tier:

• Pixel 11 256GB — A$1,499
• Pixel 11 Pro 256GB — A$1,849
• Pixel 11 Pro XL 256GB — A$2,099
• Pixel 11 Pro Fold — A$2,799

The Pixel 11 Pro's Australian starting price rose about 9% year-on-year (from A$1,699 for the 128GB Pixel 10 Pro) . The Pro XL and Pro Fold saw increases of A$60–A$100 over last year's models .

Storage & RAM Changes: Good News and Bad News

128GB Storage Tier Eliminated

The 128GB storage option is gone across the entire Pixel 11 lineup. 256GB is now the minimum . This partially offsets the price increase — buyers are getting double the base storage for their $100 extra.

RAM Reduced on Pro Models (At the Base Tier)

This is the most controversial change. The base 256GB Pixel 11 Pro and Pixel 11 Pro XL now ship with 12GB of RAM, down from 16GB last year . Higher storage tiers (512GB/1TB) retain 16GB configurations . The standard Pixel 11 comes with 12GB of RAM .

In practical terms: if you want 16GB of RAM on a Pixel 11 Pro, you now need to pay at least $1,219 for the 11 Pro and $1,419 for the 11 Pro XL to get the 512GB tier that includes it .

Why It's Happening: Google Blames a "Severe" RAM Shortage

Shakil Barkat, Google's VP of Devices and Services, told 9to5Google that the entire Pixel family faces price "adjustments" due to an unprecedented memory crisis . He described it as a "severe, supplier-driven RAM memory crisis" and said "there's never been an increase in memory prices like the world's going through right now" .

The Numbers Behind the Crisis

Citing Morgan Stanley data, Barkat stated that the cost of 1GB of RAM surged from ~$2.80 in 2025 to $12 in 2026 — roughly a sixfold increase . For a phone with 16GB of RAM, the bill-of-materials jump alone goes from ~$45 to ~$192 per handset .

Industry analysts forecast 13–18% rises in conventional DRAM contract prices in Q3 2026 alone, driven by AI hardware demand soaking up memory supply .

Not Just Google: Apple and Samsung Face the Same Pressure

Barkat emphasized that the crisis is not unique to Google — rising memory costs are pressuring Apple and Samsung as well, with all consumer tech companies facing the same supplier constraints . The surge in memory pricing is widely attributed to AI data-center demand pulling production capacity away from mobile-grade memory chips .

Pre-Order & Shipping Dates

• Pre-orders opened August 12, the same day as the launch event .
• General availability / shipping starts August 20 globally .

Google is also running launch promotions, including trade-in offers up to A$700 off and 6 months of Google AI Pro .

What This Means for Buyers

The Pixel 11 lineup presents a mixed picture. On the positive side, every phone now starts with 256GB of storage — double last year's base — and the new Tensor G6 chip and Android 17 bring genuine performance and software improvements . More importantly, the cameras have been overhauled: Google rebuilt its camera system from scratch, adding a 48MP periscope telephoto lens .

On the negative side, the $100 price increase and RAM reduction on base Pro models are tangible downgrades for power users who rely on keeping many apps and AI features in memory simultaneously. If you're considering a Pixel 11 Pro or Pro XL and want 16GB of RAM, be prepared to step up to the 512GB storage tier.

The Pixel 11 launch marks an inflection point for smartphone economics: the era of ever-lower prices and ever-higher specs may be pausing as the memory industry is reshaped by AI's insatiable demand for DRAM.