Why the Pixel 11 Price Jumped While the RAM Shrank

The Pixel 11 price in Canada now starts at $1,249, and Google is being unusually blunt about the reason: the memory chips inside your phone have turned into one of the most expensive parts to buy. The new lineup was unveiled on August 12 and reaches Canadian shelves on August 20. Every model costs more than the Pixel 10 it replaces, and on the Pro phones the entry configuration ships with less RAM than last year's did.

The figure Google leaned on is the startling part. Executives pointed to Morgan Stanley data showing that 1GB of RAM ran about US$2.80 in 2025 and roughly US$12 this year — a sixfold jump in twelve months. In the United States the Pixel 11 lands at US$899, the Pro at US$1,099, the Pro XL at US$1,299 and the Pro Fold at US$1,899, each about US$100 above its predecessor. The Pixel Watch 5 climbed US$50 to US$399.

This matters well beyond one brand. It isn't really a Google pricing decision, it's a Google reaction, and the same squeeze is landing on every phone, laptop and console maker on the planet. If you were already eyeing an upgrade this fall, the useful question isn't which Pixel to buy so much as how you pay for it — because the sticker and the real cost have drifted quite far apart.

What Google Actually Changed

The new price tags, tier by tier

Canada's headline number looks worse than the underlying move. According to Canadian outlets that tracked the launch, the base Pixel 11 now starts at $1,249 largely because Google deleted the cheapest 128GB version entirely. Compare like-for-like storage tiers and the Pro's increase works out closer to $20 — a far gentler bump than the US$100 headline suggests, but you no longer have the option of the small, cheap model.

More storage, less memory

256GB is now the standard starting point across the lineup, doubling the base storage on the Pixel 11 and Pixel 11 Pro. The trade came out of memory instead. The entry Pixel 11 Pro and Pro XL carry 12GB of RAM, down from 16GB on every Pixel 10 Pro configuration. Buyers who want 16GB can still get it, but only by stepping up to a higher storage tier and paying for both at once.

Why Memory Got So Expensive So Fast

Blame the data centre buildout. AI operators are expected to absorb the large majority of high-end DRAM production this year, and manufacturers like Samsung and SK Hynix have redirected capacity toward high-bandwidth memory for AI servers rather than the mobile chips that go into phones. Gartner has projected that DRAM and SSD prices could climb around 130% by the end of 2026, pushing smartphone prices up roughly 13% versus 2025 levels.

There's never been an increase in memory prices like the world's going through right now.

That's Shakil Barkat, Google's vice-president of devices and services, in comments reported by 9to5Google. He added that the company had shielded customers from supply swings for as long as it could. Google also says it has started a dedicated push to make Android need less memory, leaning on smaller on-device AI models and silicon tuning to keep the 12GB machines quick.

What the Pixel 11 Price Means for Canadians

Very few people pay the sticker. Carrier financing spreads the base Pixel 11 to about $52 a month, the Pro to roughly $62 and the Pro XL to about $75, and Google is running a trade-in offer worth up to CA$800 on the Pro models, plus a choice of CA$350 off a Pixel Watch 5 or CA$275 in store credit. A working three-year-old phone in your drawer is now the single biggest lever on what you actually spend.

Are Other Phone Makers Doing This Too?

They're all facing it, they're just handling it differently. Oppo and Vivo have reportedly refused Samsung's proposed memory pricing for the third quarter, while Xiaomi has raised its shipment target for the year — a bet that costs ease off. Budget Android brands have the least room to absorb the hit, since memory eats a bigger share of a $300 phone's build cost than a $1,300 one. Expect thinner entry-level lineups before you see honest price cuts.

What to Watch Before You Buy

Do the comparison at the storage tier you'd actually choose, not the advertised starting figure — that's where the Pixel 11 price story changes shape. A few other things worth checking:

• Whether 12GB is enough for how you use the phone, or whether the 16GB tier is worth the step up
• What your current handset is worth on trade-in, at Google and at your carrier, since the two rarely match
• Carrier bundles in the first weeks after August 20, which often beat the direct offer

One last thing to keep in mind: SK Hynix has warned that tight memory supply could stretch well past the end of this decade, so waiting a year for prices to snap back is a weak plan. If your phone still works, keep it. If it doesn't, buy on trade-in value and pick the memory tier you'll still be happy with in three years — that decision will outlast this year's Pixel 11 price and whatever the next launch charges.