Google Pixel 10a gets price hike, here's what the budget Pixel costs now
The Pixel 10a, Google's budget smartphone, just got costlier. The Mountain View giant has increased its price in India by Rs 6,000, and the hike applies in other markets too. It's part of a wider trend. The ongoing global memory crisis has pushed up costs for smartphone makers, and companies like Samsung and Apple have raised their prices as well.
The smartphone was launched at Rs 49,999 in March this year. It is now available on the Google Store for Rs 55,999, marking a Rs 6,000 increase. For a phone sold as the affordable way into the Pixel family, that is a steep jump. The phone still runs the Tensor G4 chipset and has a 48-megapixel main camera. Only the price has moved.
However, Google still has something for softening the blow. Buyers using an HDFC Bank or ICICI Bank credit card on EMI can get instant cashback of up to Rs 3,000, bringing the price down to Rs 52,999. In other words, if you hold either of these cards, you effectively save Rs 3,000 on the new price.
The hike is global. In the US, Google raised the Pixel 10a from $499 to $599, and the 256GB model went up to $699. Google has not commented, but the usual explanation applies. Component costs, memory in particular, have been climbing sharply.
Google is not the only brand that has increased the price of its smartphone. Smartphone makers are passing rising costs on to buyers, even for phones already on sale.
Samsung recently raised the prices of the Galaxy S26 series in India by at least Rs 15,000. The base 256GB Galaxy S26 now costs Rs 1,02,999, up from its launch price of Rs 87,999. Every phone in the S26 range now costs more than Rs 1 lakh. Rising memory and component costs are the main reason.
Apple has done the same with the new iPhone 18 Pro lineup. The iPhone 18 Pro starts at Rs 1,64,900 for 256GB, against Rs 1,34,900 for the iPhone 17 Pro, a Rs 30,000 increase. The iPhone 18 Pro Max starts at Rs 1,79,900, up from Rs 1,49,900 for its predecessor. Apple also raised prices on older models.- Ends
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