The cost of the Pixel/Pixel XL

[imartez]

One of the negatives that I keep hearing is that the Pixel is too expensive, is it really? I was thinking about what the true cost of the physical device is and I broke it down as such. I purchased an XL 32GB. Assuming I keep this device for 1 year and use it on an average for 3 hours per day (YMMV).

Price: $820.00 (Device + 6.5% FL sales tax)
Hours in a year: 8,760
Cost per hour: $0.09 (820 / 8760 = 0.0936)
Average cost per day (3 hour average): $0.27 (0.09 x 3)

So, for $0.27 per day I have a device that keeps me connected and does what I need from a personal and work perspective. In addition it is on the bleeding edge of Android

I understand that there are other less expensive options available with similar specs, but when you look at the cost per day there is not much of a difference. So, based on how much these devices are part of our lives are they really too expensive? For me, I don't believe so, but I can certainly understand the sticker shock of an $820 phone.

NOTE: This is based on the physical device and not voice and data plans.

 

[sulla1965]

Expensive because, no waterproofing, no sd card support, no wireless charging, no stereo sound on video camera and no OIS. Some are having a hard some justifying paying that much for the pixel.

 

[raqball]

I agree OP, the Pixel rocks and is worth every cent..

 

[mightyfacundo]

Great phone. Worth every penny.

 

[I Can Be Your Hero]

It's too expensive if you think high end smartphone prices are too expensive.

If you're ok with those prices, then imo, the Pixel is the only Android phone that's worth its price at the high end.

 

[Almeuit]

Expensive because, no waterproofing, no sd card support, no wireless charging, no stereo sound on video camera and no OIS. Some are having a hard some justifying paying that much for the pixel.

It doesn't have OIS due to software handling it which seems to do just fine.

 

[Rocky5000100]

You know, while of course I'd like it to be less expensive, for how much use I get out of it, it really is worth it.

Average Screen on Time per day is 2-4 hours. That means I'm using it that much per day. That is more than my home desktop PC. Not to mention I use it for audiobooks and music for 1 hour per day commuting.

It still is a bit shocking though, because quite a few people are still getting used to non-subsidized phones without 2 year contracts.

 

[imartez]

Expensive because, no waterproofing, no sd card support, no wireless charging, no stereo sound on video camera and no OIS. Some are having a hard some justifying paying that much for the pixel.

None of the items you mentioned affect functionality for me. Personally, waterproofing is a nice to have as I have never (knock on wood) dropped my phone into water or had water fall on it. SD card support to me is still not where it needs to be simply because it's not adopted as part of the internal storage and read/write speeds are sometimes slower than internal storage. Wireless charging is not something that I really used when I had the Note 7 or S7 Edge, so it's a nice to have for me. I agree on the stereo sound, I wish they would have incorporated a better DAC.

 

[Jeremy8000]

One of the negatives that I keep hearing is that the Pixel is too expensive, is it really? I was thinking about what the true cost of the physical device is and I broke it down as such. I purchased an XL 32GB. Assuming I keep this device for 1 year and use it on an average for 3 hours per day (YMMV).

Price: $820.00 (Device + 6.5% FL sales tax)
Hours in a year: 8,760
Cost per hour: $0.09 (820 / 8760 = 0.0936)
Average cost per day (3 hour average): $0.27 (0.09 x 3)

So, for $0.27 per day I have a device that keeps me connected and does what I need from a personal and work perspective. In addition it is on the bleeding edge of Android

I understand that there are other less expensive options available with similar specs, but when you look at the cost per day there is not much of a difference. So, based on how much these devices are part of our lives are they really too expensive? For me, I don't believe so, but I can certainly understand the sticker shock of an $820 phone.

NOTE: This is based on the physical device and not voice and data plans.

Reasoning is a bit off, as you're still paying for those other 21 hours that you aren't using the phone. To simplify:

$820 / 365 days ≈ $2.25/day. If you use it 3 hours/day, your effective hourly cost is $0.75/hour. Of course, the more you use the phone the more that rate drops and the better the value becomes. E.g., at 6 hours/day it drops to about $0.38/hour.

To achieve a $0.09/hour average rate at 3 hours/day of use, you'd have to have spent under $100 on the phone ($0.27 x 365 = $98.50).

 

[1213 1213]

I'm sorry but that's a silly way of looking at things. When you say whether or not you think it is expensive you would be comparing it to competition. Like the Oneplus 3, being $370 cheaper at basically half the price but having a worse camera, display, software support, etc.

And then thinking to yourself about whether it is worth the premium or not, and if you think it isn't then you think it is expensive. Some philosophical notion of expense and looking at how wondrous the price of water is, for example, isn't particularly meaningful or helpful.

 

[Tf407]

It has really bugged me that this phone has gotten so much negative press about price


People complained that the nexus models weren't up to flagship standards thus having lower prices. Now Google releases a very worthy flag ship phone and now all of a sudden it's too expensive ha

 

[imartez]

Reasoning is a bit off, as you're still paying for those other 21 hours that you aren't using the phone. To simplify:

$820 / 365 days ≈ $2.25/day. If you use it 3 hours/day, your effective hourly cost is $0.75/hour. Of course, the more you use the phone the more that rate drops and the better the value becomes. E.g., at 6 hours/day it drops to about $0.38/hour.

To achieve a $0.09/hour average rate at 3 hours/day of use, you'd have to have spent under $100 on the phone ($0.27 x 365 = $98.50).

I thought about it the same way you described it above. Even at the $2.25/day it still comes to the $0.09/hour. The 3 hour average is just a guess on my end, some folks may be more or less. Either way you still have the potential of using the phone for 24 hours which is why I calculated it that way. Having said that, I see your point.

 

[imartez]

I'm sorry but that's a silly way of looking at things. When you say whether or not you think it is expensive you would be comparing it to competition. Like the Oneplus 3, being $370 cheaper at basically half the price but having a worse camera, display, software support, etc.

And then thinking to yourself about whether it is worth the premium or not, and if you think it isn't then you think it is expensive. Some philosophical notion of expense and looking at how wondrous the price of water is, for example, isn't particularly meaningful or helpful.

I don't think of this as a philosophical notion, for me it's about value for what I would use it for. So, in the case of the Pixel XL, I decided to purchase it because I enjoy new technology and also the google assistant appealed to me as something that could make things easier for me on a daily basis.

 

[Tf407]

I was cool paying $850 for a note 7 that is blowing up on people

I'll be cool paying 870 for a Google pixel xl that doesn't with twice the storage, better software, better camera, etc.

 

[anon(9227267)]

If the Pixel/,XL were priced $200.00 less people would still complain - it is what they do. "Priced too high" usually translates to "I can't afford it"

 

[shady195]

It'd only to expensive to those spoiled by the Nexus like and the likes of one plus .. which I support fully. 600+ for any major smartphone is insane. However the world knows we're tied to our smartphones and people will never vote with their Wallet enough to drive down prices. This is capitalism peeps.

 

[dpham00]

Reasoning is a bit off, as you're still paying for those other 21 hours that you aren't using the phone. To simplify:

$820 / 365 days ≈ $2.25/day. If you use it 3 hours/day, your effective hourly cost is $0.75/hour. Of course, the more you use the phone the more that rate drops and the better the value becomes. E.g., at 6 hours/day it drops to about $0.38/hour.

To achieve a $0.09/hour average rate at 3 hours/day of use, you'd have to have spent under $100 on the phone ($0.27 x 365 = $98.50).

You would also need to add how much you sell it for in a year as that is how much you are out after a year.

I use my phone a lot, so cost isn't a big deal as it is part of my enjoyment of life.

 

[anon(9227267)]

Verizon is now offering a 2 year contract price starting at $199 for the 32 GB Pixel - wish they had a week or so ago - cannot complain about that deal.

 

[Almeuit]

Verizon is now offering a 2 year contract price starting at $199 for the 32 GB Pixel - wish they had a week or so ago - cannot complain about that deal.
View attachment 244023

Is that through your Verizon account that you're looking at that? It doesn't show for me as a non-Verizon customer.

 

[anon(9227267)]

YES - I have been with V for years - would be hard to get me to leave them.

I paid $649 on the 21st at the local store - saw no contract deals online than.

ETA - looks like the XLs will ship on 12/2 - no shipping dates for the Pixel - maybe they ship right away??