Is Google's Pixel Pass Worth Its Subscription Cost?

This week, on with announcing the caller Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, Google besides introduced Pixel Pass—a programme that combines a subscription work bundle and the aforementioned Pixel 6 (or Pixel 6 Pro) nether 1 roof. If you’re trying to determine whether the bundle is close for you, present are immoderate things to consider.

What is Pixel Pass, and however overmuch does it cost?

Pixel Pass includes Google’s in-house subscription services: Google One, Play Pass, and YouTube Music Premium. It besides comes with an extended warranty and a discount connected compartment work from Google Fi. (Users tin take to opt retired of the Google Fi work and usage their ain carrier, though.) The bundle starts astatine $45 per period for Pixel 6, and $55 a period for a 6 Pro. Users tin motion up for the bundle done either Google Fi, oregon the Google Store (if they opt retired of Fi web coverage). There is an enactment to commercialized successful an aged device, but users tin lone motion up for Pixel Pass with a Pixel phone.

Pixel Pass is fundamentally Google’s mash-up of 2 akin Apple programs: Apple One and the iPhone Upgrade Program. Apple and Google’s offerings tin outgo astir the same, or, depending connected the details, Apple’s tin beryllium overmuch much expensive. Apple One packages scope from $15 to $30 per month, and the iPhone Upgrade Program ranges from $35 a period (128 GB iPhone 13 mini) each the mode to $74.91 (1 TB iPhone 13 Pro Max), which means the “bundle” would tally anyplace from $50 to $104.91 per month.

Cons of Pixel Pass

The Pixel Pass whitethorn travel with immoderate drawbacks, depending connected a user’s priorities. These chiefly travel down to however radical privation to walk their wealth and however committed they are to a definite phone.

As mentioned above, the Pixel Pass is lone disposable to users who bargain one of the 2 caller Pixel phones. It does see regular upgrades, overmuch similar Apple’s iPhone Upgrade Program. However, if you aren’t funny successful utilizing a Pixel phone, this request is simply a deal-breaker. Popular Android phones from Samsung oregon OnePlus, for example, aren’t eligible for this program.

Additionally, customers should instrumentality enactment of what those regular upgrades entail. Like akin programs, you are fundamentally renting a Pixel phone, which you tin past trade-in for a caller 1 easy erstwhile the clip rolls around. Once the telephone is paid off, it’s yours similar immoderate different telephone would be. However, you past request to determine whether you privation to enactment subscribed to the program and person a caller Pixel phone, oregon cancel the plan.

The past drawback is simply a substance of preference. Some users whitethorn not privation oregon request each of Google’s subscription services. In fact, the Pixel Pass could extremity up costing immoderate radical much annually than what they would wage for the Pixel 6 connected its ain oregon 1 oregon 2 idiosyncratic subscriptions. For example, portion they mightiness bask utilizing Play Pass, they besides similar Spotify implicit YouTube Music.

Pros of Pixel Pass

Individually, each the services included successful Pixel Pass full upward of $39 per month, positive the outgo of a caller Pixel phone, which starts astatine $599 for the baseline Pixel 6. Here’s the breakdown:

• Play Pass (Google’s premium gaming service): $4.99 per month.
  
• Google One: Starting astatine $1.99 per month, this is Google’s Cloud retention and tech enactment program. The 200 GB program that Pixel Pass comes with, however, is usually $2.99 per month.
• YouTube Premium: $11.99 per month, including YouTube Music. This is simply a premium mentation of YouTube that cuts retired each ads and allows video downloads and streaming from YouTube Music, which is akin to Spotify oregon Apple Music.
• Google Fi: Individual plans commencement astatine $20 per month, with web sum by Google and a assortment of sum and information options. The Pixel Pass lone covers a $5 monthly discount connected Google Fi plans, not the full price.

If you usage Google’s bundle of subscriptions regularly, the Pixel Pass is simply a large mode to prevention wealth portion getting a caller phone. It besides makes things much convenient—instead of having respective smaller recurring charges, you tin person everything nether 1 sum, including the monthly payments connected your phone. The inclusion of the terms of the Pixel 6 itself makes this programme a highly affordable enactment since it whitethorn beryllium easier for galore radical to wage a smaller monthly complaint alternatively than $600 oregon much upfront for a caller phone.

Another origin for immoderate users is the extended warranty: Trade-in worth connected phones is ever babelike connected their condition, making it challenging for those prone to accidents to get a bully deal. Pixel Pass makes it casual to get your Pixel repaired, and each users get to instrumentality portion successful the regular upgrades to caller Pixel models, adjacent if they are a spot unsmooth connected their phones.

The regular upgrades are a large deal, too, for those who are looking for them. Google’s enactment of Pixel phones keeps getting amended and is consistently neck-and-neck with Apple’s newest iPhones. There is truly nary different programme disposable similar this for Android users, but immoderate upgrade programme their idiosyncratic bearer whitethorn have.

Who is Pixel Pass for?

Pixel Pass is chiefly for radical who bask the afloat Google ecosystem, are up for a caller Pixel phone, and privation a convenient subscription strategy akin to Apple One and the iPhone Upgrade Program. If you already bask utilizing Google’s suite of subscription services, it volition beryllium casual to get a discount connected each of them by switching to Pixel Pass. For everyone else, it’s astir apt a pass.