With just a few weeks to go until the launch of the Pixel 8 series, Google has discontinued the Pixel Pass subscription, closing it to new subscribers.
Coinciding with the launch of the Pixel 6 series, Google began offering an all-in-one subscription that bundled together your choice of Pixel phone, Preferred Care protection, Google One cloud storage, YouTube Premium, Google Play Pass, and (optionally) Fi Wireless service. For the right customer, the Pixel Pass plans, which started at $45, were solid deals, offering a modest discount on the bundle. That said, Pixel Pass was only ever available in the United States.
However, it seems Google may not have found enough of the right customers. In an announcement shared on a new support page, Google has confirmed that the Pixel Pass subscription has been discontinued as of August 29, 2023. The company cites its focus on “offering the best value” as well as customer “flexibility.”
It’s important to note that the primary thing changing today is that it’s no longer possible to purchase a new phone through the Pixel Pass bundle. Existing customers are not affected by today’s change, and active subscriptions will continue as normal until the end of the two-year term.
Additionally, multiple 9to5Google readers tell us that Google is offering subscribers $100 in Google Store credit to active Pixel Pass customers. (Thanks, Rob and Kevin!)
Notably, current Pixel Pass subscribers will continue to receive a discounted rate for Google Play Pass, Google One, YouTube Premium, and Fi Wireless, and all of those services will continue to auto-renew after the phone has been paid off.
Top comment by RaLX
Liked by 19 people
I liked the basic idea but the implementation was too timid and inflexible, in my case I was never able to somehow merge my current Google One 2TB Drive and YT Family subs with it. Also if they would have allowed a yearly upgrade (trading in the phone) it would’ve been a lot more enticing, at least for me.
That said, if you’d prefer not to keep those subscriptions, you can individually cancel any or all of them at the end of the two years. Google will send you a heads-up before that happens.
And just as before, you still have the option to unsubscribe from Pixel Pass early by paying off the remaining cost of your Pixel phone.
It’s interesting that Google has opted to announce the end of Pixel Pass less than two months before the expected launch of the Pixel 8 series. That said, the shutdown isn’t terribly surprising, considering neither the Pixel 7a nor the Pixel Fold were ever offered through Pixel Pass.
Were you a Pixel Pass subscriber? Or were you considering the bundle for your next phone purchase? Let us know in the comments below.
More on Pixel:
Source: Google Pixel 8 will get more OS updates with longer lifespan than Samsung
Google Camera getting big UI redesign with the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro
Opinion: The Pixel Tablet is not a better Nest Hub
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