Pixel Pass Leaks as Google’s Upgrade Program to Rival Apple

Google is reportedly working on Pixel Pass, a subscription service for the most ardent Google superfans, according to tech YouTuber, Brandon Lee. From the description of the purported Pixel Pass, this is a financing option where Google offers users a fixed price to pay for a Pixel phone and a bundle of Google services all at once.

The concept recalls both Apple One and Apple’s iPhone Upgrade Program, a service where Apple enthusiasts can purchase a bundle of all Apple services, from Apple News+ and Apple TV to Apple Music. This would do the same type of thing, bundling in YouTube Premium, Google One, Play Pass, Google Fi, and a Pixel phone to boot. There’s also an extended warranty option with Preferred Care or Device Protection for those who want peace of mind. It’s likely to be a U.S. exclusive, especially with the inclusion of a Fi subscription, but that’s not been definitively confirmed.

While phone contracts have faded away in name, Google’s Pixel Pass continues the trend of phone makers and carriers alike offering financing for smartphone purchases, allowing buyers to spread their purchases out over a fixed period. The promise and convenience of regular upgrades (provided a trade-in is approved and completed) is also a lure.

The Pixel Pass isn’t the only Google Pixel 6-related leak to come out this week. Lee shared other pricing information from retail sources, including an $850 price point for the Pixel 6 in the U.S. The official color names for the Pixel were also shared, with Google reportedly branding them as Kinda Coral, Sorta Sunny, and Stormy Black for the Pixel 6, The Pixel 6 Pro will come in Sorta Sunny, Cloudy White, and Stormy Black.

An early release from the U.K. retailer Carphone Warehouse all but confirmed key specs of the phone with the exception of pricing. The leaked website has since gone down, but screenshots were captured at the time it remained up.

Google will launch the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro at the online Pixel Fall Launch event on October 19 — just over a week from now. If there are any secrets left to be told, we’ll find out then.

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