Google to Launch Pixel 6 Phone, Pixel Pass Subscription Service

Over a week before the Google Pixel 6 mobile device is set to launch, the tech giant appears ready to offer Pixel Pass, a new subscription service, PCMag reported.

Similar to Apple’s Apple One subscription, which provides for a new iPhone every year, Pixel Pass is envisioned as a combo of bundled services, as well as a monthly installment purchase on the phone, according to the report.

Signing up when the Pixel 6 devices are available on Oct. 19 would provide customers with an Android device — either a Pixel 6 or Pixel Pro — in addition to subscriptions to Google One, YouTube Premium, YouTube Music, Play Pass, as well as the option of Google Fi, the report stated. Users who opt for a Pixel Pass would receive regular device upgrades, as well as an extended warranty.

The Google Pixel 6 is expected to cost $850, according to the YouTube channel This is Tech Today, although it is not clear how much the monthly Pixel Pass subscription would cost.

Google first went phone-to-phone with Apple last year as its Pixel 4a was built in response to Apple’s iPhone SE.

Read more: Google Takes on Apple With New Pixel 4a Smartphone

Priced considerably lower than iPhones and other competing smartphones, the big push from the tech giant is driven by Google’s drive to make up lost ground in the smartphone arena. The search engine giant’s phones have lagged in popularity behind Samsung’s Android offerings and Apple’s blockbuster iPhone roster.

Only time will tell if Google’s Pixel Pass and the launch of Pixel 6 will carry the company to the level of iPhone popularity.

Meanwhile, Apple’s latest mobile device, the iPhone 12, continues its positive sales momentum. iPhone sales were up more than 37% through the first nine months of this fiscal year.

See more: Apple’s iPhone, Services Revenue Challenges Stretch Well Beyond Chip Shortages