Survey reveals Japan's Pixel 8 price ranks second lowest among 20 global markets

On November 21, MM Research Institute unveiled the findings of its comprehensive ‘Global Pixel Sales Price Survey’, offering a deep dive into the selling prices of Google’s latest Pixel 8 series across 20 global markets. This survey focused on the Google Store prices, converting them to JPY and comparing them using the respective exchange rates. Pixel 8 price tag in Japan trail only Australia in global survey.

The list of countries/regions surveyed:

• Japan
• Taiwan
• Singapore
• Australia
• United States
• Canada
• United Kingdom
• Switzerland
• Portugal
• Denmark
• Norway
• Sweden
• Germany/Austria/France/Spain/Netherlands/Italy/Belgium/Ireland (Same selling price)
• Puerto Rico (Pixel 7a only)

Let’s kick off with the Pixel 8 series, the newest addition to Google’s smartphone lineup. Priced at JPY 112,900 ($755) in Japan, it takes the honorable second spot for affordability, trailing only behind Australia. Remarkably, it’s about JPY 9,624 ($64) cheaper than the average price in other surveyed countries.

Zooming in, Sweden claims the crown for the highest Pixel 8 price at JPY 129,595 ($867), a staggering JPY 16,695 ($112) more than in Japan. The trend emerges as lower prices in the United States and East Asia, contrasting with the heftier tags in European countries.

Now, let’s unfold the story of the Pixel Fold, Google’s foray into the world of foldable smartphones. In Japan, it boasts the most budget-friendly price of JPY 253,000 ($1693) among the four targeted countries: United States, United Kingdom, Germany, and Japan. The average price for non-Japanese markets stood at JPY 280,130 ($1874) in May, rising to JPY 302,352 ($2023) by October, creating a nearly JPY 50,000 ($334) gap. The UK claims the crown for the highest price, escalating from JPY 296,411 ($1983) in May to JPY 318,000 ($2127) in October.

Shifting focus to the Pixel 7a, Japan claims the lowest selling price of JPY 62,700 ($419) among the targeted countries. Comparing rates from May to October, the average for non-Japanese markets rose by about JPY 10,000 ($67) to JPY 78,528 ($525), emphasizing Japan’s cost advantage. Denmark stands out with the highest price of JPY 78,412 ($524) in May, escalating to JPY 83,313 ($557) in October.

This survey goes beyond prices, delving into the ease of purchasing the Pixel 8 with the introduction of the ‘Pixel Index’. Despite Japan ranking second in price affordability, the Pixel Index reveals a different story. Considering Japan’s economic context and exchange rates, the Pixel Index positions Japan as the third most burdensome country for purchasing a Pixel 8.

Portugal (4.2%) and Spain (2.70%) top the list with higher indexes than Japan. In contrast, Switzerland (0.77%), Singapore (0.98%), and the United States (1.00%) present the friendliest purchasing environments. Australia, with the lowest rate, still secures a commendable fifth place at 1.29%.

Shifting gears to the domestic front, Google’s Pixel series commands a noteworthy 12.4% share in the Japanese smartphone market, as per a survey of first-half 2023 shipments. This marks a substantial 10-point increase from the same period the previous year, catapulting Google ahead of Sony’s Xperia series to claim the fourth spot overall and the third position in the Android realm.

One contributing factor to this surge is the introduction of the Pixel 7a by Docomo, a move backed by Google’s strategic support for N79, the frequency band utilized by Docomo. The company’s concerted efforts to bolster the Pixel series suggest a clear intention to expand Android’s market share, although the shift is yet to dent the dominance of Apple’s iPhone.

Inline images source: news.mynavi.jp