Google Pixel Pass explained: What it is and how to save money on your Pixel

Everything you need to know about Google's new subscription package

Alongside the reveal of the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro last month, Google also announced its new Pixel Pass subscription. The plan comes with either of the company's latest smartphones, plus a combination of premium services, device protection, and regular upgrades. It's clear that Google is looking to go head-to-head with the likes of Apple and Samsung, who both offer similar subscription plans. But how does Pixel Pass compare and is it really worth you spending your hard-earned cash on each month? Let’s dive right into it.

What does Pixel Pass include?

If you subscribe to Pixel Pass, you'll get either the Pixel 6 or Pixel 6 Pro, as well as the following services:

• YouTube Premium — Watch ad-free and play in the background while using other apps.
  • YouTube Music Premium — Ad-free, uninterrupted listening, included as part of YouTube Premium.
• Google One (200GB) — 200 GB of cloud storage for full-resolution photos, videos, and other files, Google Store discounts, automatic phone backups, and more.
• Google Play Pass — Access to hundreds of games and apps free of ads and in-app purchases.
• Preferred Care Coverage — Hassle-free device repairs and customer support.

These are essentially Google’s biggest services rolled into one convenient subscription package, although Stadia is notable by its absence — this would have been a great way to promote the game-streaming platform. If you go with the Pixel 6, the price is $45 per month for two years, while the Pixel 6 Pro is $10 more at $55 per month.

How does it compare to Apple and Samsung’s offerings

Google's two most important smartphone rivals offer their own subscription services, although Apple’s model is more fragmented. If you’re interested in a similar deal for an iPhone plus Apple services, you’ll need to sign up for two separate subscriptions.

The first is the iPhone Upgrade Program which starts at $35.33 a month for an iPhone 13 or $49.91 for the Pro variant, payable over 24 months. This includes the AppleCare+ to help cover the costs of any repairs or replacements you might need during that period.

On top of that, you’ve got the Apple One subscription. For theIndividual plan, you’ll pay $14.95 a month for Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, and 50GB of iCloud Storage. For $29.95 a month, the Premier plan includes all of the same services, but bumps your iCloud Storage to 2TB and adds in Apple News+ and Apple Fitness+. There's also a Family plan for $19.95 that allows you to share the smaller service package with up to five others.

All-in-all, you’re looking at around $50 a month for an iPhone 13 and the cheapest Apple One plan, which most closely represents what you get from the Google Pixel Pass. For those wanting to max everything out, it'll set you back the best part of $80 a month.

Image Credit: Apple

If you want to go with Samsung for your next smartphone, Samsung Access may be of interest. This currently only includes the Galaxy Note20 series of smartphones, so if you’re after a Galaxy S21 or a foldable, you'll have to make do with the Samsung Upgrade Program.

Samsung Access includes the smartphone, Samsung Care+, 1TB of OneDrive Cloud Storage, and Microsoft 365 Personal for up to five devices including PCs and Macs. That Microsoft 365 subscription gets you Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Publisher, Access, and Skype.

All of this is going to set you back $35.18 a month, but there’s an additional cost of ‘Services added from second month onward’ totaling $11.82, bringing it up to $47 per month from month two.

When comparing Google Pixel Pass to Samsung Access, it does appear to offer a decent selection of services and the search giant’s latest hardware for a competitive price. In my opinion, Google's services add more value than Samsung Access, plus you’re getting the latest phone, not one from over a year ago at the time of writing.

Apple’s equivalent will require two separate signups to get everything you’re after, but the experiences are, of course, highly polished. You’ll also be getting exclusive content from Apple TV+, and Apple Music is arguably better than YouTube Music.

In terms of how Pixel Pass stacks up, I'd argue it’s about as good as Apple’s subscription package and surpasses Samsung's offering, but it will really come down to which ecosystem you're already tied into. That being said, there's something to be said about the actual savings you'll make over the course of two years.

Is Pixel Pass worth the money?

Whether or not the Google Pixel Pass is worth it depends on how often you actually use the services included, and whether or not you already subscribe to any of them. Depending on who your SIM is with, you may already get the likes of Google Play Pass included for a limited time, such as with Verizon’s Unlimited plans, so keep this in mind before clicking the ‘Order’ button.

When compared with separate subscriptions for each item, Pixel Pass looks like a pretty sweet deal. For individual monthly subscriptions to YouTube Premium, YouTube Music, Google One’s 200GB option, Google Play Pass & Preferred Care, you’re looking at $26.98 per month for a Pixel 6 and $28.98 for the Pixel 6 Pro. That’s without the cost of the phones on top, so when you factor that into the $45 or $55 monthly Pixel Pass price, that means you’re getting a Pixel 6 for an extra $18 a month ($432 in total) or a Pixel 6 Pro for $26 a month ($624 in total).

This equates to a $166.56 saving over two years for the Pixel 6 or a saving of $274.56 for the Pixel 6 Pro, equating to $6.94 and $11.44 per month respectively. That sounds pretty good, so long as you wish to use all of the services, but the savings do become a little less impressive if you're already paying for those subscriptions annually.

Paying yearly for the subscriptions that allow it, such as Google Play Pass and Google One's 200 GB plan, reduces the savings made to the tiniest of monthly margins. You'll then be looking at saving just $75 over two years for a Pixel 6 with Pixel Pass, or $186 for the Pro. Those figures equate to just $3.13 and $7.75 on a monthly basis, which can be quickly negated if you already have an existing family plan for YouTube Music that your whole family uses. With Pixel Pass, you'll have to cancel that family plan and go to a single-user plan. That'll leave your family in a net-negative position financially, which defeats the point of signing up to the service in the first place.

Alternatively, Pixel Pass can be purchased through Google Fi — the search giant's phone service provider — and you'll receive an additional discount if you go down this route. You'll pay $45 or $55 for the Pixel Pass, depending on which phone you go for, plus the price of whichever Fi plan you choose, but you'll get an extra $5 per month discount. This means you can get an Unlimited Google Fi plan and Pixel Pass with a Pixel 6 for $70 a month. If you're already a Fi subscriber or plan to switch over to Google's MVNO, this saving could be really handy.

Ultimately, as much as we love the services offered in Google's Pixel Pass, the savings offered here aren't the biggest, especially for those who already subscribe to what they need on the cheapest yearly plans. Still, if you're looking for the convenience of paying everything for your phone in one convenient bill, the subscription could be worth it to you. We recommend carefully figuring out whether you'll get the most from the savings by taking into account any existing family plans or whether you're already paying annually for one of the services.

The Pixel 6 and 6 Pro are among our favorite Android phones you can get right now, with excellent software features, snappy performance, superb cameras, and strong battery life as reasons they’re well worth picking up. You can check out our reviews of the Pixel 6 Pro and Pixel 6 for the full lowdowns.

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