Yesterday, Google took wraps off of the Pixel and Pixel Xl at long last, clearing up the suspicions that many have had throughout the year that Google were to do things their own way this year. While HTC is still making the Pixel and Pixel XL, they’re not involved like they were with the Nexus 9, and this marks a change of attitude for Google overall. This is the start of something big for Google, as they finally and officially become a hardware company, as well as a software one. While there’s a new Chromecast in town as well as the new Google Home speaker, the Pixel and Pixel XL will be the thing that most people want to get their hands on, and now Google have officially announced retail partners all over the world.
Of course, first up is going to be the Google Store, which now offers financing, and then in the United States the Pixel line will be available from Project Fi as well as Verizon. Project Fi customers can pre-order them now, and will get a free Daydream headset for their troubles. Starting at $27.04 a month for the Pixel with 32GB of storage and topping out at $36.20 for the 128GB Pixel XL. Best Buy will be a brick and mortar option for users as well, and they’re offering some throw-ins for those that buy it and activate it on Verizon. Across the pond in the UK, the Pixel will be available exclusively through EE as a network option, as well as Carphone Warehouse. Canadians will see Telus, Rogers, Bell and WirelessWave stock the Pixel while Australians can get them from JB Hi-Fi or Telstra. India has to wait until October 13th before they can pre-order the Pixel or Pixel XL, with Flipkart, Croma and Reliance Digital offering the phones. Right now, Germany is the only continental European nation that has confirmed availability, and only Deutsche Telekom is listed.
This is a decent array of retail partners for a launch like this, and is certainly a lot more than we’ve come to expect from a Nexus launch. Those in the United States might have been surprised to see Verizon announced as the exclusive carrier partner, but it doesn’t change the fact that the Pixel and Pixel XL will be available unlocked all over the world for use on any network they like.