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Pixel Pass could be Google's Apple One rival that comes with a phone

By JC Torres/

The Pixel 6 phones are just over a week away, and there is admittedly some excitement over Google's next smartphones. More than just the devices themselves, however, the Pixel 6 almost represents a new strategy for Google in terms of design, price, and marketing. It might even have a new way for people to buy and maintain a Pixel phone, which is probably going to sound a lot like what Apple is already offering. What will separate this Pixel Pass from Apple One, however, is that Google's bundle revolves around the phone rather than the services.

It isn't exactly surprising to find out that Google might be eying giving the Apple One some competition. After all, the tech giant does have a lot of services rivaling Apple's products, including some subscription services. For example, it has Play Pass that targets the same mobile gaming market as Apple Arcade does.

Pixel Pass, which could be easily confused with the gaming-centric Play Pass, can be compared almost too easily with Apple One. After all, both bundle first-party services, with Pixel Pass putting Google One, Play Pass, and YouTube premium under one roof. Other than the variety of content and products included under those subscriptions, the key difference between Apple's and Google's bundles is that the latter requires you purchase a Pixel device first.

M. Brandon Lee of This Is Tech Today shares what seems to be a slide instructing customer representatives how to direct buyers when purchasing a Pixel phone. It describes Pixel Pass as a "mobile-focused subscription bundle" that includes the Pixel phone, the aforementioned services, and an extended device warranty. In contrast, Apple One is all about the company's content-centric services and cloud storage.

While an interesting idea, the fine print implies that Pixel Pass will be limited to new Pixel phone buyers unless Google later makes it available for purchase after the fact. It might also be limited to the US, which wouldn't be surprising either. At the moment, no price has been leaked yet, but it could easily add a $50 on top of the expected $799 and $1,099 price tags for the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, respectively.

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