Pixels have always had amazing cameras. A part of the camera experience involves saving the image in its original form, not to lose quality, which is why Pixel users were entitled to unlimited photo storage on Google Photos without the usual compression shenanigans. This was true for all three Pixels, and it appears that Google is pulling the plug on that program starting with the Pixel 4. We can say for certain as it was advertised with all previous releases, but the Pixel 4 listing on Google's website has no mention of it.
The only other Pixel device that didn't come with free, unlimited Google Photos storage was the Pixel 3A. Then again, those devices cost less than half of what the Pixel 4 does, so it was understandable. The Google Pixel 4 starts at $799, and the XL version is $899, which is not cheap.
Here's why Google pulled the plug on unlimited Photos storage
Not too long ago, Google announced the release of Google One, its cross-platform cloud storage solution. It is meant to replace Drive (eventually) and works across all Google products. The Pixel 4 does, however, come with a free three-month Google One subscription that gets you 100GB of storage. After the promotion is over, the plan costs $1.99 per month. Google is indirectly trying to edge Pixel users towards a monthly Google One subscription.
Now, Google One does have its benefits. Along with cross-platform storage, you get dedicated support, family sharing for up to five people and as well as extras on other Google products, including credits on Google Play or deals on hotels through Google Search. The service has its benefits but it is in no way a substitute for what the previous Pixels had to offer. One can argue that the images outputted by the Pixel cameras aren't that large, so they can do with the 'limited' storage.
About the author: Anil has been a lifelong tech enthusiast and has worked a variety of jobs before joining the Wccftech team in 2018. His primary responsibilities include reporting on all things in the Android and mobile gaming sphere. He is also passionate about PC hardware, obscure music and internet culture. He also has a thing for addressing himself in third person as an exercise in self-awareness.
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