Google recently started sending out invites for its next Made by Google event, scheduled for August 12. The Pixel 11 series is expected to headline the show, and if the latest pricing leak is accurate, buyers may need to prepare for a higher starting price this year.
According to Dealabs, the Pixel 11 lineup will no longer start at 128GB. Google is reportedly making 256GB the new base storage across the Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, Pixel 11 Pro XL, and Pixel 11 Pro Fold. Prices also appear to be going up by 100 euros across the board.
So, what is actually changing?
The regular Pixel 11 is listed at 999 euros for the 256GB model, while the Pixel 11 Pro reportedly starts at 1,199 euros. The Pixel 11 Pro XL is listed at 1,399 euros, and the Pixel 11 Pro Fold starts at 1,999 euros.
Compared to the Pixel 10 series, the entry price appears to be around 100 euros higher for the Pixel 11 and Pixel 11 Pro. The catch is that Google is also offering 256GB storage as the new base configuration, instead of 128GB.
There is another way to look at it. Compared against the 256GB launch prices of the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro, the leaked Pixel 11 and Pixel 11 Pro prices are unchanged. Google may not be charging more for the same storage on those two models. It may simply be removing the cheaper 128GB option and making 256GB the new starting point.
The Pixel 11 Pro XL and Pixel 11 Pro Fold look less forgiving, though. Those models appear to be getting a flat 100-euro increase across all storage options.
Why is Google doing it?
Other companies have also used this strategy as component costs rise. Apple recently removed the 256GB Mac mini from its lineup, effectively raising the cheapest available Mac mini from $599 to $799 without calling it a price hike.
For Google, the benefit is fairly clear. If RAM and NAND storage chips are getting more expensive, selling a cheaper 128GB model becomes less attractive. Instead of raising the price of that version, Google can remove it and make the 256GB model the entry point.
For buyers, it still means paying more upfront. But they are also getting more storage, which makes the increase easier to digest than a straight price hike for the same configuration. It also simplifies the lineup. Fewer storage options mean fewer variants to manufacture, ship, stock, and promote, which can help protect margins.
At this point, price hikes across consumer electronics are starting to look unavoidable. Apple has already raised prices on some products, and the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro models are also rumored to get significantly more expensive. Google’s approach may be one of the less painful ways to handle the increase, at least for the Pixel 11 and Pixel 11 Pro.
Reality makes for some stellar storytelling. If you’re looking to stream movies that are based on true events, Netflix has an extensive collection of biographical-style dramas that go beyond your typical selection of documentaries.
From historical tragedies to stories of resilience and ambition, these films bring some notable real-life events to your screen. Here are five Netflix Original movies that feature strong performances, storytelling, and visuals that you need to add to your watch list for the week.
The Two Popes
The path ahead is forged by this pair
Credit: Netflix
The Two Popes is an incredible film that is based on one of the most memorable recent transitions in modern Catholic Church history, led by strong performances from Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce.
Inspired by real conversations and events surrounding Pope Benedict XVI and the future Pope Francis, The Two Popes follows Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio as he travels to Rome and plans to resign from the Church. Instead, he finds himself pulled into a series of personal and philosophical conversations with Pope Benedict, who is struggling with his doubts about leadership and the future of Catholicism. The character focus of the movie keeps you hooked despite the mellow pace, with Hopkins’ and Pryce’s chemistry making for an impeccable watch.
The Two Popes received nominations at the Academy Awards, Golden Globes, and British Academy Film Awards.
Society of the Snow
Hope is within the group
One of Netflix’s most notable, foreign-language survival thrillers is Society of the Snow. Based on the real 1972 Andes plane crash, the Spanish movie follows a Uruguayan rugby team whose flight crashes deep in the snow-covered mountains, leaving the survivors stranded for weeks in brutal freezing conditions. As supplies start to run out and hope fades, the group is forced to make some unimaginable decisions just to survive.
The thriller was shot mainly in Sierra Nevada, Spain, and features some phenomenal filmmaking. Although survival is a core element of the movie, it also highlights the grit and humanity of the party amid a disastrous situation, alongside the grim reality. Society of the Snow received two Academy Award nominations for Best International Feature Film and Best Makeup and Hairstyling.
The Good Nurse
The case of a prolific, unexpected killer
Credit: JoJo Whilden/Netflix
The Good Nurse was haunting to watch at night, but it’s a thriller that has stayed with me for years. The crime drama tells the true story of Charles Cullen, a nurse and serial killer who was responsible for the deaths of dozens of patients across multiple hospitals in the United States. The film is based on the 2013 true-crime book of the same name by Charles Graeber.
What’s fascinating about the movie is that, instead of giving us Cullen’s perspective, the story unfolds from the POV of Amy Loughren, a single mother and ICU nurse who was key in Cullen’s confession and eventual conviction. As his new co-worker, her suspicions build over the course of the movie after she starts noticing something strange about his patients. The Good Nurse also does a good job of touching on another vital aspect of the case, the hospital’s negligence.
Jessica Chastain and Eddie Redmayne drive the movie with incredibly controlled performances. To know more about the real case, you can also check out the Netflix documentary Capturing the Killer Nurse.
Mudbound
Life after war is never easy
Credit: Steve Dietl/Netflix
The (mandatory) war film addition to this list is Mudbound, a Netflix exclusive that stands out for its incredible character-focused storytelling. The story is set in rural Mississippi after World War II and follows two veterans, one Black and one white, whose lives become intertwined while working on the same farmland. The soldiers and their families deal with the PTSD of war in their own ways. Mudbound explores themes like racism, trauma, class divides, and poverty through its gripping plot.
Directed by Dee Rees, the film received four Academy Award nominations, including Best Supporting Actress, Best Original Song, and Best Adapted Screenplay. It became the first Netflix movie ever nominated for Best Cinematography — Rachel Morrison became the first woman nominated in the category. It also earned two Golden Globe nominations.
Nyad
An impossible feat is nothing for this resilient athlete
Credit: Liz Parkinson/Netflix
If you’re in the mood for a sports thriller and a true story, don’t skip NYAD. This biographical drama follows marathon swimmer Diana Nyad and her attempt to complete the seemingly impossible 110-mile swim from Cuba to Florida without a shark cage. The film takes place years after Nyad initially gave up on the challenge.
The athlete decides in her sixties that she wants a final shot at achieving the record-breaking swim and sets her mind on the incredible goal. Alongside her best friend and coach, Bonnie Stoll, Nyad begins preparing for the physically exhausting journey while facing dangerous weather, exhaustion, and many failed attempts. NYAD is led by Annette Bening and Jodie Foster, with both actors receiving nominations for Best Actress and Supporting Actress, respectively, at the 96th Academy Awards and the 81st Golden Globe Awards.
More Netflix options
Want to explore more biographies and titles inspired by true events? You can explore Netflix’s list of secret codes to filter out and find titles according to genres, tropes, and languages. Netflix’s release schedule for the summer also includes some exciting titles, so keep an eye out for that.
Subscription with ads
Yes, $8/month
Simultaneous streams
Two or four
Stream licensed and original programming with a monthly Netflix subscription.
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.