Google’s hardware department shifted gears in 2016 with the launch of the first Pixel and Pixel XL handsets. The company went to great lengths to emphasize that these handsets were “Made by Google.” The Pixel lineup replaced Google’s Nexus smartphone series and has quickly established itself in the premium segment of the market. The devices that started it all, the original Pixel and Pixel XL, are no longer available for purchase from the Google Store.
Google launched the successor to its Pixel smartphones in 2017 but it kept selling the 2016 models after the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL were released. However, it appears that the company may have run out of stock or has just simply decided that it won’t sell the original models anymore.
In a bid to move more units after the successor was launched, the company decided to cut the price of the Pixel and Pixel XL but despite that, the devices started at $549. Customers who just paid $100 more could get themselves the Pixel 2 instead and that’s probably what most of them did anyway.
You won’t find the original Pixel devices on the Google Store if you search for them now. Even the landing page for those handsets simply redirects visitors to the phone category on the store which contains links for the Pixel 2 and its accessories.