The millimeter wave tax is now $50.
They did it again—AT&T and Verizon will be selling two different models of Google’s new Pixel 6a phone. The difference is millimeter-wave 5G – a change which makes Verizon’s unit $50 more expensive than AT&T’s. Verizon says its Pixel 6a, coming on July 21, will support all three layers of its 5G network and will cost $499. AT&T, on the other hand, says its Pixel 6a will support « mid-band 5G+ » and cost $449. (T-Mobile hasn’t announced a Pixel 6a yet.) The direct-sale model will also cost $449, according to Google’s announcement, so that Google model probably also won’t have millimeter-wave. The AT&T and unlocked models may also include new mid-band 5G capabilities based on airwaves AT&T is activating later this year, but AT&T did not confirm that to us. Millimeter-wave is the fastest and shortest-range form of 5G, but since it was introduced a few years ago, it’s consistently made phones more expensive.
