The reality is that these seem a natural evolution of the phones Google has produced for years, and really not even that dramatic a departure historically from the Nexus approach. While we all like to think of Nexus phones as being highly affordable, things weren't always this way. The Nexus One and Nexus S retailed for $530 way back when. The Galaxy Nexus was $650 on Verizon. It wasn't until the Nexus 4 that the value pricing model came into play in a big way, and even so, the Nexus 6 broke that trend in 2014. The Nexus 5X and 6P are fresh in the minds of fans and so too, then, is the pricing model Google unveiled with them last year. This year, things are quite different, and that has understandably caused tempers to flare. More money for a Google phone? Some people find the idea itself entirely indefensible, even if the Pixel and Pixel XL delivered specifications well beyond what was even possible today.