Although not technically announced yet, the Google Pixel 5a has already taken a hit That's because Google has confirmed that the rumored low-cost device will not offer unlimited photo storage

However, this is good news for owners of the Pixel 2 through the Pixel 5 This is because these Google smartphones will continue to offer unlimited full-resolution image and video storage

Raja Ayyagari, head of Google Photos' Growth and Premium Experience division, confirmed in a tweet that starting June 1, uploads from devices other than Pixel 2-5 will count toward Google account storage He confirmed

Raja specifically mentions "future Pixel" in his post, thus providing some definitive confirmation that Google will not offer unlimited storage capabilities on future Pixel devices

According to the leaked information, the Pixel 5a release date is June 11 and will be the first Pixel device to debut after the unlimited storage offer is withdrawn This could make the entry-level smartphone a less attractive proposition compared to devices like the iPhone SE and the rumored Samsung Galaxy S21 FE

This is a considerable blow to the Pixel series, as unlimited storage has often been considered a key feature of Google phones; to promote the first Pixel in 2016, Google released a series of ads mocking Apple for the iPhone's low storage released a series of ads that mocked Apple for the iPhone's low storage capacity

While we are pleased that unlimited free cloud storage will continue to be offered to Pixel users, at least on currently released devices, the loss of this feature will almost certainly make the Pixel series less attractive in the future

Google first announced this change in storage offerings last November, confirming that once users reach 15GB of cloud storage, they will be charged to continue backing up their files

Starting in June, high-quality image files as well as Google Docs and spreadsheets will count toward the limit As such, Google appears to be rapidly retreating from its generous approach to cloud storage

While this cap is disappointing for Google, which has offered unlimited storage for five years, Google still offers quite a bit more storage for free than, for example, Apple's iCloud service, which starts charging for just 5GB

Google claims that 80% of Google Photo users will not reach the 15GB cap for at least three years, so they are clearly betting on the fact that this change will only affect a minority of Pixel users

If you're looking to increase your storage, check out our selection of the best cloud storage options you can sign up for right now