This $315 Google Pixel deal is too good to last [Update 2]

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We may be waiting for Google to unveil the Pixel 3, but if you're looking for a new phone on a budget – or need a test device for the upcoming Android P public beta – there are some impressive deals today on the first-gen Pixel. The original Google Pixel may have launched in 2016, but it still has plenty to recommend it, not least the camera.

You have two options, depending on whether you're on a super-strict budget or if you can splash out on a little more storage. Those who want the absolute cheapest deal can find the Google Pixel 32GB for $314.49, a fairly huge 52-percent saving over the regular price.

That gets you a smartphone you can use on both GSM and CDMA carriers, so AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and more. There's a 12.3-megapixel camera on the back, and though you only get a single sensor – rather than, say, the two sensors on an iPhone X – Google's clever computational photography can still deliver things like portrait mode. On the front is a 5-inch Full HD AMOLED display.

If you'd rather spend a little more, there's the Google Pixel 128GB version. The only difference here is four times the amount of storage, for which you'll pay $399.99. [Update: looks like B&H has run out of promotional stock, because the price is back to a hefty $849.] Either way there's a Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor and 4GB of RAM, together with a 2,770 mAh battery.

Update 2: In a new addition to the deal, if you're looking for the Pixel 128GB you can now find that for $398.95.

What you don't get, though, is a microSD card. Instead, Google would rather you use cloud storage to add to the phone's onboard capacity. Google Drive, for instance, gets you 15 GB just for signing up, without any sort of subscription. As for images, Google Photos includes unlimited storage of your shots, together with easy ways to clear off backed-up photos from your phone. In short, 32GB of onboard storage needn't be too big a handicap.

As with any sale, there's no guarantee as to how long this pricing will last – or indeed how many handsets are available. Those with more patience and a need for the cutting-edge in smartphones, meanwhile, might want to wait for Google to unveil the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL. That's expected to happen sometime in the next few months, with at least one of the handsets likely to adopt the controversial "notched" display layout that has proved divisive this year.

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