Google says Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro users will get free access to Google One's VPN service later in 2022, but other Google One features will require subscribing
Context & Ripple Effects
Google had first tied its VPN to the 2TB Google One tier, then bundled Google One into the Pixel Pass subscription for Pixel 6 buyers. The Pixel 7 offer separates one security feature from the broader Google One package, making it a handset entitlement rather than a general membership benefit.
Later coverage shows the split proved durable: Google ended the wider Google One VPN for lack of use while preserving a free VPN for eligible Pixel phones. That makes this announcement an early move in defining the VPN as a Pixel differentiator.
First-order effects
- Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro users gain Google One VPN access without subscribing, while access to Google One’s other features remains behind a paid plan.
- Google can market a device-specific security benefit without extending the rest of its Google One bundle to non-subscribers.
Second-order effects
- Pixel Pass’s bundled Google One access becomes less differentiated on VPN alone, shifting its value toward the remaining services and hardware-upgrade terms.
- Google One’s paid tiers retain a clearer reason to charge for storage and other features, rather than using VPN access as the principal membership boundary.
Third-order effects
- The later retirement of the Google One VPN service and retention of a Pixel VPN point to security utilities being used more selectively as hardware benefits than as standalone subscription hooks.
- If that pattern holds, Google’s service bundles will increasingly reserve broadly useful features for device ecosystems while concentrating paid plans on benefits not already granted with hardware.
The trend: Google is separating device-linked perks from subscription bundles, using selected services to reinforce Pixel ownership while preserving paid Google One tiers for the broader package.