Except, is the Pixel actually cheaper? Maybe this year with the bump up in prices for the iPhone, but as I recall the Pixel 2 was actually more expensive than the iPhone (in particular, priced the same but with less flash storage).
2016: Pixel -> $649; iPhone 7 -> $649; iPhone 7 Plus -> $749; Pixel XL -> $769
2017: Pixel 2 -> $649; iPhone 8 -> $649; iPhone 8 Plus -> $749; Pixel 2 XL -> $849; iPhone X -> $999
2018: iPhone XR -> $749; Pixel 3 -> $799; Pixel 3 XL -> $899; iPhone X -> $999; iPhone X Max -> $1099
To balance that, they only promise three years of software updates. It'd be treated as an absolute scandal if an iPhone was dropped that quickly.