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- Price, Release Date, and Availability
- New Features and Specifications
The Google Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro are among the best smartphones currently available. But a year has already passed since the Pixel 7 series was introduced, and now it’s time for the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro. The company has already shared the invitation for its ‘Made by Google’ event for October 4, 2023, where it is expected to announce the Pixel 8 series and Pixel Watch 2.
Ahead of the event, a number of leaks about the Pixel 8 series, including the smartphones’ specifications, price, features, and availability, has surfaced. And in this article, we collected our thoughts, official information, and the leaks that we have of the upcoming Google Pixel 8 Pro flagship device.
Price, Release Date, and Availability
Google has been offering flagship smartphones at relatively reasonable prices for about two years now. The Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 started at $599, while the higher-end Pro models began at $899. However, based on leaks, the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro might be a bit more expensive, possibly $50 to $100 higher than the previous models.
Aryan Surendranath / Pocketnow
Google Pixel 7a
According to a recent leak from TheTechOutlook, the Pixel 8 could start at €874.25 (~$942) in Europe, while the Pixel 8 Pro will reportedly cost €1,235 (~$1,331). This means we are in for a major price hike in the Europe, while in the US, we could see a $50-$100 price increase on both the models. Let’s not overlook the fact that Google needs to present the Pixel 7a as a budget-friendly option, priced at $499 in the US and €500 in Europe.
Regarding availability, Google is anticipated to unveil the Pixel 8 series on October 4, and if past patterns hold true, they could become generally available from October 11. As for regions, the Pixel 7 is accessible in 17 countries, but the Pixel 8 series might expand to four more regions, including Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, and Portugal.
Design and Display
Google gave the Pixel smartphones a distinct design with the Pixel 6 series, and this trend is expected to continue with the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro. This means you will get a glass-metal sandwich build with a camera visor along the back. However, there are subtle variations. This time, the phone will boast slightly rounder corners in comparison to the Pixel 7 Pro.
Moreover, there will be a single “pill” to house all the three cameras on the back, which is a change from the Pixel 7 Pro that had a separate space for the telephoto lens. Moreover, the leaked renders (via OnLeaks), and the official Google Pixel 8 renders that were shared accidentally, show that there is an additional sensor present under the camera flash, but we’ll delve into that later. And finally, the most noticeable change here will be that the display is flat.
While both the Pixel 6 Pro and Pixel 7 Pro had curved displays, Google seems to be shifting away from this design for the Pixel 8 Pro. Nonetheless, the device’s dimensions will mostly stay the same as the Pixel 7 Pro, despite the switch to a flat screen. Speaking of display, it will remain the same at 6.7-inch, with a 120Hz refresh rate, the same QHD+ resolution, and now an increased peak brightness of 1,600 nits.
New Features and Specifications
Turning our attention to the performance of the Pixel 8 Pro, Google has been using its own Tensor G-series chips for the Pixel smartphones for the past few years, and this year is said to be the same. Reports indicate that the Pixel 8 Pro will be powered by the Tensor G3 chipset, reportedly based on the never-officially-released Samsung Exynos 2300 processor. Leaks suggest this chipset will feature a CPU setup of 1+4+4, comprising a Cortex-X3 (3.05GHz), four Cortex-A715 cores (2.45GHz), and four Cortex-A510 cores (2.15GHz).
The Tensor G3 is expected to include ten-core graphics cores, possibly supporting ray tracing. Additionally, it may offer the latest AV1 video encoding, a first for smartphones. Unfortunately, the modem is expected to remain the same, so the cellular issues from the Pixel 7 series might persist in the Pixel 8 series. On the hardware front, you can anticipate a base configuration of 12GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage, similar to the Pixel 7 Pro.
A notable new hardware addition to the Pixel 8 Pro is a thermometer sensor on the back. Leaks suggest this will be an IR thermometer that you can bring close to your forehead, and the phone will provide feedback through sounds and vibrations to measure body or object temperature. While there isn’t much information available about this thermometer sensor on the Pixel 8 Pro at the moment, more details are expected at the official launch.
Software-wise, the Pixel 8 series is expected to run Android 14 out of the box. Rumors also hint at Google extending Android support for the Pixel 8 series, offering four years of major OS updates. A new software feature that was leaked is the “Audio Magic Eraser,” which will reportedly allow users to remove unwanted audio from the background of the video.
Google Pixel 8 Pro
Display 6.7-inch, QHD+, AMOLED, 120Hz, 1600 nits (peak), Flat
SoC Tensor G3, Titan security chip
RAM 12GB (LPDDR5)
Storage 128GB, 256GB, 512GB
Battery 4,950 mAh
Charging 27W wired, 23W wireless
Ports USB-C
Operating System Android 14
Main Camera 50 MP (Samsung GN2)
Wide-Angle Camera 64 MP
Telephoto 48 MP, 5x optical zoom
Front camera 11 MP
Colors Jade, Licorice, Porcelain, and Sky
IP Rating IP68
Camera
Photography has always been a strong point of Pixel phones, and the Pixel 8 is set to make it even better. Google is planning significant upgrades for both the hardware and software of the Pixel 8 Pro. The most substantial improvement is expected to come to the main camera sensor, which will be upgraded to Samsung’s 50MP ISOCELL GN2. This new sensor captures more light (about 35% more) and could enable the Pixel 8 Pro to record 8K video at 30fps and support Staggered HDR.
Additionally, the Pixel 8 Pro’s ultra-wide camera sensor might receive a boost from 12MP to a new 64MP Sony IMX787. There are also rumors of a new Time-of-Flight (ToF) sensor, which should enhance auto-focus capabilities. The telephoto sensor, however, is expected to remain the same, offering up to 5x optical zoom.
On the software side, Google is said to be revamping the Camera app for Pixel phones, introducing a new user interface with clear functions and making some hidden features more accessible. We’ll explore the camera software in more detail when it officially launches next month.
Battery & Charging
In terms of battery hardware, the Pixel 8 Pro is said to rock the same 5,000 mAh battery as the predecessor. We’re content with the battery life on the Pixel 7 Pro, and we anticipate a similar performance from the Pixel 8 Pro.
There’s a slight improvement in charging speed, with wired charging increasing from 23W to 27W. Although this is slower than the Samsung S23 Ultra’s 45W charging, it represents a bump up from the Pixel 7 Pro. As for wireless charging, it’s expected to remain at the same 23W.
So, that’s everything we have on the Pixel 8 Pro for now. Keep coming back to this page for updates as we get closer to the launch.
