The first smartphones running Android 14, the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, are the next high-end smartphones from Google. Specs, design, photo enhancements, price and availability: here’s everything we know about them.
Credits: @OnLeaks and SmartPrix
Credits: @OnLeaks and SmartPrixTechnological showcases of the Android ecosystem, smartphones from Google’s Pixel series are eagerly awaited every year. While the Mountain View company has opted for continuity with its Pixel 7 series, Pixel 8s are expected at the turn after the Pixel 6s that revolutionized the brand. On the program we expect design developments, even more impressive photo and video capabilities and a new generation custom chip.
How much does the Pixel 8 cost?
We don’t yet know what the price of the Pixel 8 will be, and it’s likely that Google itself has yet to set the final price for its devices, which depends on both production and economic and financial conditions. Since Pixels don’t have the same appeal to the general public as iPhones or Samsung’s Galaxy S, Google should continue with its price control strategy and not jump into the ultra-premium race. The company is also one of the few well-known manufacturers who do not market smartphones above the symbolic price of 1000 euros. We estimate that the Pixel 8 will sell for the same price or a little more than its predecessors, of which here are the prices announced when they were released:
- Pixel 7 (128GB RAM): 649€
- Pixel 7 (256GB RAM): 7th49€
- Pixel 7 Pro (128GB RAM): €899
- Pixel 7 Pro (256GB RAM): €999
When is the Pixel 8 coming out?
Google hasn’t shared an exact release date for the Pixel 8, but it’s been on the same schedule for many years. We can therefore count on an official and complete presentation of the smartphone in early October, for availability around mid-October. Last year, to anticipate leaks, the American giant surprised everyone by revealing the design of the Pixel 7 during the Google I/O conference in May. It is quite possible that the manufacturer will do it again, and we already have a date for the event: Google I/O 2023 will take place on May 10th.
What design changes for the Pixel 8?
In 2021, Google had revised its formula and adopted a brand new, very original design for its Pixel 6. The Pixel 7 then took the same base and made a few changes. The Pixel 8 will continue on the path it started two years ago, with a few differentiating elements standing out, including a major modification.
According to multiple sources, the Pixel 8 will be a more compact smartphone than the Pixel 7. Dimensions are reported as 150.5 x 70.8 x 8.9mm for the new model, versus 155.6 x 73.2 x 8.7mm for the previous generation. So we lose both height and width with a slight increase in thickness. To offer a smaller product, Google would simply reduce the screen size, which could go from 6.3 to 5.8 inches. A choice that seems surprising: in 2023, only a few smartphones will be equipped with a screen diagonal of less than 6 inches. Apple also abandoned its iPhone Mini with the 14 series following disappointing sales of its iPhone 12 Mini and iPhone 13 Mini. At the top, only the Asus ZenFone 9 comes to mind.
Photo credit: OnLeaks
A possible explanation for this decision to make the Pixel 8 more compact is that we are dealing with a transitional generation. According to the Android Authority, Google should revise its strategy with the Pixel 9 series and launch three models: a Pixel 9, which is as compact as the Pixel 8 (5.8 inches), a 6.3-inch Pixel 9 Pro, as the Pixel 7 was, and finally a Pixel 9 Pro. The Pixel 9 Pro Max picks up the dimensions of the Pixel 7 Pro (6.7 inches).
The Pixel 8’s screen would be completely flat and surrounded by thinner bezels than the Pixel 7. While the trend towards flat edges is making a comeback among other manufacturers, the Pixel 8 should remain very rounded and curved. The front camera is housed in a hole positioned in the axis of the screen. On the back is the famous horizontal photoblock that’s what makes the latest Pixels so special and shouldn’t change much compared to the Pixel 7.
The Pixel 8 Pro also gets a design overhaul. It would measure 162.6mm x 76.5mm x 8.7mm, a loss of a few mm for each side, and its screen would be closer to the 6.52-inch than the Pixel 7 Pro’s 6.7-inch. The screen would no longer be curved, but flat like the standard model. In addition, the smartphone and especially the corners of the device are much more rounded than the Pixel 7 Pro took on a rectangular shape. The island with the photo sensors on the back is also undergoing some modifications: the three main optics are now combined in one pill, with the LED flash and a fourth module to the right of it.
Both smartphones are waterproof and dustproof according to the IP68 standard. They consist of an aluminum frame and a glass front and back. Biometric authentication is via an under-screen optical fingerprint reader.
Smaller screens, but what else?
As we just hinted at, this year the screens of the phones in the series will be smaller: 5.8 inches for the Pixel 8 and 6.52 inches for the Pixel 8 Pro, ie a sharp drop for the former and a less pronounced drop for the latter. The Pixel 8 panel also sheds a few pixels in passing, switching to a 2268 x 1080p resolution instead of 2400 x 1080p. But given the new diagonal of the device, the resolution will also be slightly higher. The Pixel 8 Pro would enjoy a resolution of 2822 x 1344 pixels, which again is lower than the Pixel 8 Pro’s Quad HD+ (3120 x 1440p).
Credits: @OnLeaks and SmartPrix
This drop in display quality could find a better balance with the refresh rate, which adaptively hits up to 90Hz on the Pixel 7 and up to 120Hz on the Pixel 7 Pro. With the latter in particular, enabling 120Hz and 1440p could result in a sharp drop in battery life, and oftentimes you had to forego one of the two. In any case, both models rely on compatibility with the HDR10+ standard.
What performance for the Tensor G3 SoC?
Unsurprisingly, Google sticks to its own chips based on Samsung’s architecture for its smartphones. The Pixel 8 Tensor G3 is an overhauled version of the Exynos 2300, a SoC that is not currently embedded in any smartphone. The chip uses a 4nm engraving, compared to 5nm for the Tensor G2, which is said to contribute to better energy efficiency. The CPU would consist of a very powerful Cortex-X3 core clocked at up to 3.09 GHz, combined with three Cortex-A715 cores clocked at 2.65 GHz and four Cortex-A510 cores clocked at 1 clock speed of 2.1 GHz for lighter tasks. The graphics part is entrusted to an Xclipse 930 GPU, developed in collaboration with Samsung and AMD and based on the RDNA architecture of the latter. Other reports mention an Exynos 2300 with nine cores instead of eight and engraved in 3nm, which could impact the Tensor G3 if confirmed.
The Tensor G3 will likely be less powerful than Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, currently the best SoC on the market that will power many high-end smartphones from the first half of 2023. But Google has never tried to be the first brute force, preferring to use optimization, software and artificial intelligence to get out of the game. The Tensor G3 is also said to use a particularly powerful NPU to boost all the functionalities around AI.
Photo credit: OnLeaks
Samsung’s 5G G5300 modem should be responsible for the connectivity of Pixel 8. This component is already in the terminals of the Pixel 7 series RAM and we should have two variants with 128 and 256 GB of UFS 3.1 storage for each model.
What autonomy to expect from the Pixel 8?
As always, we should await the first smartphone tests to have a clear idea of their real autonomy, since it depends on optimizations and various factors. The move to a fine engraving of 4nm should theoretically reduce the energy consumption of the Pixel 8 and therefore increase its autonomy, but we can also fear a decrease in battery capacity since the format of the two phones will be more compact.
Don’t expect miracles when it comes to charging performance. Google is one of the conservative manufacturers in this regard. Compared to what Chinese brands offer, we can even speak of slow charging, with a Pixel 7 Pro that doesn’t support more than 30W. Hopefully we are entitled to improvements on this new generation. Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro are compatible with the Wireless charging.
Pixel 8: Still great photophones?
Google Pixels are known for their excellent photo skills. If the technical specifications of the Pixel 8 photo sensors are not yet known, we already have hints and information about upcoming new features. In leaked renders of the Pixel 8 Pro we see a fourth lens, which did not exist in its predecessors. The bets are on its role in the device’s gadget, which already includes a main sensor, an ultra-wide-angle and a telephoto lens. It could be a depth sensor for portrait mode, a macro lens to get better very close shots, or why not a periscope lens for more efficient optical zooms.
Credits: @OnLeaks and SmartPrix
Both smartphones could support one new way of HDR recording‘ he said, stunned. This technology uses a long exposure followed by a short exposure. The rolling shutter effect moves the sensor from top to bottom, allowing the short exposure to be activated even before the long exposure is complete. In particular, this technique makes it possible to generate fewer artifacts in moving HDR scenes, since only one frame has to be managed. Currently, Google’s HDR is created by spontaneously taking a series of photos that are used to composite a wide dynamic range image.
What’s interesting is that the main photo sensor on the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, the Samsung Isocell GN1, doesn’t support scaled HDR. This means that Google should change the main looks of its phones for the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro. The Isocell GN2 could take its place in a compatible way, which also offers better autofocus thanks to phase detection, which is more sensitive to horizontal movements.
An update to the Google Camera app suggests the Pixel 8 Pro could be entitled to a improved night mode thanks to the Super Res Zoom technology introduced on the Pixel 7. The technique, which consists in taking the photo of the same scene with two sensors at the same time and then composing them by artificial intelligence and thus obtaining a more detailed shot, would be carried over to the night mode, very useful when the lighting conditions are not optimal.
This generation could take advantage of another option introduced but enriched with the Pixel 7. The latter have a photo defocusing function that allows you to save the shots taken on the spot or with a missed focus. The Google Photos app code tells us that the Pixel 8 can blur videos as well as photos. It is also possible to apply a specific number of filters to your videos to give them a more distinct style.
Android 14 and updates
Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro will be the first smartphones to launch natively with Android 14, the next major version of the mobile operating system. In addition to security improvements and various optimizations, the update brings new functions and design changes. On the agenda: a predictive back gesture, anti-AV1 video codec support, NTFS file system compatibility, blocking of outdated applications, better management of permissions, a new (yet) volume control and much more.
In general, Google also reserves exclusive functions for its new pixels. This could also be the case with the blurring of videos using Google Photos, which was mentioned earlier Satellite Emergency Callsa service the Mountain View company has been working on for months.
At least Google promises three major Android updates and five years of security tracking and patching for its Pixel phones.