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Google has just taken the wraps (officially) off of the Pixel 8 series. And well, the leaks were basically right here. Which is pretty common for Google, but these are still two very incredible phones, and definitely worth checking out.
The Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro are both getting big display upgrades this year. No not in resolution or size, but in refresh rate and brightness. This year, the Pixel 8 is getting a nice upgrade to a 120Hz display. It’s not a LTPO display, so you’re stuck with 60Hz or 120Hz. While the Pixel 8 Pro sticks with a LTPO display that can go from 1Hz to 120Hz. But the bigger change here is the brightness. Google is using what they call “Actua Display” here which allows the Pixel 8 series to get incredibly bright, which seems to be a trend lately.
Pixel 8 is able to do up to 1400 nits of brightness for HDR, and up 2000 nits peak brightness. The Pixel 8 Pro takes that up a notch to 1600 nits for HDR and 2400 nits of peak brightness.
Inside, both phones are running on the Google Tensor G3 processor, with 8GB and 12GB of RAM respectively. They will both start with 128GB of storage, with a 256GB option for the Pixel 8. While Pixel 8 Pro gets a 256GB, 512GB and a 1TB option in the US. Outside of the US, that’s going to be 256GB and 512GB only.
Battery capacities on both phones got a slight upgrade this year too. The Pixel 8 goes from a 4355mAh capacity battery to a 4485mAh. While the Pixel 8 Pro is upgraded from a 5000mAh to a 5050mAh battery here. That’s a 2% and a 1% increase in battery capacity, respectively. So not huge gains here, but the Tensor G3 should be a nice upgrade for efficiency.
Most camera upgrades are on Pixel 8 Pro
While both phones get pretty nice updates to the camera, most of the camera hardware upgrades are on the Pixel 8 Pro. This includes updating the ultrawide camera to a 48-megapixel sensor. This is actually a really big deal, because Google uses the ultrawide sensor to do macro shots, and having that extra resolution is going to make those macro shots look much better.
The other piece of hardware being added here is the Temperature sensor. This is only for the Pixel 8 Pro but it allows you to do some interesting things. Like seeing how hot your iPhone 15 Pro is, to see if it is actually overheating or not. You can also take your own temperature with it. An interesting feature, and not one we’ve seen on other phones. So perhaps this will go the way of Soli on the Pixel 9 next year.
The other cameras on the Pixel 8 Pro have also been upgraded, but they are still 50MP for the wide and 48-megapixel for telephoto. So that’s a 50MP sensor and two 48MP sensors here.
Google has also added a few new modes here, like Audio Magic Eraser. It’s like the regular Magic Eraser for your pictures, but now for audio in your videos. This is going to be able to remove distracting sounds and background noise. And it’s shockingly good. Google is also finally bringing real tone to video on Pixel. So now you’ll get a more realistic skin tone, particularly on darker people. Something that Google has been working on with its camera on Pixel for many years.
New AI for everything
Google has always been super into AI and now they are really putting it into everything on the Pixel 8 series. This includes more natural conversations with Assistant. So it sounds more like you are talking to another person, rather than a digital assistant. You’ll also have Assistant typing across different languages available now on Pixel 8 series.
Gboard on Pixel 8 will add a new feature that will proofread what you’re typing. Think of it like autocorrect, but hopefully much better. This is similar to what Apple debuted with iOS 17.
Thanks to Tensor, Google is able to do AI processing both on and off device, and the Tensor G3 is a huge step up for AI here. Google says that the Tensor G3 has a machine learning model that is 10x as large as what the Pixel 6 could handle. And that was only two short years ago. So AI is not only getting better, but more efficient too.
When can you buy Google Pixel 8?
Now the big question we all want to know. When and how much is the Pixel 8? Google Pixel 8 is available for $699 and will come in three colors: Hazel, Rose and Obsidian. While the Pixel 8 Pro is $999 and will come in three colors too: Bay, Porcelain, and Obsidian.
Pre-orders are open now and the devices will ship next week. If you make your purchase through the Google Store, Google will also hook you up with a Pixel Watch 2 for free. That’s a $349 value, so definitely worth pre-ordering if you want to grab one. You can still finance and do trade-ins through the Google Store. But you might get better trade in values from your carrier. So be sure to check them out for details too.
Pre-order the Pixel 8 (Best Buy)
Pre-order the Pixel 8 Pro (Best Buy)
Google Pixel 8
Google Pixel 8 Pro
