Google Pixel 8 phones leak online just two days ahead of the launch event – and they hint at some huge design changes

By William On Oct 2, 2023

Could Google have taken inspiration from Apple for its upcoming smartphone?

Photos leaked to Facebook show that the Pixel 8 Pro will have a matte glass finish on the back – mimicking the design of its rival’s new iPhone 15.

The images also suggest that the Pixel 8 series will have rounder edges and more rounded edges than the Pixel 7, which was released last year.

Google – which just celebrated its 25th anniversary – has acknowledged the existence of the Pixel 8 with an image and a short teaser video, but has yet to go into details.

However, the company will reveal everything there is to know about the flagship phone at its ‘Made by Google’ unveiling event, scheduled for Wednesday (October 4).

Google has acknowledged the existence of the Pixel 8 with an image on its website and official social media channels, but the details have yet to be addressed

Photos leaked to Facebook show the Pixel 8 Pro will have a matte glass finish on the back – mimicking the design of rival Apple’s new iPhone

The new photos were posted on the Facebook page Vật Vờ Studio, a Vietnamese fansite, and published by 9to5google before they were removed.

They show the Pixel 8 Pro – the more expensive of the two options – and its packaging in a ‘factory setting’ with an employee wearing protective gear.

This has fueled speculation that the photos were taken recently, likely during final quality checks ahead of the Pixel 8’s official launch.

Images show the packaging of the new Pixel, which includes an included USB-C to USB-C cable and a Quick Switch adapter, allowing users to easily transfer data from another phone.

Rumored colors for the Pixel 8 series are ‘Licorice’ (black), ‘Hazel’ (grey), ‘Sky’ (blue) and ‘Porcelain’ (off-white) – and the new photos all but confirm the gray Hazel- color will be an option for the new Pixel 8 Pro.

Just as Apple’s promo teaser revealed, the Pixel 8 will retain the iconic ‘cyclops-style’ camera bar that spans the width of the device.

They show the phone and its packaging in a ‘factory environment’ and were likely taken during the final preparation for the device’s launch

Images show the packaging of the new Pixel, which includes an included USB-C to USB-C cable and a Quick Switch adapter, allowing users to easily transfer data from another phone

The new images suggest that the gray Hazel color will be an option for the new Pixel 8 Pro (pictured)

It’s thought the Pixel 8 series will have rounder edges and more rounded edges than the Pixel 7, which was released last year (pictured)

Rumors also suggest that the regular Pixel 8 will have a smaller screen – 6.17 inches instead of 6.3 inches – while the Pro’s screen will remain the same at 6.7 inches.

Both the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro are expected to come equipped with Google’s new processing chip, Tensor G3, which 9to5Google says will enable “massive upgrades” in performance and capabilities.

Tensor G3 will power AI and machine learning capabilities on the Pixel 8 cameras, which are already prominently featured in the tech giant’s phone ads.

These capabilities include Photo Unblur, which uses machine learning to remove blur and “visual noise” from photos, whether new or old, with just a few taps.

Meanwhile, Magic Eraser, which arrived with the Pixel 6 in 2021, removes unwanted subjects from photos, such as a random stranger in the background.

Despite being a proud part of Google’s ad campaigns, people are calling these AI tools “Orwellian” because they distort reality.

One

At its unveiling event in New York on Thursday, Google finally lifted the lid on its new Pixel 7 smartphone and its first-ever smartwatch

Another wrote: “Revisionist history sponsored by Google Pixel.”

Either way, with the Pixel 8 series, Google is expected to double down on its love for AI-powered imaging with some brand new tools powered by the new, more powerful chip.

As for pricing, Pixel 7 started at £599/$599 and Pixel 7 Pro at £849/$899, but unfortunately for Pixel fans, the new line is expected to see a price hike.

Pixel 8 will cost £699/$699, while the Pro model will remain the same, according to a report from Android Authoritybut this is far from the most expensive phone.

In June, the tech giant released its first foldable phone, the Pixel Fold, which has an eye-watering price tag of £1,749.

As for prices, the Pixel 8 is expected to see a price hike, although it won’t be as high as the company’s most expensive smartphone ever

The foldable screen opens along a ‘mirror polished’ metal hinge to reveal a 7.6-inch tablet-sized screen, while the smaller outer screen measures 5.8 inches across.

The launch of Pixel Fold means Apple is now the only major smartphone maker yet to launch a foldable phone, although some iPhone fans have prototyped what this could look like.

While Samsung was one of the first to embrace the hinge in 2019, the first ever foldable smartphone was the FlexPai from Chinese company Royole, which was first released in 2018.

Instead of the two halves of the 7.8-inch screen coming together, the FlexPai folded outward with a bizarre convex edge.

Is this what the first foldable iPhone will look like?

Unlike some of its rivals such as Samsung and Huawei, Apple has not yet released a foldable phone, although it is rumored to be in the works.

Now, YouTubers in China have created an impressive prototype that shows an iPhone folding down a central hinge in the screen.

The prototype, called iPhone V, was built by engineers using an iPhone X and the folding mechanism of Motorola’s Razr.

Like other foldable phones already on the market, the ‘iPhone V’ folds down a central hinge in the screen

iPhone V, which took more than 200 days and thousands of dollars to make, also features silver iPhone lettering on the hinge and the iconic Apple icon on the back.