Google Pixel 8 Pro – everything we know so far
The Google Pixel 8 Pro is expected to be the search giant’s big flagship phone for 2023, and the Google Pixel 8’s bigger sibling.
Probably launched in early October, the Pixel 8 Pro appears to be an evolution of the 7 Pro and 6 Pro; Read our Pixel 7 Pro review and our Pixel 6 Pro review for our verdict on these phones. Google will continue to rely on the somewhat blocky shape of recent Pixel phones, with their distinctive rear camera bar – that’s not a bad thing, as it helps the devices stand out among the best Android phones.
So what else do we know about this and what gaps remain to be filled? Read on to find out everything we know so far about the Google Pixel 8 Pro.
Google Pixel 8 Pro: Rumored release date and price
Since Google already has teased the Pixel 8 Pro on YouTube, we know the phone is coming. Additionally, the search giant is hosting a Made By Google event on October 4, so we’re betting big that we’ll see the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro revealed in full then.
Pre-orders for the phones will likely follow, potentially within the day. And we expect the phones to go on sale a week after the reveal – this follows the lead set by the Pixel 7 Pro – which would mean the Pro could get an October 11 release date.
As for the price… well, the rumors haven’t been very widespread here. However, the ones we’ve seen have the Pixel 8 Pro starting at €1,235.72 for the 128GB model in Europe; Euro prices do not translate very well to US or UK prices due to taxation. But the Pixel 7 Pro started at $899 / £849 / AU$1,299 when it launched, and we expect the Pixel 8 to stick to that price.
Google Pixel 8 Pro: design and display
According to Google’s teaser video, the Pixel 8 Pro will look a lot like the Pixel 7 Pro. It appears to have the same overall dimensions and use the same rear camera bar in a shiny metallic finish that stands out against the phone’s rear glass.
But rather than using a pill-shaped cutout design for the cameras, the Pixel 8 Pro appears to have its trio of cameras in a single pill-shaped cutout. To the right of the cameras are what appears to be a flash and some other form of sensor; we don’t know what this sensor will do.
We can speculate though, so we will. It could be used for some form of LiDAR or additional depth sensing to power augmented reality features and provide better depth of field when taking portrait photos. Or maybe it could detect ambient light better to aid low-light and night photography modes. Or it could be a temperature sensor to use in combination with health-related applications. The jury is out on this one.
The screen appears to measure 6.7 inches and will use an LTPO OLED panel so the refresh rate can reach 120Hz, but can also be dialed back to single digits when the phone isn’t displaying fast content – for example, when the Always-on display mode displays basic static information.
While the Pixel 7 Pro has a great display, we wouldn’t be opposed to Google tweaking the contrast and colors and taking the brightness to around 1,600 nits to get an even punchier display that you wouldn’t want on watch shows and movies. commuting.
Meanwhile, another Google leak has revealed several more details about the Pixel 8 Pro, including that it could come in Sky (blue), Porcelain (white), and Licorice (black) color options.
Google Pixel 8 Pro cameras
Great cameras are one of the biggest selling points of Pixel phones, and so far rumors are pointing to major changes coming to the Pixel 8 Pro.
While it will likely retain the specs of its predecessor’s 50MP main camera, the Pixel 8 Pro could use a new sensor that will let in more light than ever before. This should result in better overall photos, ideally with sharper details and improved low-light shots. The main camera is also tipped to be able to capture 8K video thanks to the Pixel 8 Pro’s Tensor 3 chip (more on that later), which would be a first for Pixel phones and put it on par with the powerful Samsung. Galaxy S23 Ultra.
The ultra-wide camera is expected to take the 64MP sensor from the Pixel 7a, replacing its predecessor’s 12MP camera. We expect this to lead to more detailed wide-angle shots and impeccable macro photography. On the telephoto side, the 48MP camera looks set to stay. But we wouldn’t be surprised if it got some software tweaks to deliver improved detail and color, while also improving zoomed-in stabilization.
There’s no word on an improved selfie camera. So expect the front snapper to remain at 10.8 megapixels; Image quality improvements will likely be made on the software side.
Joining the Photo Unblur mode seen in the last two generations of Pixel phones is expected to be a new Video Unblur feature. As the name suggests, this could help clean up blurry images in fast-moving videos, using the power of AI-centric intelligent image processing.
Google Pixel 8 Pro Rumored Specs
Expect to see the Tensor 3 chip in the Google Pixel 8 Pro. Although not officially announced, all indications are that this silicon wafer is a follow-up to the Tensor 2 chip, which brought a decent performance improvement over its predecessor.
But Tensor chips aren’t about clock speeds and cores. Instead, they have AI-driven processing pipelines at their core to enable rapid machine learning actions to be performed. That means a more responsive Google Assistant and faster processing of various things, from deblurring images to translating text and speech.
There’s been no news on RAM, but we suspect it will stick to the Pixel 7 Pro’s 12GB, which is currently enough for smartphones. Same story for storage, which we expect will start at 128GB. Some may consider this a bit ungenerous on Google’s part, given that the iPhone 15 Pro Max and Galaxy flagships start now at 256GB. But Google has robust cloud storage, so one could argue that a large amount of onboard storage isn’t vital on Pixel phones.
Also expect a similarly sized battery, likely 5,000mAh. Charging will likely stay at 30W when wired and use Qi-certified wireless charging. But we expect some battery life gains to come from improved CPU efficiency and smarter optimization of machine learning power.
Google Pixel 8 Pro Outlook
From what we’ve heard and seen so far, the Google Pixel 8 Pro appears to be a small upgrade to the Pixel 7 Pro.
While its hardware specs don’t blow us away, we’d be reasonably confident that Google will bring new AI capabilities to Pixel phones, powered by the Tensor 3 chip.
Whether that’s enough to put the Pixel 8 Pro in contention for a prominent spot on our best phones list remains to be seen. But with October 4 approaching, we hope to find out how the Pixel 8 Pro will turn out very soon.