Google Pixel 8: Everything you need to know

Whilst the features, prices and images had already been mostly leaked prior to the launch, Google has finally released the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro.

The bad news is that both phones have had a price hike in the US and UK. However, there are some interesting new features on them, with advancements in camera tech, AI and design.

We’ve rounded up all the specs, prices and release dates for the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, so you can decide whether one of these models is the next Android flagship for you.

If you’re struggling to choose between them, then take a look at our reviews of the Pixel 8 and the Pixel 8 Pro.

When will the Google Pixel 8 be released?

The Pixel 8 range is on sale now in the US and UK.

You can get the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro directly from Google. Alternatively, check out our buying guide for more options.

The Pixel 8 and 8 Pro were launched alongside the Pixel Watch 2 and a new colour option for the original Pixel Buds Pro from 2022.

How much does the Google Pixel 8 cost?

Pixel fans may be disappointed to hear that both phones have had a price hike. The base model jumped by $100/£100, and the Pro model increased by $100/£150.

Here are the starting costs for each Pixel 8 model:

• Google Pixel 8: $699/£699
• Google Pixel 8 Pro: $999/£999

The base model features both 128/256GB storage options, whilst the Pro is available in 128/256/512GB and 1TB – though that latter option is for the US market only.

So far, Google has been quite set in its ways when it comes to pricing, but with inflation being how it is, a jump this year isn’t too much of a surprise.

For reference, here are the previous prices of the phones in the Pixel range:

• Google Pixel 7: $599/£599
• Google Pixel 7 Pro: $899/£849
• Google Pixel 6: $599/£599
• Google Pixel 6 Pro: $899/£849

What about the Pixel 8’s specs and features? 

Some of the highlights of the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro are improved cameras, more powerful processors and a big increase in the number of software and security updates. Here is a breakdown:

Design

Here are the three colours for the Pixel 8: Rose, Hazel and Obsidian. The Pixel 8 Pro (pictured further down below) comes in Porcelain, Obsidian and Bay.

There were initially rumours for a Jade colour option, but this has not come to fruition. There is a possibility that Google may be holding off on this version to release at a later date.

As you can see, the phones keep a very similar design on the back to the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro. However, the headline change is the move from a curved to a flat display. The 8 has a 6.2in display, which is just shy of its predecessor’s screen which measures 6.3in. The 8 Pro retains the 6.7in size that the 7 Pro has. The rear of the phone will be matt glass on the Pro, and polished glass on the 8.

Size wise, the Pixel 8 measures 150.5 x 70.8 x 8.9mm, and measures 187g. Its big brother, the Pixel 8 Pro, measures 162.6 x 76.5 x 8.8mm and weighs 213g. It’s noticeable that the camera module now has a single cut-out for all the cameras, whereas the 7 Pro has a separate section for the telephoto lens.

The new addition on the Pro is a temperature sensor. At launch, this is only for objects, such as checking how hot your coffee is, or seeing the heat of a wall for building work. However, Google has applied for FDA approval to be used as a health thermometer.

Google is releasing five case options for each phone, which will retail for $29.99/£29.99 each.

Specs

Both phones run on the all-new Tensor G3 processor, and have a Titan M2 security coprocessor.

Whilst we don’t have confirmation on the structure of the G3 from Google’s press materials, Android Authority has reported that the Tensor G3 will apparently use an unusual nine-core structure with a single Cortex-X3 prime core running at 3.0GHz, backed up by four Cortex-A715 at 2.45GHz and four A510 cores at 2.15GHz. Meanwhile it’s also set to jump to the Immortalis-G715 GPU, including ray-tracing support.

The good news is that those cores are all upgrades on their predecessors in the previous Tensor chips, including a jump to the more recent Armv9 architecture, which means this should be a pretty substantial performance boost.

The bad news is that this still isn’t using the latest generation of Arm designs, meaning that the Tensor G3 will lag behind the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and MediaTek Dimensity 9300.

Google seems confident in this new processor though, claiming that it aids in advanced image processing, improved audio and video quality, and powers more AI features – more details on that below.

As for other core specs, the Pixel 8 has 8GB RAM with 128/256GB storage options, whilst the Pixel 8 Pro has 12GB RAM with 128/256/512GB storage, and an additional 1TB option in the US.

Software

Google has jumped to the top of the pack in offering some of the most generous OS, feature and security updates we’ve seen on a smartphone. The Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro are covered for all of these things for a whopping seven years, taking you all the way up to 2030.

Prior to this, Google offered three years of Android platform updates to Pixels, with five years of security patches. The latter was industry-best alongside Samsung, OnePlus, and Xiaomi, but those companies offer four years of Android updates, so this is a huge win for Google.

There is also a raft of new software features that are powered by AI. Call Screen makes Google Assistant detect and filter out more spam calls, whilst conversational AI technology can allow users to have a dialogue with callers to screen the person on the other end.

The Summarize feature can paraphrase Chrome web pages or those in the Google app – though this is exclusive to the US. Hey Google can also be used to rear articles aloud, and translate articles into your language of choice. Assistant voice typing now also supports more languages, including Japanese and Spanish.

For users with sight issues, Guided Frame is now supported on the front and rear cameras, which provides speech directions for taking photos of subjects such as documents, people, dogs, cats, cars and more. Magnifier can also zoom in on faraway text and make low contrast text more visible.

Displays

The display is one of the differentiating features between the 8 and 8 Pro. The OLED panel on the smaller phone will be 6.2in, with a resolution of 2400 x 1080. Meanwhile, the Pro has a 6.7in LTPO OLED with a resolution of 2992 x 1344, a small drop from the 7 Pro. As mentioned above, both are now flat displays rather than curved.

More interesting is that both panels are brighter than before, with 2000 nits peak brightness on the Pro and 2600 on the regular model. The regular 8 also has a refresh rate boost, going up to 120Hz for the first time, while the Pro will stay at 120Hz with a VRR (variable refresh rate).

The Pixel 8 comes with Gorilla Glass Victus, whilst the 8 Pro has Gorilla Glass Victus 2.

Cameras

Now let’s turn to cameras. Both the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro have a large 1/1.31in sensor with a 50Mp resolution – a much larger sensor size than the 7 Pro’s 1/1.31in sensor, which should capture much more light.

The 8 Pro will have a 48Mp ultrawide camera with autofocus and 125.5° field of view field of view. As for the Pixel 8, it will still use the same 12Mp camera as before in its ultrawide, with a 125.8° field of view.

Perhaps disappointingly, the 8 Pro’s telephoto isn’t changing, sticking with a 48Mp 5x periscope. The selfie cameras are 10.5Mp, a very minor downgrade from the 11Mp ones in the previous generation.

There is also a raft of new editing features, including Night Sight for video, Photo Unblur, Audio Eraser for reducing background noise in videos, Magic Editor, which allows users to move and alter parts of an image, and Best Take, which allows users to swap out people’s expressions by taking a burst of photos.

Battery and charging

Both phones have slightly larger batteries compare to the 7 series: 4575mAh on the Pixel 8 (up from 4355mAh), and 5050mAh for the 8 Pro (up very slightly from 5000mAh).

Charging is also faster: 27W on the 8 (up from 20W), and 30W on the 8 Pro (up from 23W), with wireless charging also an option.

Those charging speeds are ultimately still slow by the standards of the industry at large, but at least Google is inching forwards towards its competition.

To see what phones the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro will have to see off, check out our best smartphone and best smartphones coming in 2023 roundups.