Given that the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro were only launched in October 2022, we don’t expect Google’s next Pixel lineup – likely to be the Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro – until 2023 at the earliest.
That said, rumors and leaks continue to circulate regarding both upcoming devices, and below we’ve detailed all the latest rumors, along with our expert predictions on their release dates, specs, and prices.
Further down, you’ll also find a list of features we want to see in the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, because while the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro are two of the best phones Google has ever made, there’s definitely room for improvement.
To the point
- What is this? Another flagship phone from Google
- when is it coming out? Probably October 2023
- How much does it cost? Probably from $599 / £599 / AU$999
Google Pixel 8: release date and price
There’s no word yet on when the Google Pixel 8 might launch, but it’s easy to guess as Google’s main numbered phones almost always land in October of their launch year.
In fact, every non-A-line Pixel model was announced in October, with the exception of the Pixel 5, which was unveiled on September 30, 2020 (which is almost October) and didn’t ship until October.
Getting more specific information is harder as the dates for previous October events have been different, but it’s likely that the Pixel 8 will be unveiled in early or mid-October 2023 (and will then start shipping around a week after the announcement).
We’re not sure how much the Pixel 8 will cost, but both the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro had exactly the same prices as their predecessors, so it’s possible Google will stick to that pricing structure for another year.
In that case, the Pixel 8 will start at $599 / £599 / AU$999 and the Pixel 8 Pro will start at $899 / £849 / AU$1,299. That said, we wouldn’t be surprised if Google bumped up the prices of the phones a bit, especially as current models undercut key competition like the iPhone 14 lineup.
Google Pixel 8: news and leaks
The biggest Pixel 8 yet comes in the form of high-quality unofficial renders showing both the Pixel 8 itself and the Pixel 8 Pro.
These show largely familiar designs, but with more rounded corners, apparently leading to a smaller size. For the Pixel 8, this is said to mean a 6.2-inch display (down from the Pixel 7’s 6.3-inches). However, the Pixel 8 Pro is expected to keep the same 6.7 inches as the 7 Pro. Display Analytics Report Ross Young confirms these sizes, although listing the Pixel 8’s screen size as a more diminutive 6.16 inches. Anyway, it’s all swings and rounds, because 6.16 rounds to 6.2 inches in each case.
The dimensions are also smaller as a result, with the Pixel 8 apparently measuring 150.5 x 70.8 x 8.9mm while the Pixel 8 Pro is reportedly 162.6 x 76.5 x 8.7mm, increasing in both cases. to about 12 mm in the camera viewfinder.
The Pixel 8 is shown with two rear camera lenses like the current model – these are likely wide and ultra-wide again, while the Pixel 8 Pro is shown with four. That’s one more than last year, meaning it will likely have a macro lens or a depth sensor along with the wide-angle, ultra-wide-angle, and telephoto cameras, if this leak is accurate.
Picture 1 With 4
In addition, there have been several other leaks regarding both phones. First, there are reports that the Tensor G3 chipset we expect to power the phone is in the works and will again be made by Samsung.
This could be much more powerful than the Tensor G2 of the Pixel 7 series as it is reportedly built on a new 3nm process, up from 5nm for the current one. This change probably means a big increase in power and efficiency.
A more detailed Tensor G3 leak has revealed a lot of things about it, but the bottom line is that it should be a lot more powerful, enable ray tracing, offer enhanced photo processing and AI skills, and more.
Meanwhile, another leak suggests that the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro may be codenamed Shiba and Husky respectively, and that both may have 12GB of RAM and run Android 14. According to the same source, the Pixel 8 has a 1080 x 2268 screen. while the Husky has a resolution of 1344 x 2822.
As for the cameras, the main camera sensor is expected to maintain its 50MP resolution, but with an improved sensor that allows more light through. We hear that the ultra wide-angle camera will also be upgraded on both phones, but more so on the Pro model – while the Pro telephoto is predicted to be at 5x.
While we still don’t know the battery specs, at least we’ve seen a Pixel 8 popup on Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) certification site.with a listing revealing wireless charging details that suggest the Pixel 8 will retain the same wireless charging speeds as its predecessor (12W unless placed on the official Google Pixel stand, which then delivers 20W of power wirelessly).
We also know that satellite communication capabilities will likely be offered by the Pixel 8, as will the iPhone 14. Hiroshi Lockheimer (Android’s senior vice president) said that support for this feature will come with Android 14; so it’s likely the Pixel 8 will be the first Google phone to offer this.
Finally, there is evidence of a mystery Pixel phone in the works which could be either a Pixel 8 or a Pixel 8 Pro based on leaked specs. 9to5Google found this evidence in publicly available code from the Android Open Source Project and points to a phone with a 1440 x 3120 120 Hz screen, Tensor chipset and dimensions of 155 x 71 mm.
These screen specs are in line with the current Pro models, but the dimensions are more what we’d expect from a standard Pixel 8, so it could mean a resolution and refresh rate update is planned for the standard model.
However, this screen resolution is also different from the resolutions leaked above, so we’re taking all of these leaks with a grain of salt for now.
Google Pixel 8: what we want to see
Below we’ve listed the five things we most want the Pixel 8 line to offer.
1. 120Hz screen for both models
The Pixel 7 Pro has a 120Hz screen, as you’d expect from a flagship phone, but the standard Pixel 7 doesn’t – it’s stuck at 90Hz.
Considering that even some of the best cheap phones now have 120Hz screens, this seems a bit unacceptable, so we really hope Google offers a 120Hz screen on both the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro.
2. More power
The Pixel 7 line uses the Google Tensor G2 chipset, and it’s a chipset that has a lot to offer.
Designed specifically for these phones, it excels in areas like machine learning and AI, but when it comes to raw power, the Tensor G2 falls a little short as it performs worse in most benchmarks than key rivals like the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 and Apple A16 Bionic. In fact, it works much worse.
So we’d like to focus on the power of the Tensor G3 (or whatever the next model is called) to make the Pixel 8 line more competitive on that front. However, we don’t want this to come at the expense of the things the Tensor chipsets are currently good at.
3. Better battery life and faster charging
Both the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro should comfortably last a day of fairly heavy use, based on our testing, but they won’t let you get past a second day in most cases, or even half way through a second day.
So their longevity is respectable but far from exceptional, and they both charge quite slowly, so we’d love to see an improvement in both the battery life and charging speed of the Pixel 8 lineup.
4. Long-term support
Google has promised three years of Android version updates and five years of security patches for the Pixel 7 lineup, which has several Android phones, but it doesn’t come close to the number of years of support Apple usually offers with its iPhones.
Since Google makes Android and uses a custom chipset designed specifically for the phones here, there really shouldn’t be any reason why it can’t support its phones any longer, so we’d love to see extended support offered with the Pixel 8.
5. 10x optical zoom on the Pro model
The Google Pixel 7 Pro offers 5x optical zoom, up from 4x on the Pixel 6 Pro, but we’d like to see a bigger leap for the next model, bringing it up to 10x in line with the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra.
That said, we still want to offer a shorter zoom distance as well – ideally 2x or 3x – so there are two distinctly different zoom distances available. The Google Pixel 7 Pro is already one of the best camera phones around, but with this update, the Pixel 8 Pro could be even better.