The Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro are certainly still a long way off, as the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro were only released in October 2022, but we're already thinking, and even hearing, about upcoming models.
Below is everything we've heard so far, along with our expert predictions, covering potential release date, price, and specs.
Then, below, we've included a wish list of what to expect from the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, because while the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro are the best phones Google has ever made, they're not perfect.
The standard Pixel 7, in particular, can be improved, but even the Pixel 7 Pro has some flaws, so our wish list includes the main improvements we want from these upcoming models.
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- What is it? Google's next flagship phone
- When did it come out? Probably October 2023
- How much will it cost? Probably at least $599 / £599 / AU$999
Google Pixel 8 price and release date
There's no word yet on when the Google Pixel 8 might launch, but that's easy to guess as phones with prime numbers almost always arrive in October of their release year.
In fact, all Pixel models outside of the A line were announced in October, except for the Pixel 5, which was introduced on September 30, 2020 (almost October) and didn't ship until October.
Getting more specific than that is trickier as the October dates have fluctuated, but the Pixel 8 will likely be introduced in early to mid-October 2023 and then ship in mid to late October, probably about a week later. of the ad.
We don't know how much the Pixel 8 will cost, but the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro were priced exactly the same as their predecessors, so it's possible that Google will keep that price for another year.
In this case, the Pixel 8 will start at $599 / £599 / AU$999, while the Pixel 8 Pro will start at $899 / £849 / AU$1299. That said, we wouldn't be surprised if Google bumped up a little on price, especially as current models undercut key competition like the iPhone 14 lineup.
Google Pixel 8 news and leaks
We haven't heard much about the Google Pixel 8 yet, but a few leaks have surfaced. For one thing, there are reports that the Tensor 3 chipset that we hope to power the phone is already in the works, and Samsung is going to do it again. However, there is no word yet on how much more powerful it will be than the Tensor G2 in the Pixel 7.
We also know that the Pixel 8 will likely offer satellite communications, just like the iPhone 14 is capable of. Hiroshi Lockheimer (SVP of Android) said support for this will come with Android 14; so the Pixel 8 is likely to be the first Google phone to feature it.
Finally, there is evidence of a mysterious Pixel phone in the works, which according to leaked specs could be the Pixel 8 or Pixel 8 Pro. 9to5Google (opens in a new tab) found this evidence in publicly available code from the Open Source Project of Android and points to a phone with a screen of 1440 x 3120 120 Hz, 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 in line with what we'd expect from the standard Pixel 8, which could mean a resolution and refresh rate upgrade is planned for the standard model.
what we want to see
Below, we've listed the five things we most want the Pixel 8 lineup to offer.
1. A 120Hz screen for both models
The Pixel 7 Pro has a 120Hz display, as you'd expect from a flagship phone, but the standard Pixel 7 doesn't: it's stuck at 90Hz.
Given that even some of the best cheap phones now have 120Hz screens, that seems kind of unacceptable, so we're really hoping Google will offer a 120Hz screen on 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 going for it.
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 bit short, performing worse in most benchmarks than its main rivals. like the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 and the Apple A16 bionic. In fact, it works much worse.
So we'd like to see a focus on the power of the Tensor G3 (or whatever the next model is called), to make the Pixel 8 lineup more competitive on that front. However, we don't want this to come at the expense of things that Tensor chipsets are currently good at.
3. Better battery life and faster charging
The Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro should comfortably get you through a day of fairly heavy use, based on our tests, but they won't get you through a second day, or even half a second day in most cases.
So their longevity is respectable but far from exceptional, and they both charge quite slowly, so we'd like to see improvements in both battery life and charging speed from the Pixel 8 range.
4. Long-term support
Google has promised three years of Android version updates and five years of security patches for the Pixel 7 line, which has outlasted some Android phones but nowhere near the number of years of support Apple usually offers with its iPhones. .
Since Google makes Android and uses a bespoke chipset designed specifically for the phones here, there should be no reason why it can't support its phones longer, so we'd like to see extended support offered with the Pixel. 8.
5. 10x optical zoom on the Pro
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 jump for the next model, up to 10x in line with the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra.
That said, we also wish there was a shorter distance zoom offered - ideally 2x or 3x - so there are two separate zoom distances available. The Google Pixel 7 Pro is already one of the best camera phones out there, but with this update, the Pixel 8 Pro could be even better.