Pixel phones were supposed to be Android’s answer to the iPhone, the platform’s definitive combination of hardware and software. However, unimpressive software support and problematic hardware meant they never achieved that goal.
Or maybe just not until now. With the Pixel 8 series it finally seems that Google is serious about making phones. That’s a big commitment: 7 years of software support (both OS updates and security patches), longer than even Apple offers, which was the market leader until now (and almost as long as Fairphone, which is a small player). Even the phones themselves are more capable, let’s take a look.
Google Pixel 8 Pro • Google Pixel 8
Google Pixel 8 Pro offers predictable updates. Perhaps the biggest change is the Tensor G3, the new 4nm chipset. It jumps two generations forward with Cortex-X3, A715, and A510 cores (vs. We have yet to see reliable benchmarks, so we cannot judge the performance increase yet.
Other updates are more incremental. Google has switched to a 20:9 display, slightly taller than the 7 Pro’s 19.5:9 display, and bumped up the brightness to a peak of 2,400 nits (up from 1,500 nits). Furthermore, wired charging of the battery has gone up to 30W (from 23W).
The cameras have received small tweaks: a brighter aperture for the main module (f/1.7 vs. f/1.9) and better autofocus, more or less the same for the periscope, albeit with a shorter focal length (113mm f/2.8 vs. 120mm f/3.5). Additionally, this year’s selfie camera features autofocus (PDAF).
Google Pixel 8 Pro comes with updated displays and cameras
The Google Pixel 8 is now smaller and a bit lighter, catching the attention of those who want small phones. With a 0.2mm increase in thickness, Google has managed to fit a larger battery (4,575 mAh versus 4,355 mAh) and has also increased the wired charging speed from 7W to 27W. The main camera has a brighter aperture, the ultra-wide-angle lens is wider (matching the 8 Pro), and the selfie module has autofocus. The main difference between the Vanilla and Pro cameras remains: there is no telephoto lens on board.
The Pixel 8 also gets the new Tensor G3 chipset, still paired with 8GB of RAM and no options for anything else. The Pixel 8a will have the same chip, though it may be clocked lower: Google isn’t making the same mistake it made when the Pixel 7a made the Pixel 7 obsolete. But again this year, the Pixel 8 costs $100 more than to its predecessor, so it has more to prove than its next sibling.
The Google Pixel 8 finally gets a 120Hz display, but still no camera
Here are the prices of the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro and the launch prices of their predecessors (for the base models). Of course, Pixel 7 models can be purchased for much less these days and that’s been true for months – and will soon be true for the 8 series too.
| Pixel7 | $600 | €650 | ₹60,000 |
| Pixel 8 | $700 | €700 | ₹76,000 |
| Pixel 7Pro | $900 | €900 | ₹85,000 |
| Pixel 8Pro | $1,000 | €1,100 | ₹107,000 |
| Galaxy S23 | $800 | €900 | ₹80,000 |
| iPhone15 | $800 | €950 | ₹75,000 |
| Galaxy S23 | $1,100 | €1,250 | ₹125,000 |
| iPhone 15 Pro Max | $1,200 | €1,450 | ₹160,000 |
For completeness we include the prices of rival Apple and Samsung phones. Keep in mind that all three companies (well, mostly Samsung and to some extent Google) have extensive deals, bundles, and trade-in offers, so actual prices will be lower.
So, what will you do? Will you get a Pixel 8 Pro or do you think you should wait for prices to drop a bit?
What about the Pixel 8: get it now, wait and see what the Pixel 8a will be like, or just skip the Pixel phones altogether?
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