Connect with us

Google

Google Pixel 8: Release, price, and features

The rumor mill is already working overtime.

google logo with blurred pixel background
Image: KnowTechie

It feels like yesterday that the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro were released. Now, leaks for Google’s Pixel 8 are coming out, and the device looks pretty good.

Leaks for the chip powering the devices, rumored design changes, and a big display change are all floating around. Renders of what the devices could look like are also out, and they’re impressive.

Everything sounds like Google wants to keep its place as one of the top Android handsets.

Expect an Android experience that’s Google’s view of what a mobile operating system should be, without the manufacturer tweaks that other Android device makers clutter their devices with.

We’ll keep updating this post as more news comes in, but until then, here’s the current state of the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro.

Pixel 8 release date

render of pixel 8 smartphone
Image: YouTube via Science and Knowledge

Google traditionally releases its flagship line in October with a release event the week before retail availability. That was true for the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro and pretty much every recent flagship.

That makes it an easy prediction that the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro will release in October 2023.

As to the names, currently, they are codenamed “Shiba” and “Husky” internally, with Shiba likely being the base model. That’s according to Winfuture.de, and these two devices are using a new SoC for power.

How much will the Google Pixel 8 cost?

A big data dump from YouTuber Science & Knowledge says the price of the Pixel 8 Pro will start at $800. That’s $100 cheaper than this year’s Pixel 7 Pro, so perhaps the leak was of a price after launch discounts.

We can’t see Google rolling back the price on its handsets unless it’s an attempt to increase sales volume.

Features of the Pixel 8

The Pixel 8 SoC is codenamed “Zuma” and has “the same modem as the Google Tensor G2.” That’s a Samsung 5G modem, but what’s changed is that now the SoC has 12 gigabytes of RAM.

Android 14 will be running on the new handsets, as Google uses the flagship Pixel release to coincide with the next major feature upgrade to Android.

Another leak says the under-screen fingerprint sensor will be upgraded to an ultrasonic one, improving scan times and accuracy.

A big leak from Science & Knowledge about the Pixel 8 Pro has even more rumored specifications.

Those include up to 1TB of storage and up to 16GB of RAM. The earlier leak of 12GB RAM could be the base Pixel 8 or internal testing platforms for the devices.

The designer also created two mock-ups of the Pixel 8 device, which is said to have a small touchscreen on the back of the device. One has an OLED screen above the camera bar, while the second has an OLED screen.

Those would be great for notifications or as a selfie mirror when using the Pixel’s main camera.

What we’d like to see from the Pixel 8

We like what we see, especially the useful rear OLED screen. We have a short list of improvements that Google can make this time.

The most important is fixing the temperature issues with the Tensor chip. This will be the third-generation chip, and the process should be mature.

There is no excuse for any flagship device to overheat to the point where it stops the software from working, something that constantly happened on the Pixel 6a we had for a short while.

We’d still love to see a OnePlus-style switch for muting notifications or switching focus modes. Battery life that lasts longer than a day would be great, as Pixels have often struggled with this.

We’ll keep updating this post as we get more leaks, tips, and rumors. If you have a tip, send it to our contact form or slide it into our social media DMs.

Have any thoughts on this? Carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

More in Google