Google Pixel 8: what we want to see

Date:
Mon, 17 Oct 2022 16:20:02 +0000

Description:
The Google Pixel 8 could be a late 2023 triumph. Here's what we want from it and what we've heard about it so far.

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The Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro are sure to be a long way off, as the
Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro only launched in October 2022, but already were thinking about and even hearing about the next models.

Below youll find everything weve heard so far, along with our expert predictions, covering the possible release date, price, and specs.

Then below that weve included a wish list of what we want from the Pixel 8
and Pixel 8 Pro, because while the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro are the best
phones that Google has ever made, theyre not perfect.

The standard Pixel 7, in particular, has room for improvement, but even the Pixel 7 Pro has some flaws, so our wish list includes the key improvements we want from these next models. Cut to the chase What is it? The next flagship phone from Google When is it out? Probably October 2023 How much will it
cost? Likely at least $599 / 599 / AU$999 Google Pixel 8 release date and price

Theres no news yet on when the Google Pixel 8 might launch, but thats easy to guess, with the main numbered phones almost always landing in October of
their release year.

In fact, every Pixel model outside of the A-line has been announced in October, except the Pixel 5 , which was unveiled on September 30, 2020 (so, almost October) and didnt ship until October.

Getting more specific than that is trickier, as the dates in October have varied, but its likely that the Pixel 8 will be unveiled in either early or mid-October 2023, and then ship in mid or late-October, probably around a
week after the announcement. The Pixel 8 might have the same price as the Pixel 7. (Image credit: Future / Alex Walker-Todd)

Were not sure what the Pixel 8 will cost, but the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro
both had exactly the same prices as their predecessors, so its possible
Google will stick with that pricing for another year.

In that case, the Pixel 8 will start at $599 / 599 / AU$999, while the Pixel
8 Pro will start at $899 / 849 / AU$1,299. That said, we wouldnt be surprised if Google pushes the price up a bit, especially as the current models
undercut key competition like the iPhone 14 line. Google Pixel 8 news and leaks

We havent heard much about the Google Pixel 8 yet, but a few leaks have emerged. For one thing, there are reports that the Tensor 3 chipset were expecting to power the phone is already in the works, and that this will once again be made by Samsung. However, theres no news yet on how much more powerful this will be than the Tensor G2 in the Pixel 7.

We also know that satellite communications are likely to be offered by the Pixel 8, much like the iPhone 14 is capable of. Hiroshi Lockheimer (the
senior vice president of Android) has said that support for this will be coming with Android 14; so its likely the Pixel 8 will be the first Google phone to offer it.

Finally, theres evidence of a mystery Pixel phone in the works, which based
on leaked specs might be the Pixel 8 or Pixel 8 Pro. 9to5Google has found
this evidence in publicly available code from the Android Open Source
Project, and it points to a phone with a 1440 x 3120 120Hz screen, a Tensor chipset, and dimensions of 155 x 71mm.

Those screen specs are in line with the current Pro models, but the
dimensions are more what wed expect from the standard Pixel 8, so that might mean a resolution and refresh rate upgrade is planned for the standard model. What we want to see

Below weve listed the five things that we most want the Pixel 8 line to
offer. 1. A 120Hz screen for both models The Pixel 7 only has a 90Hz refresh rate. (Image credit: Future / Alex Walker-Todd)

The Pixel 7 Pro has a 120Hz screen, just as youd expect from a flagship
phone, but the standard Pixel 7 doesnt its stuck at 90Hz.

Given that even some of the best cheap phones now have 120Hz screens, that seems somewhat unacceptable, so we really hope Google offers a 120Hz screen
on both the Pixel 8 and the Pixel 8 Pro. 2. More power

The Pixel 7 line uses the Google Tensor G2 chipset, and its 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 is a little lacking, as it performs worse in most benchmarks than key rivals like the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 and the Apple A16 Bionic. In fact it performs significantly worse.

So wed like to see a focus on power from the Tensor G3 (or whatever the next model ends up being called), so that the Pixel 8 line is more competitive on that front. However, we dont want that to come at the expense of the things Tensor chipsets are currently good at. 3. Better battery life and faster charging The Google Pixel 7 Pro has middling battery life. (Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)

Both the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro should comfortably get you through a day of fairly heavy use, based on our tests, but they arent going to get you through a second day, or even halfway through a second day in most cases.

So their longevity is respectable but far from exceptional, and they also
both charge quite slowly, so wed like to see improvements both to the battery life and the charging speed for the Pixel 8 line. 4. Longer-term support

Google has promised three years of Android version updates and five years of security patches for the Pixel 7 line, which has some Android phones beat but doesnt come close to the number of years of support Apple typically offers with its iPhones.

Since Google makes Android and is using a bespoke chipset designed specifically for the phones here, there really shouldnt be any reason it cant support its phones for longer, so wed 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 wed like to see a bigger jump for the next model, bringing it up to 10x in line with the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra .

That said, we still want a shorter distance zoom of ideally 2x or 3x to be offered as well, so there are two distinctly different zoom distances available. The Google Pixel 7 Pro is already one of the best camera phones , but with this upgrade the Pixel 8 Pro could be even better.



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Link to news story:
https://www.techradar.com/news/google-pixel-8/


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