Intro
- 6.7-inch vs 6.17-inch screen
- 27W wired charging vs 24W wired charging
- Larger battery on the Pixel 8 Pro
- Extra periscope camera on the Pixel 8 Pro
Table of Contents:
Design and Size
Family legacies
Will you be able to spot any major differences between the Pixel 8 Pro and the Pixel 8? Sure.
At the same time, the Pixel 8 Pro will remain a 6.7-inch device, which would make the difference between the two phones pretty big and help with the diversification of the Pixel 8 series: those craving for a smaller phone will get the Pixel 8, while those that need the most features and the largest display will likely want to opt for the Pixel 8 Pro.
Both phones will retain their IP68 water- and dust-resistance, as well as a bunch of new color options. Currently rumored are Haze, Jade, Licorice, and Peony, and knowing Google, these will be playful and classy color options
Alas, we don’t expect to see a charger in the box, so drop any hope about that as well.
Display Differences
As we already mentioned, we expect the Pixel 8 Pro to feature a 6.7-inch screen, while the Pixel 8 will likely come with a smaller 6.17-inch screen. Aside from that, there would probably be little differences: both phones would use OLED displays with up to 120Hz refresh rate, as well as hopefully higher maximum brightness than their predecessors.
There should be an in-display fingerprint scanner embedded right into each phone’s display for quick and easy unlocking.
Performance and Software
Google Tensor G3 to the rescue
In terms of memory and storage, we should see fast LPDDR5X RAM and speedy UFS4.0 storage on the two devices. The potential numbers and capacities are still up for debate, but our expectations are that the Pixel 8 will come with 128 and 256GB of storage, while the Pixel 8 Pro will be up for grabs in 128, 256, and 512GB versions.
5G as well as all the latest connectivity standards should be available on the two Pixels, as is befitting of their flagship status.
Camera
Three is more than two
While we are still relatively light on camera rumors and leaks, the main difference between the Pixel 8 Pro and the Pixel 8 will be the number of cameras on board.
Meanwhile, the Pixel 8 will rely on a dual camera setup, pairing a ultra-wide with a wide-angle camera at the rear of the phone. The megapixel count and the possible sensors are yet to be leaked out, but we probably wouldn’t get anything wildly different in comparison with the Pixel 7.
Hardware-aside, the software-rich Pixel series will definitely score all the software modes and bells and whistles that are usually associated with a Pixel phone. Expect Magic Eraser, Face Unblur, and all others to make a return.
New on the software front might be a so-called Video Unblur feature, as well as Staggered HDR that simultaneously takes a short and a long exposure of each scene eliminating any potential ghosting artifacts and motion blur.
Audio Quality and Haptics
It’s too early to really have any specific expectations about the audio quality on the Pixel 8 series, but we have high hopes that the two devices will be more than capable of delivering superb sounds to your audiophiliac ears.
Battery Life and Charging
Endurance galore
The Pixel 8 Pro would likely come with a 5,000mAh battery, just like its predecessor, but we probably wouldn’t be able to say the same about the Pixel 8. See, as its display and overall size will shrink by a significant margin, we are likely getting a smaller battery in the compact Pixel as well.
As the Pixel 7 came with a 4,355mAh battery, we’d expect something along the lines of 4,000mAh in terms of overall capacity or less. Hopefully, the Tensor G3 will be able to catch up to that capacity decrease and still deliver decent battery life, all things considered.
Charging-wise, we already seem to know that both the Pixel 8 and the Pixel 8 Pro will each get a 4W charging speed bump. So, the Pixel 8 Pro will charge at up to 27W, while the Pixel 8 will allow for up to 24W of charging speeds. Wireless charging will likely remain at 12W.
Specs Comparison
| Google Pixel 8 Pro | Google Pixel 8 | |
|---|---|---|
| Size, weight | – | – |
| Screen | 6.7″ OLED 120Hz |
6.17″ OLED 120Hz |
| Processor | Tensor G3 | Tensor G3 |
| RAM, Storage | 128GB/256GB UFS4.0
LPDDR5X |
128GB/256GB/512GB UFS4.0
LPDDR5X |
| Cameras | 50MP main 12MP ultra 48MP telephoto 32MP front |
50MP main 12MP ultra 32MP front |
| Battery | 5,000mAh | ~4,000mAh |
| Charging | USB-C 27W wired |
USB-C 24W wired |
Summary
The Pixel 8 Pro and the Pixel 8 are currently shaping up to be regular yearly updates that won’t overhaul the Pixel flagship series, but will introduce some decent quality of life improvements to the lineup.
Overall, Google is on the verge of making a pretty good job at diversifying its upcoming flagship phones by making the smaller Pixel more compact and the larger one better suited at ‘pro’ users.
Which one will end up being the better offering? It’s hard to say. One thing is for certain, we will be waiting for the official release with optimistic anticipation.
