Pixel 8
What does Google’s new smartphone promise?
Google introduced the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro on Wednesday.
© 2023 JOYCE LEE/Google
Google presents its new devices in Berlin. How substantial are the updates to the two new smartphones and the smartwatch?
Revealed during its regular hardware update Google presented the next generation of its smartphones in Berlin and New York this Wednesday. Externally, the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro smartphones undergo only a few changes, as does the Pixel Watch 2. That’s new.
While the design of the devices presented only changes subtly (slightly rounder corners, the distinctive camera bar remains, as does the fingerprint sensor under the display), Google is making changes to some of the interior parts that mean noticeable differences for customers. This is most obvious in the company’s update promise: Google promises a full seven years of support, both in terms of system and security updates.
This means: The Pixel 8 devices, with which Google is ushering in the Android 14 era, will have their operating system updated by 2030 (or Android 21). Because the smartphones are also IP68 certified, meaning neither water nor dust can penetrate them, buyers of the devices can look forward to a fairly long-lasting smartphone experience. However, there are currently no plans to expand support for other models.
Seven years of updates! Google provides long-term support for new Pixel smartphones
However, it can be assumed that with such longevity, sooner or later the built-in battery (around 4,575 mAh for the Pixel 8 and 5,050 mAh for the Pro model) will become a weak point. It is therefore a shame that Google does not present a system in which the battery can be easily replaced by the end customer.
New to the devices are the screens called “Actua Display” (Pixel 8 or “Super Actua Display” (Pixel 8 Pro), which this year have a 120 Hertz refresh rate in both versions. With brightness values of 2,000 nits for the Pixel 8 and With 2,400 nits on the Pixel 8 Pro, Google boasts that it has installed its brightest OLED displays to date. All this brightness is also resolved and supported with 1,080×2,400 (Pixel 8) or 1,344×2,992 (Pixel 8 Pro) pixels HDR.
Photogrammetry in videos? Google is promising this
On the other hand, Google’s in-house Tensor chip is receiving another update. With the third generation, the group wants to further deepen its AI possibilities, which in practice will play a major role in two applications in particular: A new feature is available that, analogous to the “Magic Eraser” photo tool, is able to: Remove noise from audio files. But what we can be most excited about is the results that the new camera system delivers when it comes to video. Google is bringing its photo algorithm to videos and promises the best video quality of all smartphones to date – but only “later this year”, so far the “Video Boost” feature has only been announced.
The device’s camera module is also new. Google uses a 50 MP camera with eight times zoom in both versions of the Pixel 8. For the first time, the standard version also has a macro mode. What is reserved for the Pixel 8 Pro, however, are the “Pro Controls”, which allow full control over the camera (ISO values, focal focus, etc.) and its image output. The Pro version also uses a 48 MP wide-angle and 48 MP telephoto camera, while the Pixel 8 has to make do with a 12 MP wide-angle camera.
Pixel 8 prices and the most important things about the Pixel Watch 2
In terms of price, the new Google smartphones are a step up compared to last year. The Pixel 8 will be available from 799 euros, while the Pixel 8 Pro will cost at least 1,099 euros. Prices vary depending on the size of the storage space ordered; the largest possible variant is a Pixel 8 Pro with around half a terabyte of storage for 1,299 euros. Anyone who pre-orders by October 12th will receive Google’s Headbuds Pro with their Pixel 8, and with the 8 Pro, Google will add the Pixel Watch 2 for free.
Speaking of Pixel Watch 2: This was also unveiled in Berlin. On the outside, almost nothing has changed compared to last year’s Pixel Watch, which is why it remains compatible with the previous generation’s interchangeable straps. Internally, however, Google has provided a few updates, although the 300 mAh battery capacity is likely to remain the device’s Achilles heel. Not least because of its efficiency, the Pixel Watch 2 gets a new main processor with the Qualcomm 5100. There are also a lot of sensors in the smartwatch, of which Google particularly points out the heart rate monitor, which is said to be many times more powerful than last year. For 399 euros in the WiFi or 449 euros in the LTE version you also get a compass, an altimeter, red and infrared sensors for detecting blood oxygen, ECG sensors, a three-axis accelerometer, an ambient light sensor, a cEDA Sensor, a thermometer, a barometer and a magnetometer in one.