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Google announced its new Pixel Android phones yesterday. We managed to get some hands-on time with the two phones, but a review will have to wait a bit. That being said, we do have some impressions of the two phones, enough to offer you some insight. In this article, we’ll compare the Google Pixel 8 vs Pixel 8 Pro. We’ll try to give you a good idea of what the advantages of each smartphone are, even though, as I said, you’ll have to wait a bit for full reviews, they’re coming, though.
We will first list the specs of the two smartphones, and will then move to compare them across a number of other categories. We’ll compare their designs, displays, performance, battery life, cameras, and audio performance. Having said that, let’s get started.
Specs
Google Pixel 8 vs Pixel 8 Pro, respectively
– Screen size:
6.2-inch Actua AMOLED display (120Hz LTPS, HDR10+, 2,000 nits max)
6.7-inch Super Actua AMOLED display (120Hz LTPO, HDR10+, 2,400 nits)
– Display resolution:
2400 x 1080
2992 x 1344
– SoC:
Google Tensor G3
– RAM:
8GB (LPDDR5X)
12GB (LPDDR5X)
– Storage:
128GB/256GB (UFS 3.1)
128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB (UFS 3.1)
– Rear cameras:
50MP (f/1.68 aperture, 82-degree FoV, 1.2um pixel size), 12MP (ultrawide, f/2.2 aperture, 1.25um pixel size, 125.8-degree FoV)
50MP (f/1.68 aperture, 82-degree FoV, 1.2um pixel size), 48MP (ultrawide, f/1.95 aperture, 125.5-degree FoV, 0.8um pixel size), 48MP (telephoto, f/2.8 aperture, 0.7um pixel size, 5x optical zoom)
– Front cameras:
10.5MP (f/2.2 aperture, 1.22um pixel size)
– Battery:
4,575mAh
5,050mAh
– Charging:
30W wired, 23W wireless, 5W reverse wired (charger not included)
27W wired, 18W wireless wireless, 5W reverse wired (charger not included)
– Dimensions (unfolded):
150.5 x 70.8 x 8.9mm
162.6 x 76.5 x 8.8mm
– Weight:
187 grams
213 grams
– Connectivity:
5G, LTE, NFC, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C, Bluetooth 5.3
– Security:
In-display fingerprint scanner (optical) & Face Unlock
– OS:
Android 14
– Price:
$699+
$999+
– Buy:
Best Buy
Best Buy
Google Pixel 8 vs Google Pixel 8 Pro: Design
Both the Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro are made out of metal and glass. They also look rather similar, in terms of the general design aesthetic, but there are differences, of course. The Pixel 8 is considerably smaller, not to mention that it has a smaller camera cutout on the back, due to one less camera. On top of that, its back glass is glossy, compared to a satin (aka matte) finish on the Pixel 8 Pro.
They both feature flat displays this time around, with a centered display camera hole, and thin uniform bezels. All of their physical buttons are placed on the right-hand side. The Pixel 8 Pro also has a temperature sensor on the back, for some reason. That camera visor on the back is difficult not to notice. It once again connects to the side frame on both smartphones, and it goes from one side of the phone to the other. It makes the phone sit flat on the table, so that’s a plus, and it’s covered by metal (aluminum).
The Pixel 8 is considerably shorter, and narrower than the Pixel 8 Pro. The two phones are almost equally thick, though. The smaller Pixel 8, of course, is also lighter, at 187 grams, compared to 217 grams of the Pixel 8 Pro. Both smartphones do feel great in the hand, due to more curves that Google introduced this time around. The Pixel 8 is a lot easier to use with one hand, though. It’s also worth pointing out that both smartphones are IP68 certified for water and dust resistance.
Google Pixel 8 vs Google Pixel 8 Pro: Display
The Google Pixel 8 includes a 6.2-inch Actua display. That is a fullHD+ (2400 x 1080) AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. It’s an LTPS display, though, so its refresh rate doesn’t drop below 60Hz. This display is flat, and it’s protected by the Gorilla Glass Victus. This panel goes up to 2,000 nits of brightness at its peak, and supports HDR content as well. This display offers a 20:9 aspect ratio.
The Pixel 8 Pro, on the other hand, comes with a 6.7-inch 2992 x 1344 Super Actua display. This is also a flat AMOLED display, though it’s an LTPO panel. It can go down to 1Hz in terms of refresh rate, and up to 120Hz. This display is protected by the Gorilla Glass Victus 2, and it goes up to 2,400 nits of brightness at its peak. It also supports HDR content, and has a 20:9 aspect ratio.
In actual usage, both displays look really nice, noticeably better than the Pixel 7’s. They seem to be a bit more color-accurate, though we’ll have to test that more. They’re very vivid, offer good viewing angles, and the blacks are deep, as you’d expect on OLED displays. The Pixel 8 Pro’s display does have the advantage of being an LTPO panel, and it’s also brighter. The Pixel 8’s panel is also immensely bright, though, so you’ll be good with either one in that regard.
Google Pixel 8 vs Google Pixel 8 Pro: Performance
Both phones feel really smooth based on our hands-on, but for actual performance info, you’ll have to wait for our reviews. The Tensor G3 is an improvement compared to the Tensor G2, on paper, a noticeable one. Let’s just hope it’ll remain to stay cool under load, as it seems to perform really well in general. Google’s AI will also come into play here, of course, as there’s tons of it in the software.
Aside from the Tensor G3, both phones also include LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 3.1 flash storage. Google included 8GB of RAM inside the Pixel 8, and 12GB inside of the Pixel 8 Pro. The Pixel 8 comes in 128GB and 256GB storage flavors, while you can choose between 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB on the Pixel 8 Pro. That will be market-dependent, though.
Google Pixel 8 vs Google Pixel 8 Pro: Battery
The Pixel 8 includes a 4,575mAh battery, while the Pixel 8 Pro has a 5,050mAh battery. The Pixel 8 gets a noticeable battery boost compared to the Pixel 7, at least in terms of the battery size. It has over 200mAh more capacity, despite the fact we’re dealing with a slightly smaller display here. That’s great to see, needless to say. The Pixel 8 Pro has a slightly higher battery capacity compared to its predecessor.
We can’t really talk about battery life at this point, you’ll have to wait until our reviews for that. We are expecting better numbers from both phones, as the Pixel 7 series did not impress in that regard, not exactly. Let’s hope the new chip along with a slightly larger battery, plus Google’s AI prowess, will do the trick.
Now, in terms of charging, we’re also seeing a small boost compared to the Pixel 7 series. The Pixel 8 Pro does offer faster charging than its sibling, though. It supports 30W charging, compared to 27W charging on the Pixel 8. Once you cross the 50% mark, however, the charging slows down considerably. The Pixel 8 Pro also supports 23W wireless charging, while the Pixel 8 supports 18W wireless charging. A charger is not included in the box, though, that goes for both phones.
Google Pixel 8 vs Google Pixel 8 Pro: Cameras
These two phones have the same main camera, and the selfie camera. There are differences when it comes to other shooters, though. A 50-megapixel main camera (f/1.68 aperture, 1.2um pixel size, 82-degree FOV, 1/31-inch sensor size, Super Res Zoom 8x) sits on both phones. Both devices also have an ultrawide unit on the back, but it’s different. The Pixel 8 includes a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera (125.8-degree FoV), while the Pixel 8 Pro has a 48-megapixel ultrawide unit (125.5-degree FoV).
The Pixel 8 does not include a telephoto camera, but the Pixel 8 Pro does. It has a 48-megapixel telephoto unit (5x optical zoom, Super Res Zoom 30x). A 10.5-megapixel selfie shooter can be found on both smartphones. Google has a ton of camera software features on offer with these devices, including Best Take, Magic Editor, Photo Unblur, and more. Only the Pixel 8 Pro gets Pro controls, and a new feature that essentially sends your video to Google for detailed editing, and then returns it back to you. That feature is coming later on, though.
We cannot really talk about the image quality, but based on some images and videos that leaked, it looks promising. We’ll share more information on that in our Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro reviews which are coming soon.
Audio
Both of these phones come with stereo speakers, and spatial audio support. We did fire them up during the hands-on, but quite frankly it wasn’t an environment for judging sound quality. We’ll have to test them out during our review, but chances are we’ll get similar sound quality as last year.
Neither phone includes a 3.5mm headphone jack, by the way, in case you were wondering. They do have a Type-C port at the bottom, in case you’d like to connect your headphones. Both phones also support Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity for wireless audio support.