Google Pixel 8 Pro
The Google Pixel 8 Pro is the latest flagship smartphone from Google and it brings plenty to the table, with new pro camera controls, a hardware bump and 7 years of software updates.
Google Pixel 8
The Google Pixel 8 misses a couple of specs off its list compared to the Pixel 8 Pro, but there’s still excellent hardware, a promising camera and a lovely design here. Not to mention the cheaper price.
Google has announced its latest Pixel portfolio, including thePixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, alongside the second-generation Pixel Watch and the Pixel Buds. There are a number of similarities between the Pixel 8 Pro and the Pixel 8, as there were between thePixel 7 Pro and the Pixel 7, but there are a few differences worth taking note of, too.
If you’re wondering which Pixel 8 phone is right for you, don’t worry, we have you covered. Here is how the Pixel 8 Pro compares to the Pixel 8 and what features you miss out on if you don’t go Pro.
Price, specs, availability
The company announced the Google Pixel 8 Pro and Pixel 8 on 4 October during its Made by Google event. As you might expect, the Pixel 8 Pro is the more expensive of the two devices, while the Pixel 8 is the cheaper of the two, and both are more expensive than their respective predecessors. There’s also thePixel 7ato consider if your budget is lower; however, and we havea comparison of the Pixel 8 and the Pixel 7ayou can read separately to help you decide between those devices if that’s where you think your money is better spent.
Back to the Pixel 8 devices, though. The Pixel 8 starts at $699 in the US, while the Pixel 8 Pro starts at $999 in the US. They will both be available globally, including in the UK, and we will add pricing details to this piece as they appear.
Specs aren’t everything, but they do tell some of the story, so if you want a quick glance at how these two devices compare, you’re able to check out the table below. Keep reading if you want a little more about how they differ rather than just the numbers.
Design and build
The Google Pixel 8 Pro and the Google Pixel 8 follow a very similar design language to their predecessors, thePixel 7 Proand thePixel 7, but that’s no bad thing. We are big fans of this design - it’s comfortable to hold and it looks great overall. Both the Pixel 8 Pro and the Pixel 8 have a raised camera housing on the rear that spans the width of the devices - a design element we have seen onPixel devicessince thePixel 6andPixel 6 Pro- though it has been refined since.
There’s a polished aluminium frame on the Pixel 8 Pro with a Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 rear that has a matte finish overall. In contrast, the Pixel 8 has a matte aluminium frame with a glossy Corning Gorilla Glass Victus back. The colours are different between these two models too, with the Pixel 8 Pro offered in Obsidian, Porcelain and Bay options and the Pixel 8 offered in Obsidian, Hazel and Rose.
You’ll find a premium finish across both the Pixel 8 Pro and the Pixel 8, and both have anIP68 water and dust resistance. There are some other differences to note on the design front, however. The Pixel 8 has a dual camera system, while the Pixel 8 Pro has a triple camera system. For the Pixel 8 Pro, the three lenses are now within one section - a refinement from the Pixel 7 Pro - so it’s a little more streamlined and consequently closer to the Pixel 8’s look, too, but the devices are distinguishable on the rear because of this. The Pixel 8 Pro also has a temperature sensor.
Things on the front are pretty much the same however. Both have acentralised punch-hole cameraat the top of their displays, both have flat displays, and both models have anunder-display fingerprint sensor. They also both have USB-C ports and stereo speakers with support for spatial audio. In terms of physical dimensions, the Pixel 8 is the smaller and lighter of these two devices.
The Google Pixel 8 Pro has the superior display of the two devices being compared here. There’s a 6.7-inch screen on offer that Google calls a Super Actua display, but in general terms, this is an LTPO OLED screen, so it comes with all the benefits of those technologies. There is a 2992 x 1344 pixel resolution on board, which delivers a pixel density of 489ppi, and there’s arefresh rate between 1Hz and 120Hz. It is also protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2, like the rear of the Pixel 8 Pro.
The Pixel 8, by comparison, has a 6.2-inch screen, which is called an Actua display, dropping the Super of the Pixel 8 Pro. It’s an OLED panel, so you will still get the punch and vibrancy delivered by OLED panels, but it isn’t an LTPO screen, and its refresh rate capabilities are between 60Hz and 120Hz instead. In reality, this means that the Pixel 8 Pro will be better at adapting to various forms of content, but there’s also a good chance you wouldn’t notice this difference between these devices unless you had them side-by-side.
When it comes to resolution, the Pixel 8 offers 2400 x 1080 pixels, which results in a 428ppi. It’s a little lower than the Pixel 8 Pro and so less detailed in theory, but you are very unlikely to be able to tell the difference that small with a human eye.
Elsewhere, both the Pixel 8 Pro and the Pixel 8 have an Always-On Display with At a Glance and Now Playing features. They also both support HDR and full 24-bit depth for 16 million colours. The one last area these two devices do differ when it comes to display is brightness. The Pixel 8 has a 1400nits HDR brightness and 2000nits peak brightness - matching that of thelatest iPhone 15 models, while the Pixel 8 Pro has a 1600nits HDR brightness and a 2400nits peak brightness, making it one of the brightestflagship smartphoneson the market.
Hardware and battery
Let’s talk about what’s under the hoods, then shall we? The Google Pixel 8 Pro and the Pixel 8 both run on Google’s Tensor G3 platform with Titan M2 security coprocessor. With that comes a range of features that they both share, from camera and microphone toggles to anti-malware and anti-phishing protection. They also - and this is a biggie - both come with seven years of OS update, security and Feature Drop updates. That means that while the battery might give up before then, you will still get access to many of the new future features Google releases in the coming years.
There are a couple of differences on the hardware front, though, including RAM. The Pixel 8 Pro offers 12GB of RAM, and it comes in storage options of 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB in most regions, as well as a 1TB option for those in the US. The Pixel 8 has 8GB of RAM and is available in 128GB and 256GB options. Neither model offers microSD support for storage expansion, so keep that in mind when selecting the storage model.
When it comes to battery, the Pixel 8 Pro has a 5050mAh capacity, while the Pixel 8 has a 4575mAh battery. Both offer 50 per cent charge in 30 minutes using a Google 30W USB-C Charger with USB-PD 3.0 - something that is sold separately - and both havefast wireless chargingand Battery Share, the latter of which means you can charge yourPixel Budsfrom your Pixel phone, for example.
We mentioned previously that the Google Pixel 8 had a dual camera system, while the Pixel 8 Pro had a triple camera system, but there’s more to this than just an extra lens on the Pixel 8 Pro. We will start with the straight-up specs and then dive a little deeper into the differences, as this is the area where the biggest differentiation between these devices lies. The Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro both have a 50-megapixel Octa PD wide camera that acts as their main sensor. It has 1.2µm pixels, an aperture of f/1.68 and an 82-degree field of view. Both devices can offer 2x optical from this sensor, which is something theiPhone 15also does and the Xperia 5 V using a similar method.
The Pixel 8 then offers a 12-megapixel ultra-wide sensor with 1.25µm pixels and an f/2.2 aperture. It has a 125.8-degree field of view, and there is a Lens Correction feature on board to cancel out the doming effect you can get when shooting with ultra-wide lenses. The Pixel 8 Pro has a 48-megapixel Quad PD ultra-wide sensor by comparison, with 0.8µm pixels and a wider aperture of f/1.95. Its field of view is 125.5 degrees, and it, too, has Lens Correction.
The Pixel 8 Pro also has a 48-megapixel Quad PD telephoto sensor that offers a 0.7µm pixel width and an aperture of f/2.8. It delivers 5x optical zoom, along with 30x Super Res Zoom. The Pixel 8 doesn’t have a telephoto lens, but the main sensor offers 8x Super Res Zoom.
On the front, both the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro have a 10.5-megapixel sensor with 1.22µm pixels and an f/2.2 aperture. However, the Pixel 8 Pro has autofocus, while the Pixel 8 has fixed focus.
In terms of camera features, these are a little different between the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro too. Both have the traditional Google features likeNight Sight, Face Unblur, Astrophotography and Portrait Mode, alongsideMagic Eraserand Macro Focus. There are some new features too, including Best Take, which looks like it could be a real game-changer for group shots. The Pixel 8 Pro also has high-resolution images, as well as Pro controls. Pro controls are designed to give those who want to do more than point-and-shoot a little more control, such as adjusting shutter speed and ISO. Additionally, the Pixel 8 Pro has Night Sight Video and Video Boost features, as well as digital zoom up to 20x. The Pixel 8 has digital zoom up to 7x for video.
Conclusion: Should you buy the Pixel 8 Pro or the Pixel 8?
The Google Pixel 8 Pro is the superior device on paper, offering a larger display, a more capable camera system and a slightly more premium design. There’s also more RAM, bigger capacity storage options, more camera features and a bigger battery overall, which makes it the device we would recommend based on the specs.
However, that’s not to say the Pixel 8 doesn’t have a solid place. It has a lot going for it, not just in terms of a lighter build and likely very capable camera offering, but it runs on the same chipset as the Pixel 8 Pro, has a solid battery capacity for its size, and it comes with 7 years of software updates like the 8 Pro. It’s also quite a bit cheaper, and while you miss out on a few features, some of these may not matter to you, in which case the Pixel 8 is a great option on paper.
Google’s Pixel 8 offers most of the high-end Pixel 8 Pro’s key features, including a powerful processor, a great design and a stellar camera, for a lower price.
