3 Google Pixel 8 rumors ahead of its October reveal

With all the Google Pixel 8 leaks, there isn't much about the new phone and its Pro counterpart that is left to the imagination ahead of the Oct. 4 reveal event. Nonetheless, the new series of Pixel devices have some major hype around them. From display tweaks to camera upgrades, let's dive into the most credible rumors that have emerged about the Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro.

Display and Design

The forthcoming Pixel 8's design seems to be an evolution rather than a revolution. In April, display analyst Ross Young revealed that the Pixel 8 is a tad bit smaller than its predecessor, sporting a 6.16-inch OLED screen in contrast to the Pixel 7's 6.32 inches. However, the Pro model is expected to retain the same size as the 7 Pro at 6.7 inches.

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Young's tweet was all but confirmed in August when Google accidentally launched its Pixel Simulator website, giving us a complete 360-degree look at the Pixel 8 Pro. It also confirmed that the Pixel 8 Pro will come in Liquorice, Porcelain, and Sky colorways. A Jade colorway was also confirmed via a wallpaper leak. The Pixel Simulator was eventually taken down and Google, for its part, gave us an official sneak peek of the 8 series last week, with the phone having undergone subtle alterations — the most noticeable being rounder edges and a new sensor underneath the flash on the horizontal camera bar (more on this in a second).

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Performance and Camera

The Pixel 8's hardware could get a significant boost with the rumored inclusion of a "next-generation" Tensor G3 chip. Android Authority described the Tensor G2 as "a rather uninspiring chipset in terms of CPU performance." The same report from June says the Tensor G3 chip will feature "more modern CPUs," with "four little Cortex-A510s, four Cortex-A715s, and a single Cortex-X3." Other leaked specs in the report also suggest that the GPU on the Pixel 8 will support ray-tracing and possibly 8K video.

On the camera side of things, speculations are rife about a transition from the Isocell GN1 primary camera to a more advanced Isocell GN2, with the biggest change being the ultrawide camera — the 8 Pro will apparently switch to the improved 64MP Sony IMX787 sensor and include a time-of-flight sensor, which should refine the autofocus mechanism. However, the same leaks say that the standard Pixel 8 model will only see an upgrade to the primary camera.

Interestingly enough, the Pixel 8 Pro is said to come with an IR thermometer (that's the suspicious-looking sensor I mentioned above). The leak comes from 91mobiles and tipster Kuba Wojciechowski, and if true, is an extremely niche feature for a phone. The Pro will come with a body temperature app — and it's rumored that the sensor can measure the temperature of objects, too.

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Pricing and Release Date

Google has already announced its Made by Google event for Oct. 4 and confirmed that the Pixel 8 will be available on the same day for pre-order. Based on last year's Pixel reveal, sites like Tom's Hardware suggest that the new Pixel will hit retail shelves about a week after its announcement, so likely on or around October 11.

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Price-wise, reliable leaker Yogesh Brar has said on X (formerly Twitter), that the Pixel 8 and Pro will cost $649 and $699, respectively, at launch. This will make the regular model about $100 more than the Pixel 7, but it's still exponentially cheaper than the iPhone 15, which starts at $799 and can cost anywhere up to $1599 for the Pro Max with 1TB.