Google’s latest announcement has revealed the long-awaited Pixel 8 series smartphones alongside the smartwatch Pixel Watch 2.
The new duo comes in the flavors of the base Pixel 8 and the much more powerful Pixel 8 Pro.
Both of them are focused on bringing an AI-augmented experience to their users on top of the usual “flagship class parts” like exquisite displays, high-performance chips like the new Google Tensor G3, a blatantly powerful set of cameras, and more.
Google Photos is one of the main apps the brand is focusing on for this release. With the power of AI (particularly generative AI), one can now snap photos of subjects and change their expressions and face directions just to start.
Users can also remove objects just by highlighting them and the generative fill will take care of the rest. You can also enjoy the smooth scaling of selected objects without making them blurry or choppy.
Avid video-recording fellas will appreciate the Audio Magic Eraser removing distracting cues like wind and noisy crowds so only you are the one thing to be focused on.
Google will also implement Video Boost for the Pixel 8 Pro later this year adding more post-processing like color and lighting optimization.
Here are some quick feature summaries before we hit the spec sheet check.
- Summarize webpages with Summary
- Better context understanding when interacting with Voice Assistant
- Enhanced spam call blocking
- “Appointment” or “Confirmation” calls can be replied by AI via Call Screen
|
Model |
Pixel 8 |
Pixel 8 Pro |
|
Display |
6.2-inch OLED (1080p Resolution, Middle Punch Hole Notch, 120Hz Refresh Rate, HDR10+ Support) |
6.7-inch LTPO OLED (1080p+ Resolution, Middle Punch Hole Notch, 120Hz Refresh Rate, HDR10+ Support) |
|
Chipset |
Google Tensor G3 |
|
|
RAM |
8GB |
12GB |
|
Storage |
Up to 256GB |
Up to 1TB |
|
Back Cameras |
Main: 50MP f/1.7 with multi-directional PDAF, laser AF, OIS
Ultra-Wide: 12MP f/2.2 |
Main: 50MP f/1.7 with multi-directional PDAF, multi-zone laser AF, OIS Telephoto: 48MP f/2.8 with dual pixel PDAF, OIS, 5x Optical Zoom Ultra-Wide: 48MP f/2.0 with dual pixel PDAF |
|
Front Camera |
10.5MP with PDAF |
|
|
Battery |
4,575mAh (27W Wired, 18W Wireless, Reverse Wireless) |
5,050mAh (30W Wired, 23W Wireless, Reverse Wireless) |
|
Colors |
Obsidian, Hazel, Rose |
Obsidian, Porcelain, Bay |
Now moving onto the Pixel Watch 2 created from 100% recycled aluminum for that “environment protection” cause while being 10% lighter than the original Pixel Watch.
Housing a larger and flushier crown with a circular silhouette, it is much easier to grab and turn around now.
Under the hood is a new quad-core CPU chip that combines another low-power co-processor for 24 hours of battery life with AoD on. Forgot to charge? Get 50% in just half an hour.
The 3 new sensors work together to provide user with more information than before such as the new heart rate sensor with various LEDs capable of grabbing a more accurate heart rate reading in addition to calories burned tracking, and sleep quality monitoring.
Firbit’s Body Response is also finally in thanks to the new continuous electrodermal activity (cEDA) sensor pointing out possible signs of stress through AI algorithm and sends the user a notification if it does detect it.
Want to know how hot or cold you become during sleep? The new skin temperature sensor will update you about that.
Aside from inheriting every sports-related property from the Pixel Watch, the new Heart Rate Zone Coaching and Pace Training features is gonna help you settle your workout goals.
In terms of safety protection, the usual fall detection and Emergency SOS is staying while some new proactive stuff like Medical ID, Emergency Sharing and Safety Check has been added, triggerable by user’s intention.
Medical ID is straightforward – displays any info such as disease and meds to the relevant people; Emergency Sharing allows quick spreading of urgent or sudden matters of people or the environment; and Safety Check which is some sort of “check-in” like system where if a given set of timer has reached for a particular activity, up to 15 people will be contacted.
Last but not least, let’s briefly go through how it harnesses the full power of Wear OS 4:
- Image and GIF previews
- Call, message, and get directions with one tap on the notification screen
- Bolder text and better TTS for improved accessibility
- Easily transfer data when switching phones
- Popular apps added such as Gmail, Calendar, YouTube Music, Google Maps, WhatsApp, and more
It can quickly pair with the Fitbit app and other Pixel devices out of the box as you expected.
Just a quick side note, Google also took the chance to update the Pixel Buds Pro through a series of AI-powered upgrades including better voice calling quality, lower gaming latency, and Conversation Detection which turns on Transparency Mode when human speech is detected within close range.
Price and Availability
The Google Pixel 8 series and Pixel Watch 2 are available for preorders at the following price while the official launch is on next Thursday (October 12).
- Pixel 8 – From $1,099
- Pixel 8 Pro – From $1,549
- Pixel Watch 2 – $525
