Google launched its Pixel 8 lineup last fall following many months of leaks leading up to its release. The Pixel 8 and 8 Pro sport new finishes, faster processors, better cameras, and a splash of AI software features. Alongside the phones comes the Pixel Watch 2 with a more advanced sensor array and updated Pixel Buds that now have conversation detection that can automatically put you into transparency mode.
Now, with another Google I/O event right around the corner, Google has officially introduced the Pixel 8A, that shares updated processing power and some AI features with its more expensive siblings.
Google’s newfound appetite for generative AI includes new photo editing tools that let you move people around and replace the sky with Magic Editor and also remove unwanted objects with an improved Magic Eraser. Another big new feature is Best Take, where you can select the best facial expressions of your friends in successive photos and pop them into one image. All together, it’s contributing to a new what-is-a-photo apocalypse.
The Pixel 8 and 8 Pro both rock Google’s Tensor 3 chip, but only the Pro will get extra pro camera features like manual modes and zoom enhance. But the must-have features of the Pixel 8s aren’t the brighter screens or the Pro’s weird temperature sensor — it’s the promise of seven years of software updates, which is unprecedented on an Android device.
You can learn all about the Pixel 8 lineup by gliding through all of our coverage below.
Highlights
- Google’s Pixel 8A is a midrange phone that might actually go the distance
- Pixel 8 and 8 Pro review: in Google we trust?
- Google Pixel Watch 2 review: better battery, better watch
- What’s up with the temperature sensor on the Pixel 8 Pro?
- The Pixel 8 and the what-is-a-photo apocalypse
- The Pixel 8’s best new feature is guaranteed updates
Jun 11
Google’s June Pixel update brings Gemini AI to cheaper phones
Google’s latest feature drop for Pixel devices is a big one for people who want to run its AI tech on cheaper phones, folks who constantly misplace their phones, and photographers who want a little more control.
Read Article >The latest update, which starts rolling out today, will make the mobile-ready Gemini Nano model that was already available to Pixel 8 Pro owners available as an option on the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8A phones, too. Apple just announced a slew of new AI features for its platforms, but similar to Google’s initial announcement that it eventually walked back, Apple has restricted Apple Intelligence to people with the latest iPhone 15 Pro.
May 7
Google’s Pixel Tablet relaunch at $399 makes its magnetic dock optional
Along with a new value-priced entry for the Pixel 8 lineup, Google has some news about the largest member of the Pixel lineup, as its 128GB Pixel Tablet is now available for preorder at $399 — $100 cheaper than the launch price last summer.
Read Article >However, to reach that price, you’ll have to go without its smart display-like magnetic Charging Speaker Dock.
May 7
Google’s Pixel 8A is a midrange phone that might actually go the distance
The Pixel 8A is officially here, with very little in the way of surprises since it leaked to all heck over the past few weeks — as Google hardware always does. The 8A gets Google’s latest processor, adds a bunch of new AI features, and still starts at $499 in the US. But the very best news is that the 8A adopts the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro’s seven years of software support, which is just unheard of in a midrange phone.
Read Article >The 8A retains the same general shape and size as its predecessor. But its 6.1-inch screen gets a couple of significant updates: the top refresh rate is now 120Hz, up from 90Hz, and the panel gets up to 40 percent brighter, up to 2,000 nits in peak brightness mode. They’re important upgrades, especially since the 8A’s main competition in the US, the OnePlus 12R, comes with an excellent display.
Apr 30
Pixel 8A leak reveals $499 starting price
The Google Pixel 8A might not be getting that rumored price hike after all. Details shared with Smartprix by reliable leaker OnLeaks suggest that the base 128GB model will have the same $499 price as its predecessor.
Read Article >However, Google could bump the price of the Pixel 8A to $559 for a new 256GB storage option, according to Smartprix. The leak also suggests that the Pixel 8A will come with a larger 4,500mAh battery instead of the 4,385mAh option that came with the Pixel 7A.
Apr 26
Ah, the time-honored tradition of Google keeping no Pixel secrets.This time, we get a full-on Pixel 8A promo video leaked courtesy of MySmartPrice showing it’ll get Google’s AI features from the Pixel 8, including Best Take, Circle to Search, Live Translate, and Audio Magic Eraser.
It’s arriving just hours after the last Pixel 8A leak, but Google’s tradition of coughing up hardware info early goes back much, much, much further.
Update April 29th: Original video was taken down.
Apr 26
Google Pixel 8A leak reveals seven years of security updates
We’ve already seen a bunch of images revealing what Google’s Pixel 8A might look like, but now, leaked marketing materials shared by Android Headlines give us an even better picture of what we can expect. The promotional images suggest that the budget-friendly Pixel 8A will come with seven years of security updates.
Read Article >But the materials don’t indicate whether the phone will come with seven years of Android OS upgrades, something its flagship Pixel 8 and 8 Pro have. Still, the seven years makes a big difference from Google’s previous policy for Pixel phones, which only provided five years of security updates and three years of Android OS upgrades.
Apr 12
Google’s Pixel 8A leaks in all colors — including a bold green
We’re a month out from Google I/O, where the company will likely announce its new Pixel 8A phone. At this point, there have already been plenty of renders and even some real-world shots. And now, courtesy of Android Headlines, it appears official marketing images of the device have leaked.
Read Article >If accurate, they show that Google plans to offer the Pixel 8A in four colors: black, porcelain, blue, and a very vibrant green. It’s certainly more saturated than the subdued “mint” that Google added to the Pixel 8 color choices earlier this year.
Mar 28
Surprise! Google will let the Pixel 8 run on-device AI after all
We did it, y’all. We bullied Google into letting the Pixel 8 run on-device AI. Starting with the next Pixel feature drop, the Pixel 8 will use Gemini Nano for a couple of AI features.
Read Article >Google announced Gemini Nano as its mobile-optimized large language model in December and said it would be a core part of Android in the future — but in its own device lineup, only the Pixel 8 Pro was able to use it. Despite using the same Tensor G3 chipset, the Pixel 8 wasn’t getting on-device AI because of “hardware limitations.” Pixel fans and watchful Android experts asked the same question: what the heck, Google?
Mar 19
The Google Pixel 8A may get a brighter, 120Hz display
Google’s Pixel 8A may have a 120Hz display — up from 90Hz in the Pixel 7A — and a brighter screen, according to Kamila Wojciechowska, whose past leaks have included videos of the pre-release Pixel Fold.
Read Article >Google’s I/O 2024 conference is set for May 14th, when the company will likely talk a lot about AI again. That’s also probably where the company will announce the Pixel 8A.
Mar 17
Google is prepping “Powered Off Finding” for Android phones.You may still be able to use find your Pixel 8 or 8 Pro when it’s off using Google’s Find My Device network in Android 15, writes Mishaal Rahman for Android Police.
Rahman says older Pixel phones, including the Pixel Fold, don’t appear to support the in-progress feature, though.
Android 15 will let you find your Pixel 8 even when it's off[Android Police]
Mar 7
The Pixel 8 won’t get Gemini Nano because of “reasons.”Google is hosting its quarterly show for Android developers and the ever-watchful Mishaal Rahman caught the response to a great question: will the regular Pixel 8 be able to run Google’s mobile-optimized language model? Google’s answer: No, because of “hardware limitations.”
The thing is, the Pixel 8 uses the very same chipset as the Pixel 8 Pro, which can run Gemini Nano. What the heck, Google?
Mar 5
The Pixel 8a may get a 256GB storage boost — and a price hike
The Pixel 8a phone is getting a new 256GB tier, at least according to rumblings heard from retailers by the usually reliable German tech news site WinFuture. The site’s sources also say it will come in four colors, like the $499 Pixel 7a, but it will cost a quite a bit more than that phone at €569.90, or about $618 USD.
Read Article >According to WinFuture’s sources, the beefed-up storage version will cost even more — €630 (about $684 USD) — putting it a whiff away from the regular Pixel 8’s $699 price tag. However, as the site notes, that could be subject to change.
Jan 17
Google’s Circle to Search is a dead-simple way to find what you’re looking for
It’s hard to think of a more self-explanatory feature than Circle to Search: it does exactly what it sounds like it does. You circle something on your phone screen, tap a button, and voila! A page full of Google search results telling you about the thing you circled. Easy, right? The new feature is launching on five phones to start — the three members of Samsung’s brand-new Galaxy S24 series, as well as Google’s Pixel 8 and 8 Pro — before it comes to other “select, premium” Android phones.
Read Article >Well, maybe it does need a little explaining. If the feature sounds familiar, you might be thinking of Google Lens, which is similar. But instead of opening up the Google app, you can use Circle to Search anywhere on your device. Just long-press the home button if you’re using three-button navigation — or the navigation handle if you’re using gesture nav — and it will appear on top of whatever app or screen you’re currently using. You can circle, highlight, or tap a subject, including text as well as images.
Dec 23, 2023
The Pixel 8 Pro’s videos get a whole lot brighter with video boost
When Google introduced Night Sight on the Pixel 3, it was a revelation.
Read Article >It was as if someone had literally turned on the lights in your low-light photos. Previously impossible shots became possible — no tripod or deer-in-the-headlights flash needed.
Dec 14, 2023
Google releases on-device diagnostics tool and repair manuals for Pixel phones
Google is releasing a tool to help users diagnose problems with their Pixel phones. Users can launch the app by entering *#*#7287#*#* on the dial pad, allowing them to check whether their phone is working correctly before or after a repair.
Read Article >There are a bunch of diagnostic tools available within the app. While users can run a full diagnostic test to detect issues across the entire device, there are also options to run individual tests for physical defects and problems affecting the phone’s display, sensors, and connectivity. The new tool is available on all Pixel phones in English.
Dec 8, 2023
It’s time for the annual MKBHD Blind Smartphone Camera Test.Marques Brownlee is once again crowdsourcing opinions on photos. You can head to the voting site where, in three categories (standard, low-light, and portrait mode), you’ll see the same photo taken by 20 different smartphones and judge which one you prefer in side-by-side comparisons.
Last year’s results revealed some notable differences in how different phones process the same situation — we’ll find out soon how far apart they are now.
Dec 6, 2023
Google is ending the year with a big update for Pixel devices
Google is bringing some sophisticated new AI smarts to the Pixel 8 Pro today, but it’s not stopping there. The company is also rolling out its December feature drop for Pixel hardware, which includes two big software features for the 8 Pro — but plenty of new tricks for other devices as well.
Read Article >Video Boost, which is exclusive to Google’s larger-size flagship, will be available starting today. It “uploads your videos to the cloud where our computational photography models adjust color, lighting, stabilization and graininess,” according to Google’s blog post. After that, you receive a touched-up video that “looks true to life.” This isn’t something anyone’s really gotten to test much yet, so we’re all about to find out together where Video Boost works well and where it doesn’t.
Dec 6, 2023
Google’s Gemini AI model is coming to the Pixel 8 Pro — and eventually to Android
Gemini may be the biggest, most powerful large language model, or LLM, Google has ever developed, but it’s better suited to running in data centers than on your phone. With Gemini Nano, though, the company is trying to split the difference: it built a reduced version of its flagship LLM that can run locally and offline on your device. Well, a device, anyway. The Pixel 8 Pro is the only Nano-compatible phone so far, but Google sees the new model as a core part of Android going forward.
Read Article >If you have a Pixel 8 Pro, starting today, two things on your phone will be powered by Gemini Nano: the auto-summarization feature in the Recorder app, and the Smart Reply part of the Gboard keyboard. Both are coming as part of the Pixel’s December Feature Drop. Both work offline since the model is running on the device itself, so they should feel fast and native.
Oct 20, 2023
Pixel 8 Pro teardown exposes its temperature sensor and a sticky battery setup
We’ve already seen a teardown of the standard Pixel 8 model, but now iFixit has taken apart the $999 Pixel 8 Pro, offering a close look at the new temperature sensing tech that lives beneath the phone’s display.
Read Article >iFixit’s Shahram Mokhtari starts by removing the Pixel 8 Pro’s screen using a heating mat, a clamp, and a pick. After disconnecting the display from the device, Mokhtari folds back the 5G mmWave antenna cable and unscrews the main frame. From there, Mokhtari attempts to remove the 5,050mAh battery by pulling at the plastic tabs beneath the component.
Oct 17, 2023
Fitbit is adding step streaks back into the app
When the Fitbit app relaunched with a new design last month, some users were dismayed to find that their step streaks had disappeared. Now, Google — which owns Fitbit — says it’s taking user feedback into consideration and bringing the feature back.
Read Article >“In these first few weeks of trying out the new Fitbit app, you voiced key areas where you think we can improve the experience,” Google wrote in a Fitbit support blog.
Oct 12, 2023
1,000 photos with the Pixel 8 Pro: AI, UI, and Pro stuff
The $999 Google Pixel 8 Pro takes good photos with its 50-megapixel f/1.68 main sensor. For the most part, subjects are sharp, colors aren’t too saturated, and the focus fall-off can fool you into thinking images came from a larger camera. But it’s important to remember that Google is a software company that sometimes makes hardware. And for every one photo it takes, there are two AI editing tools ready to either make its hardware look better than it really is or create a scene that isn’t necessarily true.
Read Article >In the latest episode of my YouTube series Full Frame, I set out to take 1,000 photos with the Pixel 8 Pro. From 4K, 24FPS video of fall in upstate New York to ultrawide macro shots of my eyeballs, I put this system to the test.
Oct 11, 2023
RIP to the Sphere.Not the Vegas one... the photo spheres that Google used to let you capture. They’ve been removed as a feature from the latest Pixels.
I’m told by reliable sources that I am the only person who ever used this feature. But I am here to insist: it was a good feature! Photo Spheres were a delightful way to step back into a space and time. I guess we’re back to taking really stretchy panoramas.
The Pixel 8 lacks a camera mode Google offered since 2012[Android Authority]
Oct 11, 2023
Google has fixed its recent history of terrible speakers with the Pixel 8 Pro
I carried around a Pixel 7 Pro as my primary phone for several months and enjoyed many aspects of it — but the audio that came from its speakers was thin and feeble compared to flagships from Apple, Samsung, and others. And this wasn’t a new flaw in the Pixel line by any stretch: it’s something Google has overlooked over multiple years now.
Read Article >I’d argue that things really went off the tracks starting with the Pixel 5, when Google replaced the conventional earpiece speaker with an over-engineered, under-display alternative that used vibrations to produce sound. The result was something that was passable for voice calls but underwhelming for anything else. It was a noticeable downgrade coming from perfectly adequate stereo speakers that Google had included on the Pixel 4 and 4 XL.
Oct 11, 2023
Pixel 8 and 8 Pro review: in Google we trust?
Google’s pitch for the Pixel phone in recent years has centered on how smart the phone is — that it’s one step ahead of you and can help take some of the pain out of your daily chores. The Pixel 6 and 7 didn’t quite live up to that vision, but these Pixel 8 devices feel like the first phones that could turn the sales pitch into a reality.
Read Article >Right now, they’re better phones than their predecessors in some appreciable ways. And the potential of these devices is more compelling — the trouble is, Google is asking for a lot of your trust to get there.
Oct 11, 2023
Google Pixel Watch 2 review: better battery, better watch
For whatever reason, being second generally isn’t a good thing in our culture. It’s baked into our vernacular: sophomore slumps, second place is the first loser — even the parable of the prodigal son was about a second-born child. In the world of smartwatches, we never talk about the Apple Watch Series 2, Samsung went straight from the Galaxy Watch to the Galaxy Watch 3, and Wear OS 2 was Bad. So I’m chuffed that the $349.99 Google Pixel Watch 2 is the rare sequel that’s better than the original.
Read Article >Before this watch launched, I wrote that all it needed was good battery life. Spoiler alert — the Pixel Watch 2 has made big strides on this front (though probably not enough for folks looking for a truly multiday smartwatch). The watch went from being a gadget I had to baby to something that could fit into my everyday life. That, plus a barrage of updates big and small, have, in turn, opened up a lot of possibilities that just weren’t there last year.