UPDATE (February 6, 2025): Google has started rolling out a new update to the Pixel 8 Pro, and many other Pixel phones. The update in question is the one for February 2025, and it’s a security update. Read more about it at the very end of the article.
The Pixel 8 Pro is the largest high-end Android smartphone Google announced in 2023. It’s also the most powerful handset that got announced by the company. It remains a similar design to its predecessor, the Pixel 7 Pro, but it’s improved in a number of ways. It launched alongside the vanilla Pixel 8, which is essentially its smaller variant. The Pixel 8 Pro includes three cameras on the back, unlike the Pixel 8’s two, a sharper and larger display, and so on. Having said that, let’s get to it, starting with the Pixel 8 Pro’s specifications.
Google Pixel 8 Pro specs
The Google Pixel 8 Pro features a 6.7-inch QHD+ (2992 x 1344) Super Actua display. This is an LTPO OLED display (1-120Hz refresh rate), and it’s protected by the Gorilla Glass Victus 2. The panel goes up to 2,400 nits of brightness at its peak. The Google Tensor G3 fuels the Pixel 8 Pro, while the phone includes 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM. It’s available in four storage variants, from 128GB to 1TB, while UFS 3.1 flash storage is used.
A 5,050mAh battery is included, while the phone supports wired and wireless charging at 30W. USB PD 3.0 (PPS) is supported, but Google recommends its 30W charger, which is not included in the box. You can get to around 50% in 30 minutes, but charging it the whole way will take considerably longer. The ‘Battery Share’ support is also a part of this package, so you can charge other devices wirelessly.
It has an improved camera setup
A 50-megapixel main camera (wide, f/1.68 aperture, 1.2um pixel size, 82-degree FoV, OIS + EIS) is backed by a 48-megapixel ultrawide camera (f/1.95 aperture, 0.8um pixel size, 125.5-degree FoV), and a 48-megapixel telephoto camera (f/2.8 aperture, 0.7um pixel size, 21.8-degree FoV, 5x optical zoom, Super Res Zoom up to 30x). On the front, a 10.5-megapixel camera (f/2.2 aperture, 1.22um pixel size, 95-degree FoV) is placed.
Android 14 comes out of the box here, with 7 years of software updates. Bluetooth 5.3 is also supported, as is Wi-Fi 7, and 5G. The phone does include stereo speakers, and Spatial Audio support. You will find an optical fingerprint scanner under the display of the Pixel 8 Pro. The phone also supports facial scanning thanks to its front-facing camera.
How much does the Google Pixel 8 Pro cost?
The Google Pixel 8 Pro comes in four different storage options, each of them has 12GB of RAM. As mentioned above, 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB versions are available in the US. That may differ in other markets. Having said that, the pricing for the Pixel 8 Pro starts at $999, and it jumps up $50 per variant. So, the other three variants are priced at $1,049, 1,099, and $1,149. Other markets will have different starting price tags too, so keep that in mind.
Where can I buy the Google Pixel 8 Pro?
You’ll be able to buy the Google Pixel 8 Pro at all of the usual places. That goes for both the carriers and the retailers. The list is available below.
– Google Store
– Amazon
– AT&T
– T-Mobile
– Verizon
– Best Buy
Are there any pre-order offers available?
If you opt to pre-order the Pixel 8 Pro, you can get a valuable freebie with the phone. Google is offering a free Pixel Watch 2 with a pre-order of the company’s smartphone. This offer is valid through the Google Store, Amazon, Best Buy, and even some carriers.
What carriers does it work on?
The good news is, the Google Pixel 8 Pro will work on all US carriers, basically. That includes AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon. On top of that, the phone will also work on their MVNOs too, including Visible, US Mobile, Metro by T-Mobile, Cricket, and others.
What colors does the Google Pixel 8 Pro comes in?
The Google Pixel 8 Pro comes in three color options, just like its sibling. The colors are different compared to the Pixel 8, though. The only color that the two phones share is Obsidian aka black. The other two Pixel 8 Pro colors are Bay (blue) and Porcelain (dirty white). The colors on offer could vary from one region to the next, and also from one store to the next, of course.
What new upgrades does the Google Pixel 8 Pro have over the Google Pixel 7 Pro?
A noticeably improved SoC
The Google Pixel 8 series comes with the Tensor G3 SoC. This chip is a considerable improvement over the Tensor G2, at least on paper. It’s still not on par with the best Qualcomm has to offer, not even close, but still… it’s a move forward. The difference is much bigger now than it was for the Tensor G2 compared to the original Tensor. Every major subsystem has been updated too.
Let there be light
The Google Pixel 8 Pro’s display caps out at 2,400 nits of brightness. The Pixel 7 Pro’s, on the flip side, offered a maximum brightness of 1,500 nits. Now, the Pixel 7 Pro did not exactly have a dim display, but this is a major improvement in comparison. Using the phone in direct sunlight will feel considerably different thanks to this. One thing to note is that the phone can reach that level of brightness only if the automatic brightness setting is used.
7 years of software support
The Google Pixel 8 series will get 7 years of software support. And no, not only 7 years of security update, but 7 years of “OS, security, and Feature Drop updates”. Google was quite clear to emphasize that OS updates are accounted into those 7 years. So you’ll be getting major Android OS updates until the year 2030 with this phone.
Improved cameras
Unlike the Pixel 8, the Pixel 8 Pro comes with three cameras on the back, just like its predecessor. Those cameras have been improved. A 50-megapixel main camera is backed by a 48-megapixel ultrawide camera, and a 48-megapixel telephoto camera. The main camera comes with new hardware, which offers 21% more light sensitivity compared to the Pixel 7 Pro. The ultrawide camera comes with a major new sensor to improve ultrawide photos, while macro shots should also see a major improvement. We still have a 48-megapixel telephoto camera here, but an improved one. 5x optical zoom is still a part of the package.
Faster RAM
The Google Pixel 8 Pro still includes 12GB of RAM, like its predecessor, but it has faster RAM on the inside. It comes with LPDDR5X RAM, compared to LPDDR5 RAM inside the Pixel 7 Pro. The same is the case for the smaller model, actually, even though it has less RAM. That should help with the overall snappiness during usage, and also with gaming.
What cases are available for the Google Pixel 8 Pro?
Google announced a single official case for the Pixel 8 Pro, as it did last year. This case comes in several color options, though. It comes in Bay, Charcoal, Coral, Mint, and Porcelain color options. In plain words, those are blue, black, red-ish, blue-ish, and light gray colors. The company says this case has a soft silicone feel to it, and that it’s made with “42% recycled materials”. It’s the same as the one for the Pixel 8. This case is priced at $29.99, in case you were wondering. Check out all the colors in the gallery below.
Google Pixel 8 official videos:
Should I buy the Google Pixel 8 Pro?
So, should you get the Pixel 8 Pro? Well, it all depends on what you’re looking for in a phone, and what’s your budget. This handset comes with a brighter display than its predecessor, a more capable processor, faster RAM, and a better camera setup. If any of those things make a difference to you, you may want to consider the device. It also has Google’s software and all the software features you’d expect, of course. It’s not cheap, though so… think hard before you pull the trigger.
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Updated January 30, 2024:
The Google Pixel 8 Pro is now available in a new color option, the so-called ‘Minty fresh’ color. This color is a combo between green and blue colors, kind of. It looks a bit washed out, and it goes with the ‘Mint’ case for the phone.
Google also released a bunch of new features in addition to this new color. The Pixel Feature Drop arrived for Google’s handset, and there are quite a few new features included here. We’ll talk about them below.
The Pixel 8 Pro as a medical tool
The Pixel 8 Pro has a new feature that allows you to check your, or someone else’s temperature, by using this phone. There is a temperature sensor on the back of the Pixel 8 Pro, and thanks to the new update, you can now use the Thermometer app to measure someone’s temperature. You can also easily share the results to your Fitbit profile if you want.
Circle to Search
Circle to Search is a feature that will start rolling out on January 31, Google said. This feature is actually immensely useful, as it allows you to search what you see on the screen. You can long-press the home button or the navigation bar, and then circle what you want to search. You can also scribble or tap in order to get more information from Google Search.
Magic Compose for Google Messages
If you’re using the Google Messages app, you’ll be glad to know that Magic Compose has landed. This new feature, thanks to AI, allows you to rewrite your drafted messages in different styles. You can make them more concise, or more dramatic, for example.
Photomoji
Have you ever wanted to use your dog or cat as a reaction emoji? Well, now you can. Thanks to Google’s AI, you can now choose a favorite picture of your dog, for example, and Google will create a cutout of it for you to use.
Quick Share
Nearby Share now has a new name, it’s called Quick Share. This comes as a result of a partnership with Samsung, but the functionality basically remains the same. You can still send files from one device to the other via WiFi without a problem. It works across Android, Windows, and ChromeOS platforms.
Updated February 6, 2024:
Google has started rolling out a new security update, for February 2024. It is now coming to all Pixel devices from Pixel 5a 5G and up. The Pixel 8 series is getting the most updates this time around. This update is issuing general improvements for system stability and performance in certain conditions for the two devices. On top of that, it brings a fix for display getting corrupted in certain conditions. On top of all that, a fix for stability or performance with certain third-party apps has also been included. The update rollout is staged, though, as per usual, so it may not arrive straight away, you may have to wait a couple of days.
Updated March 5, 2024:
The Google Pixel 8 Pro is getting a new Pixel Feature Drop update, the one that arrived in March. Let’s see what’s new for the phone, shall we? Google is making improvements to the Call Screen feature. The phone can now get things going if the caller is unresponsive. A ‘hello’ chip will appear, and Google Assistant can try to convince the caller to speak.
Thanks to this update, you also get a better Instagram experience. You can now use the Pixel 8 Pro to capture and share 10-bit HDR videos directly on Instagram Reels. Alternatively, you can also upload and share Ultra HDR photos on your Instagram feed. All the other changes are tied to other Pixel devices.
Updated April 3, 2024:
The Google Pixel 8 Pro is now receiving a new Android security update, for April 2024. As part of it, Google is rolling out 28 general security fixes for Android, and 25 Pixel-specific fixes. The company did not detail any of those fixes, unfortunately. What Google did detail is the bug fixes that are also a part of this update. Two out of four of the listed bug fixes are actually specific to the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro smartphones.
If you’ve been having problems with the camera exposure on the Pixel 8 Pro, that problem should be gone following this update. Also, Google has fixed the bug with the black halo artifacts. That was an issue when users were switching from photo to video mode at standard 1x zoom. On top of those two fixes, switching between zoom levels should be smoother than ever now.
Updated May 9, 2024:
Google has started rolling out a new Android security update to its Pixel phones. The Pixel 8 Pro is getting that update, and we’re talking about the May 2024 update. This update is not a major one, but the next will be, as the June update will be the next Pixel Feature Drop. That being said, the rollout of this update is staged, so you may not get it straight away. It’s rolling out to a bevy of Pixel 8 Pro models in the US, regardless if you bought it from Google, from a carrier, or somewhere else. This particular update delivers an improvement in Bluetooth LE audio performance. It also contains one Pixel 8 series-specific fix. It fixes the camera performance under certain conditions when recording a video.
Updated June 12, 2024: (Pixel Feature Drop)
The time has come for a new Pixel Feature Drop. Google started rolling it out to its Pixel phones, including its current-gen flagship, the Pixel 8 Pro. This update brings a number of new features to the device, so let’s see what’s what. Thanks to Gemini, the Recorder app will deliver more detailed, downloadable summaries to the Pixel 8 Pro. It’s now able to detect and include the names of speakers. It also has the ability to export transcripts into either text files or doc files.
DisplayPort support has also reached the Pixel 8 Pro. You can now easily mirror your phone’s display on a monitor, for example, via the Type-C port. Once you connect the cable, your phone will detect the secondary screen, and ask you whether you’d like to engage in display mirroring.
Furthermore, thanks to an improvement to the Find My Device feature, you can now locate your Pixel 8 Pro handset even if it’s powered off, and its battery is dead. On top of that, the Pixel camera can now automatically identify the best moment from your photo in HDR+, says Google, with just a single shutter press.
On top of all that, reverse phone number lookup is now also enabled, just in case you need it. Plus some additional changes which you can read more about by clicking here.
Updated August 28, 2024: (August 2024 security update)
Google is rolling out the August 2024 Android security update to the Pixel 8 Pro. This is just one of many Pixel phones that is getting the update. In addition to some security improvements, Google has also fixed an issue with screen brightness flickering under certain conditions. On top of that, general improvements for display performance and stability have been rolled out.
It’s also worth noting that Google’s ‘Zoom Enhance’ feature is now also available on the Pixel 8 Pro. This is a feature that debuted on the Pixel 9 series, but trickled down to the Pixel 8 Pro as promised.
Updated September 11, 2024: (September 2024 security update)
A new security patch is rolling out to the Google Pixel 8 Pro. The one for September 2024 is on the way. Many of you have probably already received it. Those of you who haven’t will get it soon, as the rollout is staged. In any case, other than security updates, this patch also delivers a rather specific “fix to remove third-party APK to address security vulnerability”. We’re not 100% sure, but this probably has to do with the demo APK that comes on Verizon’s models. The app’s name is ‘Showcase’, and it is usually hidden on Verizon’s phones.
Updated October 18, 2024: (Android 15 & Pixel Feature Drop)
Android 15 is on its way to the Google Pixel 8 Pro, along with the latest Pixel Feature Drop. There are a number of changes to talk about here, actually. Google has introduced a new camera mode for underwater photography and video, all you’ll need is a waterproof case. Speaking of the camera, Astrophotography has been improved, and the company now also supports Night Sight for Instagram. You can take great low-light photos directly from the Instagram app.
Google also brought its Theft Protection suite to its phones, just in case your device gets stoled. Audio Magic Eraser, which was announced during the Pixel launch event, is now rolling out too. Google has also improved the Pixel Weather app, as pollen detection is available in specific markets. A number of other improvements have been brought over to the Pixel 8 Pro. You can check out all the changes here.
Updated November 12, 2024: (November 2024 security update)
The Google Pixel 8 Pro is now receiving a new Android security update, one for November 2024. This update delivers 21 security fixes for the Android operating system. In addition to that, Google also noted that general improvements for performance and stability in certain UI transitions and animations have also been issued. Do note that while this update is rolling out, it doesn’t mean that you’ll get it straight away. It could take a short while before you do, so be patient.
Updated December 10, 2024: (Pixel Feature Drop for December 2024)
The Google Pixel 8 Pro is now receiving the last Pixel Feature Drop of the year. As part of this update, quite a few new functionality was pushed to the company’s handset. Gemini Advanced got a boost thanks to the ‘saved info’ feature. Gemini will be able to provide more helpful and relevant responses tailored to your goals and needs. You can now also ask Gemini to call personal contacts or businesses, as well as draft and send messages with your default phone and messaging apps.
You can now also peek into conversations between the caller and the AI agent during an automatic Call Screen. ‘Expressive Captions’ are a part of this update too. Your phone, thanks to AI, will be able to automatically capture the intensity and emotion of how someone is speaking for any content with sound only our phone, even livestreams. Many more changes have been issued, you can find more information over at Google’s official website.
Updated January 15, 2025: (January 2025 security update)
The Google Pixel 8 Pro is now receiving the January 2025 Android security patch. This update fixed 26 security issues that were present in Android 15. They range from high to critical. The update itself weighs less than 100MB, and it is rolling out in stages as we speak. Some of you may have to wait a bit in order to get it.
In addition to these security fixed, some additional changes are mentioned in the changelog for this phone. This update fixes the audio delay and stability issue when using certain apps. Another fix is for an issue with the Pixel launcher themed icon color display, which was an issue in certain conditions.
Updated February 6, 2025: (February 2025 security update)
The Google Pixel 8 Pro is now getting the February 2025 Android security update. This is just one of many Pixel devices that is getting the update as we speak. It’s rolling out in stages, though, so you may have to wait a bit before you get it. In any case, this update delivers fixes for high-level CVEs, and it also patches one specific Pixel vulnerability, one related to the battery mitigation subcomponent. On top of that, it fixes an issue with audio output in Android Auto, which is an issue in certain conditions.