Pixel 8 / Pixel 8 Pro

Unless the Pixel 8 is much smaller and about the same size as my 5, I'm pretty set on the Zenfone 10 at this point I think. I'm really digging its design/size, reported stellar battery life, and also its (optional) Zen UI that fixes the notification toggles to being reasonably sized instead of the stupid kiddy looking oversized ones on Pixels. I also dig the side-mounted FP scanner since most in-screen ones have been a flop esp. if you want to use a glass screen protector. The only gripe I have against it is Asus has only committed to 2 years of OS updates, but 4 years of security updates at least.

So hopefully Google really revamps the Pixel 8, but I'm not holding my breath with Tensor being any better for power efficiency since all leaks point to it being about the same as the last two revisions.
 
I've disliked the rear design of the Pixels since 6. Sure the tech gets better each year but it's just... not my thing—which is unfortunate since they're well-supported devices if wanting to flash.
 
Pixel 8 will be another disappointment, just like the Pixel 6(a) and Pixel 7(a) series. Leaked benchmarks indicate the Tensor G3 in Pixel 8 is falling behind last year's Snapdragon 8 Gen 1: https://www.notebookcheck.net/Tenso...1-in-early-Geekbench-appearance.723935.0.html

Pixels have amazing cameras, good software (monthly security patches, new Android versions as soon as they come out) and exclusive features like Call Screening, Hold for Me, Now Playing, Magic Eraser, etc... But why they use "Tensor" aka Samsung Exynos SOCs fabbed by Samsung, when even Samsung is using Qualcomm Snapdragons in their flagships doesn't hold up. Mediocre performance and battery coupled with running hot and throttling does not make a good product. I hope in 2025 when Google is rumored to switch to an in-house design SOC fabbed by TSMC it makes them worth considering.
 
Ugh, so the Pixel 8 Pro will really just be a Pixel 6.75. Because going to the 7 Pro from the 6 Pro was the smallest sidegrade ever, wasn't even noticeable what the upgrade was. And I agree using Samsung's Exynos chips is terrible. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is a beast, and with Gen 3 due out in Dec / Jan Google should just wait and use that.
 
I ordered a Samsung S23+ through Google Fi today. I just want to try it while waiting for the P8 Pro. I fully expected to return it even if I liked it to preserve the trade-in option with my P7P for the P8P. What I didn't expect was getting the S23+ for FREE. At least, that's what appears to be the case.

According to this bill breakdown, I got $500 instant rebate for P7P trade-in + $619 off for using Google Fi financing = no charge besides tax??? Am I reading this wrong?

s23+.png
 
I think the other $619.99 needs to be paid back over 24 months. Should be about $25.83 per month. So only the sales tax is due today.
 
Well... Fi does (or did) have $700 off a Z Flip 5 with no trade-in needed, even for those with the Simply Unlimited plan. So they can have very good phone deals if you intend to stick around for 2 years to get all of the credits. It'll be interesting to see what they do or don't do for the Pixel 8 Pro.
 
Honestly, unless your battery is dying or your current phone is damaged there aren't a whole lot of reasons to upgrade from anything made in the last few years. You already have 5G and something that supports the latest version of Android or iOS. It's not like the newer phones have gotten significantly smaller, thinner, better, faster, etc. You can only open Facebook, your calendar, or Chrome so quickly. Will you really notice a 5% better camera when you're probably looking at your photos on a phone screen anyway? Are mobile games that are optimized for an iPhone 4 or Android Kit Kat really going to be any better? Are you going to notice 2 milimeters more screen space when watching YouTube videos?
I get going for something new if you're coming from a Pixel 3-5 or an older iPhone. Anything newer and you really have to be into something specific to justify it.
 
Tensor G3 will switch to the more recent ARMv9 cores from 2022. This should offer parity between the G3 and other leading chipsets such as Qualcomm's SnapDragon 8 Gen 1 series.

SD8 Gen 3 due out in a few months, and Tensor 3 just matches the 2 year old Snapdragon, which wasn't know for good efficiency or battery life, it was the Gen 2 that has massive improvements to battery, and then the upcoming Gen 3 due out soon is supposed to still be very efficient, but offer a big hike in GPU performance 50%+ better than Gen 2.


My prediction for the 8 Pro, yes the flatter screen will be nice, but it's not iPhone 14 Pro or Nothing Phone 2 FLAT, it will still have a slight curve at the edge. But still a flatter display over the current curved screen will be welcomed.

The screen is supposed to also be brighter, which is good

Other than that, the Tensor 3 is another minor improvement over the Tensor 2, nothing radical, and not even close to the SD8 Gen 2. So I would expect performance and battery life to maybe be a little better than the current 7 Pro but not much
 
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Zorachus said:
This guy and his concept videos. LOL they never show what it will really look like, it's fantasy stuff. Based on rumors and leaks.

The phones in his videos always look way cooler than the real thing.
Click to expand...

Apparently you missed the headline where he declared this to be an "Official Look"
It's official!
 
Domingo said:
Apparently you missed the headline where he declared this to be an "Official Look"
It's official!
Click to expand...

"Official" as in he has a real Google Pixel 8 Pro from a Google tester that's directly from the Google factory?

Or what he thinks it will be official?

Sorry not busting your stones, this could be legit, but I see so many scam videos.
 
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Zorachus said:
"Official" as in he has a real Google Pixel 8 Pro from a Google tester that's directly from the Google factory?

Or what he thinks it will be official?

Sorry not busting your stones, this could be legit, but I see so many scam videos.
Click to expand...

I'm actually just making fun of his clickbait video titles. There's nothing "official" about anything in it, other than him putting that word in the title.
 
Was it the Pixel 7 Pro or 6 Pro where it was fully leaked officially months ahead of release?

Like some Google employee had it in Europe or something, and it was the real deal, it was the Google Pixel phone.

Waiting for that to happen with the Pixel 8 Pro.
 
Doesn't that happen with just about every phone/tech?
Especially from markets are less dominated by American companies.
I'm less than a casual observer compared to most people here and even I have noticed that some segments of tech gets leaked from way too early in some cases.
 
For somone who still on 4G (Samsung Galaxy S10+) and thinking about a Pixel, is the 8 looking like it'll be that disappointing? What's the best alternative (Android)? I've liked my S10+, but its starting to go south. My wife has an S22 and isn't a huge fan.
 
For Android it's only Pixel for me, or maybe the Nothing Phone 2.

I think the Pixel 8 will be a decent upgrade from the P8.
 
I tried the Samsung S23 Plus but returned it after only a few days. I liked its size -- just a bit smaller than my Pixel 7 Pro -- but not much else. For Android, I'm a Pixel guy. If the P8 Pro disappoints, I'm going back to the iPhone. I'll take my chances with the 15 Pro.
 
Mad Maxx said:
I tried the Samsung S23 Plus but returned it after only a few days. I liked its size -- just a bit smaller than my Pixel 7 Pro -- but not much else. For Android, I'm a Pixel guy. If the P8 Pro disappoints, I'm going back to the iPhone. I'll take my chances with the 15 Pro.
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Thanks Maxx, you saved me from wasting my time doing the same.

I've been toying what the idea for over a month on trying a S23 Ultra. 75% of the forums I read said it's an amazing phone, but 25% said if you're used to a Pixel stock Android phone, you won't like it. There's still some microstters and minor hiccups in One UI.

I'm also going to wait for the Pixel 8 Pro, most likely get that.

And I'm sort of half tempted to try a 15 Pro Max but I just don't like iOS that much, but will admit the [H]ardware inside the 15 Pro series looks to be next level.
 
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What color Pixel 8 Pro are you all looking at?

Seems the 8 Pro will come in 3 colors;

-White
-Black
-Light Blue

And the lower end regular 8 coming in;

-Cream White
-Black
-Green
 
Zorachus said:
What color Pixel 8 Pro are you all looking at?

Seems the 8 Pro will come in 3 colors;

-White
-Black
-Light Blue

And the lower end regular 8 coming in;

-Cream White
-Black
-Green
Click to expand...
I always choose Black but it really doesn't matter 'cuz as soon as I get a new phone I put it in a case.
 
Mad Maxx said:
Google better offer a big trade-in value for the 7 series if they want to keep me as a customer.
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Today midrange phones run pretty darm good.

Seriously, at the end of the day a $449 Pixel 7a vs. $850 Pixel 8, what's the real world difference in typical daily tasks, like phone calls, texts, emails, surfing the web and social media?

I'm not talking [H]ardcore benchmarks and gaming, but just daily usage. Would there be a night and day difference between a 7a and 8?
 
Zorachus said:
Today midrange phones run pretty darm good.

Seriously, at the end of the day a $449 Pixel 7a vs. $850 Pixel 8, what's the real world difference in typical daily tasks, like phone calls, texts, emails, surfing the web and social media?

I'm not talking [H]ardcore benchmarks and gaming, but just daily usage. Would there be a night and day difference between a 7a and 8?
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Valid! I'm sold on the 8P's flat AMOLED screen, but need to see some seriously strong battery life if I'm going to stay on team Android.
 
Mad Maxx said:
Google better offer a big trade-in value for the 7 series if they want to keep me as a customer.
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Ya know you don't need to upgrade every single year.
I'm hoping my 7 pro to last until Pixel X or whatever.

That said, I got more money for my 4a trade in than the phone cost me when I bought it originally. So there's a chance that'll happen again sometime.
 
TheSlySyl said:
Ya know you don't need to upgrade every single year.
I'm hoping my 7 pro to last until Pixel X or whatever.

That said, I got more money for my 4a trade in than the phone cost me when I bought it originally. So there's a chance that'll happen again sometime.
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Yes, I'm well aware that I need not upgrade every year. My 7 Pro's battery life is wretched. I'm ready to go iPhone if the 8 Pro doesn't offer much better battery life than what I have now.
 
I sure hope the 8 Pro isn't what the 7 Pro was to the 6 Pro, meaning a barely noticeable sidegrade at best, with the same poor battery life and similar bad modem and dim screen. But all the leaks are pointing to the Tensor 3 being just that, a minor upgrade and not much changing besides the flat screen and incremental hardware improvements.

Heck I might actually recommened the cheaper $449 Pixel 7a over the $850 Pixel 8 / $1200 Pixel 8 Pro ( sure hope these aren't the real prices? ).

Still think there won't be an amazing Pixel phone until 2025 when they release the Pixel X built from TSMC custom hardware and no more Samsung hardware / modem.

The Pixel X will be a massive leap forward in hardware. Until then it will all just be Pixel 6 part 2, 3, and 4.
 
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Base pixel phone for $850? Surely that's a joke? lol.

*Edit* I know people here look down on Xiaomis, but they're much bigger elsewhere in the world like Europe, India, etc. I just saw base Xiaomi 13s with 128/8gb for under $600 last sale. Shoot, the 13 Ultra with 1tb/16gb was like $1200, way less than that 8 pro price.

Google, what are you on? (if those prices are true).
 
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Mad Maxx said:
Yes, I'm well aware that I need not upgrade every year. My 7 Pro's battery life is wretched. I'm ready to go iPhone if the 8 Pro doesn't offer much better battery life than what I have now.
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I'm curious what you consider "wretched" or why. The Pixel 7 pro probably has the best battery life of every phone I've used. I normally get over 24 hours on a battery with normal usage. Playing games obviously changes that.
Screenshot_20230904-095042.png

Pokemon go, which I had open for hours yesterday (at full screen refresh) was my biggest drain, as it should be.
 
TheSlySyl said:
I'm curious what you consider "wretched" or why. The Pixel 7 pro probably has the best battery life of every phone I've used. I normally get over 24 hours on a battery with normal usage. Playing games obviously changes that.
View attachment 596115
Pokemon go, which I had open for hours yesterday (at full screen refresh) was my biggest drain, as it should be.
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My 7 Pro needs recharging at least twice/day. Its battery drains 20% - 25% in less than 2 hours just sitting unused on my desk. It had pretty good battery life (for Android) from the time I bought it until the February update. The battery has gone downhill since that and every subsequent update.
 
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