Google just revealed the $699 Pixel 8 and $999 Pixel 8 Pro, the latest versions of its flagship Android phones. Both handsets pack a ton of AI-driven tricks and upgraded cameras, and deliver the purest version of the Android experience.
And while both will run on Android 14, feature Google’s new Tensor G3 processor and pack always-on-displays, they differ in significant ways. Some are obvious, while others you’ll need to read further to discover, since a lot of Google’s best features are software-based.
Thinking about upgrading? Here’s everything you need to consider when choosing between the Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro.
Google Pixel 8 vs. Google Pixel 8 Pro at a glance
Rated for all-day battery life and sporting the new Google Tensor G3 chip, the Google Pixel 8 also boasts the new Actua display tech.
The 6.7-inch Pixel 8 Pro upgrades you to a triple rear camera system with a 5x telephoto camera, and it even has a built-in thermometer.
Quick comparison
 |
 |
|
|---|---|---|
| Display | 6.2-inch, 2400 x 1800 always-on Actua display (60 to 120Hz) |
6.2-inch, 2992 x 1344 always-on Super Actua display (1 to 120Hz) |
| Processor | Google Tensor G3 with Titan M2 |
Google Tensor G3 with Titan M2 |
| Storage | 128GB / 256GB |
128GB /256GB / 512GB / 1TB |
| Memory | 8GB |
12GB |
| Rear cameras | 50-megapixel Octa PD wide camera, 12-megapixel ultrawide camera |
50-megapixel Octa PD wide camera, 12-megapixel Quad PD ultrawide camera, 48-megapixel Quad PD telephoto camera |
| Front camera | 10.5-megapixel Dual PD selfie camera |
10.5-megapixel Dual PD selfie camera |
| Colors | Hazel, Obsidian, Rose |
Bay, Obsidian, Porcelain |
| Size and weight | 5.9 x 2.8 x 0.4 inches, 6.6 ounces |
6.4 x 3.0 x 0.3 inches, 7.5 ounces |
| Price | From $699 | From $999 |
You should get a Google Pixel 8 if …
You want the least expensive Pixel 8
When the Pixel 8 starts at $699 and the Pixel 8 Pro starts at $999, this is arguably a very simple decision for some. Three hundred dollars is no small hurdle to jump over for shoppers, so we wouldn’t knock anyone who wants the Pixel experience without spending (basically) a grand — especially when you’re going to be adding on a case and other accessories.
You’ve wanted a brighter, better screen
Out and about, I constantly find myself fidgeting with screen brightness, one of the few phone specs that could always stand to improve. Enter Google’s new 6.2-inch Actua display, which it rates as 42% brighter than the Pixel 7, with a peak brightness of 2,000 nits.
This panel is built to offer more accurate colors and hues so you can hopefully see the world as it is, ditching the super-saturated hues that other phones offer. Oh, and if you’re worried about your super-bright display hitting you right in the battery life, know that you can refuel up to 50% in half an hour with fast charging (requires the 30W USB-C charger that’s sold separately), and that Google estimates “beyond” 24 hours of battery life for the Pixel 8.
You’re tired of bad expressions in group photos
Best Take is a new image editing feature that helps group photo-takers stop praying everyone’s facial expressions will be great in the same shot. The Pixel 8 will capture multiple options for each person’s face and give you the option to swap out rolled eyes and sourpuss expressions for smiles and smirks.
You want better videos
If you use your phone to record as much video as I do, I bet you’ll have spent time annoyed that stuff just doesn’t look right. The new Pixel 8 offers video improvements for skin tone accuracy, video fidelity in mixed lighting and speedier autofocus in low-light situations.
Oh, and Google’s also thought of the bane of my existence when it comes to video: excessive noise. Sure, I love New York City, but even I know the city that never sleeps also never shuts up. This is why I’m excited that the Pixel 8’s Audio Magic Eraser tools will help you alter volume levels for speech, crowds, loud noises, wind and music in videos.
You should get a Google Pixel 8 Pro if …
You want the bigger phone
Google’s again demarcated its new phones by size, as the 6.7-inch Google Pixel 8 Pro is larger than the 6.1-inch Pixel 8. Surprisingly, though, the Pro’s 0.3-inch-thick body is thinner than the 0.4-inch Pixel 8. It also packs a larger battery than the Pixel 8, to help make sure its larger display stays aglow for just as long.
You want the best cameras — and you know how to tinker
In the world of smartphones, “pro” often means better photos, and that’s also the case here. The Pixel 8 Pro’s trio of rear cameras beats the Pixel 8’s dual-cam setup, and boasts improvements to light sensitivity across all three sensors. Oh, and just like the iPhone 15 Pro Max, it packs a 5x telephoto lens for extra-crisp zoom shots — something that isn’t available in its smaller version.
Google’s also loaded the Pixel 8 Pro with Pro Controls settings the Pixel 8 won’t get, including ISO, shutter speed, lens selection and focus controls. So, all you shutterbugs out there know you’ll probably want to level up. You don’t need to be a photo expert to make use of the Pixel 8 Pro’s front camera, as it features an autofocus that the Pixel 8 doesn’t have.
You need the best video
At the Pixel 8 launch event, Google tried to steal some of Apple’s current spotlight by showing how the Pixel 8 Pro beats the iPhone 15 Pro Max on video. The new Video Boost processing technology (coming this December) enabled a stronger dynamic range of color, with both the bright blue sky and verdant green mountain in the background of a traveler walking past the camera.
The Pixel 8 Pro’s Video Boost also enhances low-light situations, for what Google calls Night Sight Video. These clips should be more detailed, with truer colors and a wider dynamic range. We can’t wait to test this out in NYC.
You want the latest features ASAP
Google’s most advanced tech, the stuff that might boggle your mind, costs extra. For example, the Google Pixel 8 Pro has a built-in thermometer sensor. That’s somewhere between “whoa!” and “why?” and has some pretty interesting use cases. You could check a surface or cup of tea to make sure it’s not too hot to touch or consume, and Google’s looking to get it FDA certified so you could check to see if you or a loved one has a fever. Sure, regular thermometers are out there, but this would be convenient if you’re away from home and feeling a little iffy.
It may be controversial for some people, but improved generative AI is one of the big features at the core of the Pixel 8 Pro. Google declared the phone was designed with generative AI (and all of the tricks it can enable) in mind. For example, expect higher-quality results when using the Magic Eraser tool to move and delete people and things in photos.
It will also enable two other tricks due in future updates: Zoom Enhance will help images look sharper when you zoom in, and the Recorder app gains the ability to deliver summaries of your captured audio.
You want a blue phone that’s really bold
I speak from experience, because I bought a Titanium Blue iPhone 15 Pro Max that isn’t bold enough. Especially when Google rolls in with the Bay blue Pixel Pro 8, which is so bright and playful. The phone is also sold in Obsidian black and an off-white dubbed Porcelain.
The Google Pixel 8 is sold in Hazel green, Rose pink and Obsidian black, which also look nice up close but don’t have the same smooth matte finish as the Pro models.
Bottom line
Right now, it looks like the big differences between the Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro are found in their size and cameras. Those who want more screen or more tricks will pay more, as they’re used to. This means that the Pixel 8 Pro is the more interesting option, but those who don’t like the bulk of a 6.7-inch phone will probably go with the regular Pixel 8. Fortunately, it, too, looks like a fantastic phone. Stay tuned for our full reviews.
