If you haven’t already heard, the new generation Google Pixel phone has been announced. Folks, meet the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, engineered by Google and featuring AI wizardry but with you as the master – all in the name of making your life easier and more efficient.
These devices have had your back for seven years with updates and come with a snazzy design and brighter displays, and it has a new superpower: temperature-checking. OK. Maybe the design did not change a whole lot, or even at all to the untrained eyes but it is still snazzy though. I mean the visor design is pretty unique to Pixel so why change the unique identity right?
Pixel 8 is a petite powerhouse – which is smaller than the Pixel 7, by the way – with a 6.2-inch display that shines 42% brighter than its predecessor. It’s so bright that you can spot it even in the Sahara at high noon. It is worth noting that the display now supports a 60-120 Hz refresh rate as opposed to just 90 Hz on the previous model. Available in Rose, Hazel, and Obsidian, it’s as pretty as it is practical.
Now, the Pixel 8 Pro, it’s got a 6.7-inch Super Actua display that’s brighter than a Supernova. You could use it as a flashlight during a solar eclipse. Just kidding. It can’t but you get the idea… It’s available in Porcelain, Bay, and Obsidian – colors that even Picasso would be envious of.
Oh, and did we mention it has a thermometer? Yeah. We might have let the cat out of the bag just a few paragraphs before but yep, you can now check if your pizza’s hot enough to dig into, or if your coffee’s not hotter than the sun. Somehow, the folks over at Mountain View managed to apply to the FDA for permission to use it as a real thermometer. Fitbit integration, anyone? Yup. That too.
Cameras? Well, they’re better than ever. Like, duh, it is obvious, innit? The main camera now captures low-light shots like a pro, the ultrawide lens is perfect for close-ups, the telephoto lens does magic with 10x optical zoom, and even the front camera has autofocus for the ultimate selfies.
Best Take ensures that group photos are perfect, even if one friend blinks at the shutter moment. It’s like having a personal photographer in your pocket. And with Magic Editor in Google Photos, your photos will look like they belong in a museum.
Got noisy videos? Audio Magic Eraser will make sure your videos sound as peaceful as a Zen garden. Plus, later this year, Pixel 8 Pro will get Video Boost to make your videos pop.
But that’s not all – Pixel 8 can now summarize webpages, read them aloud, and even translate them for you. It’s like having a personal assistant, but possibly smarter than one you could hire. And Call Screen is now your spam bouncer, letting you dodge those pesky calls with ease. It can even hold a call for you.
All these are backed by Titan M2, Tensor G3, and a built-in VPN, keeping your data safe while providing the muscle to crunch those numbers from the many processes you throw at it. And then there’s the Safety Check. When turned on, it will contact your emergency contacts when you did not check it. Apple has a similar feature on the new iPhone 15 and iOS17 too.
If you are ready to take the dive, you may secure a unit today by pre-ordering the new Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro today for a starting price of US$699 and US$999. And yes, the new Pixel devices have a price bump of 100 bucks across the board.
Images: Google.
