Google’s silence on the Pixel 8 makes me think it won’t be great
We should have heard a lot more by now
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Googleis not a quiet company. Back in2022 at the Google I/O event, while it was launching thePixel 6aphone, Google also gave us a quick tease of the upcoming Pixel 7 family. Then it dropped news about its upcomingPixel Tablet, which wouldn’t get unboxed in our labs until June 2023. When Google has something to say, it speaks, and that’s why its utter silence on thePixel 8series is baffling and worrisome.
ThePixel 7is showing its age, for better and for worse. For the better, you can nowbuy a Pixel 7 really cheap. Google regularly puts its Pixel phones on sale, and the Pixel 7 was recently dropped to a price only $10 higher than thePixel 7abargain phone. I’m not missing a zero, it was a really good deal.
There’s something funny going on with Google’s phone lineup. The Pixel 7 dropped in price, but the Pixel 7a hasn’t seen a dramatic discount, not even to take part in theAmazon Prime Dayfun, when it got a measly $50 cut. When Ireviewed the Pixel 7aI advised waiting to buy until it had seen a couple of price drops. I wasn’t being sly, I really expected Google would have cut the price by now.
That’s because thePixel 6asold for nearly the same price as the Pixel 7a at launch, then dropped around 33% to its current price. It wasn’t a great phone at first, but for the current price, it’s the best experience you’ll have on Android.
The Pixel 7 series performance hasn’t been inspiring
The Pixel 7a should be better since it uses the same Tensor G2 chipset as thePixel 7 Pro. Google also uses the same processor in the Pixel 7 and the Pixel Tablet. It makes some sense; if you’re designing your own chip, buy them in bulk.
The problem is the Tensor G2 hasn’t kept up with the competition. In benchmark tests, Pixel devices get smoked by everything else. The $1800Pixel Foldgets beaten on Geekbench by theNothing Phone 2. Nothing beats Google! With last year’s Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1, no less, competing against Google’s supposed best processor.
We don’t put too much stock in benchmarks here, and neither should you. We have a lot of personal experience with Pixel phones at TechRadar. We have a number of writers and editors who havepurchased Pixel devices personally, aside from review testing. From our experience, the performance is subpar, and Pixel phones also have a tendency to get warm and drain power faster than other devices.
Get the best Black Friday deals direct to your inbox, plus news, reviews, and more.
Sign up to be the first to know about unmissable Black Friday deals on top tech, plus get all your favorite TechRadar content.
We still use them because the software is excellent: polished and refined Android at its best. The cameras consistently produce some of the best shots we take. We recommend them because they’re priced right for what they offer.
At least, they were priced right. The Pixel 7a, Google’s latest Pixel phone, seems like it is priced wrong. It’s too much, especially if you can buy a Pixel 7, with superior cameras and better performance, for just a few dollars more. The Pixel Fold is priced to match theSamsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, but it can’t come close toSamsung’s performance. Google can’t even match Samsung’s foldable software.
With this landscape in view, Google’s silence on the Pixel 8 is thundering. AtGoogle I/O 2023this year, it announced a handful of phones that were long anticipated, rumored and leaked: the Pixel Fold and Pixel 7a, with the now-official launch of the Pixel Tablet. Nothing new, nothing surprising. No sneak peak at phones coming months from now.
We’ve heard about Wear OS 4 and Android 14, but not Pixel
We’ve heard about a new Wear OS 4 and Android 14 … On the Pixel itself, we’ve got bupkis
The worst thing would be a Google Pixel 8 phone that starts behind the pack, and that seems to be where the Pixel is headed.Rumors from Google’s chip design teamsuggests the Tensor G3 will be similar to Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in terms of which processor cores it will use, but the actual clock speeds for those cores will be slower than what you’ll find on the overclockedSamsung Galaxy S23or even theOnePlus 11.
What else can Google offer in its next Pixel phone? Better cameras? It’s doubtful that Google will try to match Samsung with itsGalaxy S23 Ultra, let alone the upcomingGalaxy S24 Ultrathat is already lighting up rumor circuit boards.
Can it even beat theiPhone 15 Proin simplicity and effectiveness? Google has managed some magic tricks with photography before, and itsPhoto Unblurremains the easiest and most effective tool for sharpening an image. It’s possible that Pixel 8 buyers could have access to an all new camera or photo feature, as Google has done in the past withMagic Eraserand Photo Unblur.
If so, it’s weird that we haven’t gotten hints about it from Google directly. At I/O, Google previewed new AI editing tools coming toGoogle Photos, but never mentioned the Pixel 8. We’ve heard about a newWear OS 4andAndroid 14, the system that will likely ship with the next Pixel 8 phones, has a public beta that you can try. On the Pixel itself, we’ve got bupkis.
If the Pixel 8 isn’t great, hopefully it will be cheap
I’m guessing that Google is taking criticism about its lackluster performance to heart and responding appropriately, by making improvements. Those won’t happen quickly, and it would be impossible for Google to respond within a single generation. I would expect the Pixel 9 will set a new standard for Google performance, but the Pixel 8 will simply be an evolutionary step up from a phone that was a step behind.
Hopefully, Google will price the Pixel 8 family appropriately. No matter how much work Google’s software can do to make photos look great, if it isn’t including telephoto zoom lenses and large image sensors, it can’t charge the same as companies that do.
The Pixel design was cool on thePixel 6when it was unique. It’s grown a bit stale over the years, especially as the bargain versions are completely indistinguishable from the most premium models. Google has even seemed more averse to cool color options as the latest Pixel look has aged.
It seems like Google’s initial enthusiasm for creating fresh, premium Pixel phones, which started with thePixel 6 Pro, has cooled. Hopefully, this is a temporary setback, and who knows, we could get some cool surprises and untold features on the Pixel 8 when (and if) it shows up, maybe later this year. If not, expect smoke and mirrors, AI and wallpapers, and maybe promises of an even better Pixel on the horizon, if fans can just hold on a little longer.
Phil Berne is a preeminent voice in consumer electronics reviews, starting more than 20 years ago at eTown.com. Phil has written for Engadget, The Verge, PC Mag, Digital Trends, Slashgear, TechRadar, AndroidCentral, and was Editor-in-Chief of the sadly-defunct infoSync. Phil holds an entirely useful M.A. in Cultural Theory from Carnegie Mellon University. He sang in numerous college a cappella groups.
Phil did a stint at Samsung Mobile, leading reviews for the PR team and writing crisis communications until he left in 2017. He worked at an Apple Store near Boston, MA, at the height of iPod popularity. Phil is certified in Google AI Essentials. He has a High School English teaching license (and years of teaching experience) and is a Red Cross certified Lifeguard. His passion is the democratizing power of mobile technology. Before AI came along he was totally sure the next big thing would be something we wear on our faces.
Latest Google Pixel update includes surprise launch of Android 15’s best battery feature
The Pixel Phone app might soon let you respond to calls with AI messages
How to watch Gold Rush season 15 online: live stream new episodes with a free trial
