Over the past few years, smartphones have become more than a little boring. The Google Pixel 6 series garnered a lot of attention, but its sequel was nothing special. But with the Pixel 8 series set to debut soon, there’s really a lot to look forward to.
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tensor may hope this year will be better
Starting with Pixel 6, the weakest part of every Pixel is the Tensor. Google’s customized chip isn’t bad, but it still lags far behind its competitors. His original Tensor chip was riddled with connectivity and thermal issues, and while Tensor G2 was a big step forward, it still suffered from thermal issues and more. And that’s in a world where Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chips keep getting better and better.
The Pixel 8 will soon have Tensor G3, so there’s reason to be a little excited.
Google Tensor G3 is expected to be a fairly significant transition from Tensor and Tensor G2. A leak from earlier this year mentioned an improved 1+4+4 core layout and the use of newer components, including Cortex-A715 and Cortex-A510 cores backing up the new Cortex-X3, which provides most of the performance. It was done. These upgrades alone are worth getting excited about, but there’s another aspect to it for me.
The Tensor chip relies primarily on Samsung for its realization, which also means it’s made on Samsung’s processing nodes, which are sadly notorious for not performing as well as TSMC. But the situation has clearly changed in the last few months. At the moment, Samsung’s 4nm process on which the Tensor G3 is based is apparently on par with TSMC’s. That doesn’t necessarily mean Google will magically catch up with his Snapdragon one after another, but it could be a big step in the right direction.
The evil of the curved screen has been defeated
Another reason I’m personally so excited about the Pixel 8 series, especially the Pixel 8 Pro, is that Google has done away with the curved sides of the display and instead opted for flat glass on both the standard and Pro models. I chose the panel.
finally.
matte finish?
Google also appears to be opting for a matte finish for the Pixel 8 Pro body this year, at least for the “Porcelain” color announced this week. His standard Pixel 8 is definitely glossier, but this is at least some improvement.
![](https://9to5google.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/09/google-pixel-8-pixel-8-pro-1.jpg?quality=82&strip=all&w=1024)
Google extends the life of the Pixel 8
Google has been overtaken by other Android brands when it comes to the overall lifespan of Pixel phones, but the company may reclaim the throne this year. As we recently reported, the Pixel 8 series will have longer software update lifespans compared to Samsung Galaxy devices, which currently receive four years of Android updates and five years of security patches.
This can be a big problem, and even if Google can match Samsung’s support, it still means you get a good return on your spending.
The camera has new hardware added
Also lesser known is that Google is introducing a new camera sensor to the Pixel 8 series, presumably the Samsung GN2. It’s probably not going to be a groundbreaking update, but it’s an opportunity for Google to further cement its position as one of the best camera phones out there.
![](https://9to5google.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/06/pixel-8-camera-leak.jpg?quality=82&strip=all&w=840)
competition is getting more expensive
Google’s Pixel smartphones have been significantly cheaper than the competition since the Pixel 6 series. For example, the Pixel 6 Pro started at $899, the Galaxy S22 Ultra at $1,199, and the iPhone 13 Pro Max base model at $1,099.
Looking ahead to 2024, competition is likely to increase even further in price. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, which Samsung is almost certain to include in the Galaxy S24 Ultra, is said to be quite expensive. And with the iPhone 15 series, Apple is expected to increase prices across the board thanks to new chips and titanium construction.
Of course, we also heard this week that the Pixel 8 series could be more expensive. Leaks from Europe suggest an increase of around 20%. Whether that happens remains to be seen, but the good news is that even if Google were to raise the price by $150 to $200, it would still be slightly below the competition.
When will the Pixel 8 launch?
Google has confirmed an October 4th announcement event where the Pixel 8 series will be officially announced. Of course, stay tuned for our full coverage.
Top stories of the week
Google Keep format will be expanded
Recently, Google announced that its popular notes app Google Keep will finally support basic text formats. Now, this feature is finally being rolled out. Read more about our coverage, including details on how to get the most out of the feature, below.
Android 14 is slow
Android 14 was expected to be officially released this week, but that didn’t happen. As we mentioned in Tuesday’s newsletter, Google is behind its usual schedule and it looks like the update will be pushed back to October. However, a new Android 14 beta, version 5.3, has been released.
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