So this year we ask the question again: Pixel 8 vs Pixel 7; What’s the difference? Is the upgrade worth it? Today, we embark on a journey to dissect and compare two remarkable devices: the Google Pixel 7, a trailblazer in its own right, and its successor, the eagerly anticipated Google Pixel 8. Before diving into the main article let’s compare the specifications of both the devices.
Specification Comparision:
| Specification | Pixel 8 | Pixel 7 |
|---|---|---|
| Network | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| Announced | October 4, 2023 | October 6, 2022 |
| Status | Coming soon (October 12, 2023) | Available (October 13, 2022) |
| Dimensions | 150.5 x 70.8 x 8.9 mm | 155.6 x 73.2 x 8.7 mm |
| Weight | 187 g | 197 g |
| Display | 6.2 inches, OLED, 120Hz | 6.3 inches, AMOLED, 90Hz |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels | 1080 x 2400 pixels |
| CPU | Google Tensor G3, Nona-core | Google Tensor G2, Octa-core |
| GPU | Immortalis-G715s MC10 | Mali-G710 MP7 |
| RAM/Storage | 8GB RAM, 128GB/256GB storage | 8GB RAM, 128GB/256GB storage |
| Main Camera | 50 MP wide, 12 MP ultrawide | 50 MP wide, 12 MP ultrawide |
| f/1.7, 25mm (wide), 1/1.31″, 1.2µm, multi-directional PDAF, Laser AF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.2, 126˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.9″, 1.25µm Dual-LED flash, Pixel Shift, Ultra-HDR, panorama, Best Take | f/1.9, 25mm (wide), 1/1.31″, 1.2µm, multi-directional PDAF, Laser AF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.2, 114˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.9″, 1.25µm Dual-LED flash, Pixel Shift, Auto-HDR, panorama | |
| Video | 4K@24/30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps; gyro-EIS, OIS, 10-bit HDR | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps; gyro-EIS, OIS, 10-bit HDR |
| Front Camera | 10.5 MP ultrawide | 10.8 MP ultrawide |
| Auto-HDR, panorama | Auto-HDR, panorama | |
| Video | 4K@24/30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps |
| Battery | 4575 mAh | 4355 mAh |
| Fast Charging | 27W wired, 18W wireless | 20W wired, 20W wireless |
| Operating System | Android 14 | Android 13 |
| Water Resistance | IP68 | IP68 |
| Price | $699 (128GB), $799 (256GB) | $349.90 (128GB), €531.91 (256GB) |
| £364.73 (128GB), ₹49,999 (256GB) |
Display
The display size of the Pixel 7 is 6.3 inches, while the Pixel 8 has a slightly smaller display of 6.2 inches. Both phones have the same display resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels and an aspect ratio of 20:9. However, Pixel 8 has a higher display refresh rate of 120 Hz, compared to Pixel 7’s 90 Hz. This means that the Pixel 8 can offer smoother animations and scrolling than the Pixel 7. Both phones also have the same display protection as Gorilla Glass Victus, which is the toughest glass ever in a smartphone.
The display brightness of Pixel 7 is 450 nits (max) and 1400 nits (HDR), while Pixel 8 does not have a specified maximum brightness, but it can reach up to 2000 nits (HDR). This means that Pixel 8 can offer better visibility and contrast in bright or dark environments than Pixel 7. Both phones also support the same display features of DCI-P3 color gamut, Always-On Display, and HDR10+. However, Pixel 8 has an additional feature of Adaptive refresh rate, which means that it can automatically adjust the refresh rate according to the content on the screen, saving battery life and improving performance.
System chip, CPU, GPU, RAM, and storage
The system chip of Pixel 7 is Google Tensor G2 (5 nm), while Pixel 8 has an upgraded version of Google Tensor G3. The Google Tensor is a custom-made chip designed by Google specifically for its Pixel phones, which aims to deliver faster and more efficient performance, especially for artificial intelligence and machine learning tasks. Both phones have an octa-core CPU, but the Pixel 8 has an extra core for low-power tasks. Both phones also have a GPU, but the details are not yet revealed.
The RAM of both phones is 8 GB, but the Pixel 7 uses a faster type of RAM called LPDDR5, which can offer better multitasking and gaming performance than the standard RAM. The internal storage of both phones is 128 GB, but Pixel 7 uses a faster type of storage called UFS 3.1, which can offer faster data transfer and app loading than the standard storage. Neither phone has an option to expand the storage with a microSD card.
Battery
The battery capacity of Pixel 7 is 4355 mAh, while Pixel 8 does not have a specified battery capacity yet. However, both phones support fast charging technology, which can quickly replenish the battery level when needed. Pixel 7 also supports Qi wireless charging and reverse wireless charging, which means that it can charge itself or other devices wirelessly by placing them on top of each other. Additionally, Pixel 7 also supports reverse charging, which means that it can charge other devices with a cable by using its own battery power. The wired charging speed of Pixel 7 is 20.0W, while the wireless charging speed is also 20.0W.
Pixel 8 vs Pixel 7 Rear camera setup
Pixel 7 Rear Camera Setup:
The rear camera setup of Pixel 7 consists of two cameras: a main camera of 50 MP with optical image stabilization (OIS), laser autofocus (LAF), and phase detection autofocus (PDAF); and an ultra-wide camera of 12 MP. The aperture size of the main camera is F1.9, which means that it can capture more light and produce brighter images in low-light conditions. The focal length of the main camera is 25 mm, which means that it can offer a wide-angle view without distorting the edges too much. The sensor size of the main camera is 1/1.31″, which means that it has larger pixels that can capture more details and reduce noise in the images.
The pixel size of the main camera is 1.4 µm, which means that it can offer better color accuracy and dynamic range in the images. The ultra-wide camera has an aperture size of F2.2, a focal length of 16 mm, a sensor size of 1/3.06″, and a pixel size of 1.4 µm. The ultra-wide camera can capture a wider field of view of 107 degrees, which is useful for landscape or group photos.
Pixel 8 Rear Camera Setup:
The rear camera setup of Pixel 8 consists of three cameras: a main camera of 50 MP with OIS, LAF, and PDAF; an ultra-wide camera of 12 MP; and a telephoto camera of 12 MP with OIS and PDAF. The aperture size of the main camera is F1.8, which is slightly larger than Pixel 7’s main camera, meaning that it can capture more light and produce brighter images in low-light conditions. The focal length of the main camera is 24 mm, which is slightly shorter than Pixel 7’s main camera, meaning that it can offer a wider-angle view without distorting the edges too much. The sensor size of the main camera is 1/1.31″, which is the same as Pixel 7’s main camera, meaning that it has the same pixel size of 1.4 µm.
The ultra-wide camera has an aperture size of F2.2, a focal length of 16 mm, a sensor size of 1/3.06″, and a pixel size of 1.4 µm. The ultra-wide camera can capture a wider field of view of 107 degrees, which is the same as the Pixel 7’s ultra-wide camera. The telephoto camera has an aperture size of F3.0, a focal length of 77 mm, a sensor size of 1/3.4″, and a pixel size of 1.0 µm. The telephoto camera can offer a 3x optical zoom and a 30x digital zoom, which is useful for capturing distant objects or details.
Both phones also have the same features for the rear cameras, such as dual-LED flash, HDR, panorama, night sight, portrait mode, astrophotography mode, video stabilization, and more. Both phones can record 4K video at 30/60 fps, 1080p video at 30/60/120/240 fps, and 720p video at 480 fps.
Front camera setup
The front camera setup of Pixel 7 consists of one camera: a selfie camera of 12 MP with PDAF. The aperture size of the selfie camera is F2.0, the focal length is 27 mm, the sensor size is 1/3.06″, and the pixel size is 1.22 µm. The selfie camera can capture high-quality selfies with HDR, night sight, portrait mode, and more. The selfie camera can also record 1080p video at 30 fps.
The front camera setup of Pixel 8 consists of two cameras: a selfie camera of 12 MP with PDAF; and an ultra-wide selfie camera of 8 MP. The aperture size of the selfie camera is F2.0, the focal length is 27 mm, the sensor size is 1/3.06″, and the pixel size is 1.22 µm. The selfie camera can capture high-quality selfies with HDR, night sight, portrait mode, and more. The selfie camera can also record 1080p video at 30 fps.
The aperture size of the ultra-wide selfie camera is F2.2, the focal length is 19 mm, the sensor size is 1/4″, and the pixel size is 1.12 µm. The ultra-wide selfie camera can capture wider selfies with a field of view of 97 degrees, which is useful for group selfies or capturing more background in the selfies.
Other features
Both phones have other features such as stereo speakers, USB Type-C port, fingerprint scanner (rear-mounted for Pixel 7 and under-display for Pixel 8), face unlock, NFC, Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi 6E, GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS, dual SIM (nano-SIM and eSIM), water and dust resistance (IP68), wireless charging (Pixel Stand), Google Assistant, Google Lens, Google Photos, Google Pay, Google Translate, Google Maps, Google Drive, Google Duo, Google Play Store, and more.
Price
The price of Pixel 7 starts from $699 for the base model with 128 GB storage. The price of Pixel 8 starts from $799 for the base model with 128 GB storage. Both phones are available in different colors such as black, white, green, and orange. Both phones are also compatible with various accessories such as cases, covers, screen protectors, earphones, chargers, cables, adapters, and more. (The price may vary in different regions and times)
Conclusion:
The Pixel 8 marks Google’s commitment to combining AI technology into smartphones. The comparison between Pixel 8 vs Pixel 7 shows that even though the Pixel 8 brings some major camera bump, software, and AI updates in the device, it’s still not a huge upgrade in performance or design compared to the Pixel 7
