Google 8 Pixel Pro: the Tensor G3 arrives to enhance the total role of AI in the photographic experience
It doesn’t matter that they have been leaked ad nauseum: many of us wanted to confirm that data and see the launch of the Google Pixel 8 and our protagonists in this text, the new Google Pixel 8 Pro .
Google’s most ambitious smartphones are already with us, and they do so with a renewal that once again puts the focus on photography but, be careful, hides some surprises.
Technical data sheet of the Google Pixel 8 Pro
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GOOGLE PIXEL 8 PRO |
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DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT |
162.6 x 76.5 x 8.8mm 213g |
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SCREEN |
Super Actua OLED Display 6.7″ 2,992 x 1,344 px (489 ppi) LPTO 120Hz Gorilla Glass Victus 2 |
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SOC |
Google Tensor G3 Titan M2 security chip |
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RAM |
12GB LPDDR5X |
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STORAGE |
128/256/512GB UFS 3.1 |
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OS |
Android 14 7 years of Android updates |
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REAR CAMERAS |
Main: 50 MP f/1.68 Ultra wide angle/Macro: 48 MP f/1.95 Telephoto: 48 MP f/2.8, 5x optical zoom Super Res Zoom 30x Night Sight in photo and video |
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FRONTAL CAMERA |
10.5 Mpixels, f/2.2 |
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BATTERY |
5,050 mAh Fast charging at 45W 23W wireless fast charging |
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CONNECTIVITY |
Wi-Fi 7 Bluetooth 5.3 5G NFC USB-C |
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OTHERS |
Under-screen fingerprint reader facial recognition IP68 certification Thermometer |
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PRICE |
1,099 euros |
Same design, but the Tensors take a leap
Google seems to be very happy with the design of its current Pixels, because since it made the jump from the Pixel 5 to the Pixel 6, the finish and shapes of these phones have not changed much.
This year those differences are even smaller, and we are looking at a design that maintains the unique band for the rear camera module and that only has one differential detail in the case of the Pixel 8 Pro: the three sensors are together, when the year After the Google Pixel 7 Pro “separated” the telephoto from the main and the ultra wide angle in that module.
Except for that detail, here we are faced with a practically identical format that also results in an inheritance of some of the hardware specifications. In this case there are no new features in the buttons, the surprises are found once we turn on the mobile.
The screen chosen is a new 6.7-inch Super Actua pOLED panel that has a 2K resolution and is presented as the “brightest to date” with up to 2,400 nits. Appreciate the adaptive refresh rate that can range between 10 and 120 Hz.
Where there is a notable change is in the SoC: the new Google Tensor G3 arrives , an evolution aimed at offering more power and efficiency. The focus once again is on the processing of artificial intelligence tasks, something that becomes especially relevant with the new Magic Editor which, as we will see, offers a new photographic experience.
This SoC maintains the Titan M2 processor from last year, and is accompanied in this model by 12 GB of RAM and a storage capacity that again starts at 128 GB.
The battery also remains at 5,050 mAh but the fast charging speeds up to reach 45 W. Meanwhile, connectivity advances with support for Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4. We also repeat with the under-screen fingerprint sensor and the facial recognition system that debuted last year and that continues to depend on the front sensor.
There is also a unique surprise here: the Pixel 8 Pro has a temperature sensor that is compatible with the Fitbit app and offers an interesting thermometer option that until now we had only seen in smart watches like the new Pixel Watch 2 .
There is notable news in the software section for both the Pixel 8 and the Pixel 8 Pro: these phones are governed by Android 14, but Google ensures no less than seven years of system updates . The data is spectacular if we take into account that until now they offered three years of system updates and five of security updates.
Welcome to the era of photographic AI
If the Pixels have stood out for anything since their inception, it is for their fantastic performance in the field of mobile photography. In the new Pixel 8 Pro that bet is renewed and it does so not only in the hardware but what is probably most striking this time, in the software.
The camera module once again combines three lenses: the 50 Mpixel main sensor , the 48 Mpixel ultra wide angle sensor (last year it was 12) and the 48 Mpixel telephoto lens. The latter once again offers 5x optical zoom and hybrid zoom, called Super Res Zoom, 30x. The front camera sensor has a resolution of 10.5 Mpixels, being slightly different from that of the Pixel 7 Pro.
These sensors will be responsible for doing half of the work in photography. The other part will be done by Google’s computational photography system, which for years has been the envy of its competitors and which this year becomes, above all, effective.
The reason is the prominence of the new Magic Editor . We already talked about it when Google presented it at Google I/O 2023 , and it is undoubtedly the big star of the new Pixel 8 photography experience. If the firm surprised us in the Pixel 6 with the magic eraser , now it wants to go further there with this Magic Editor.
The options proposed by this editor are really striking. For starters, ‘Best take’, a system that takes a burst of photos and then allows parts of one photo in the burst to be swapped for parts of another.
The obvious example is group photos for which this function is uncovered: in one photo someone may appear with their eyes closed and in another with a strange expression, but Google allows you to remove and add faces from the burst from one photo to another . to “build” the perfect photo. One that didn’t really exist, but that avoids those classic problems.
We also already talked about that new function of the Magic Editor that allows you to transform the reality of the photos . Not only can we eliminate things we don’t like from the photo—a trash can here, a group of people there—but we can reposition the focus of the photo—are you not centered? no problem—and, in addition, even change the lighting and environment in which it was taken. That slightly sad photo on the beach can turn into a wonderful sunset. Even if it’s a lie.
It is perhaps a dangerous bet by Google that takes advantage of the ability of generative AI to go beyond what would be an understandable and reasonable error correction. Here, fortunately, it is the user who will end up deciding if he wants to transform that reality or keep the photos as they were taken. And not even those will be completely reliable .
This entry of generative AI in the photographic field of the Pixel 8 is complemented by a section that photography enthusiasts (the usual one) will appreciate: a Pro mode that allows access to advanced options in taking photographs such as changing the shutter speed or focus.
These improvements in computational processing also apply to videos: the “Video Boost” option allows you to improve video quality (exposure, color, stabilization), while Night Sight allows you to better capture videos in low light conditions. The so-called Audio Magic Eraser is something like the magic eraser in this section, and is capable of eliminating annoying background noises during video recordings.
Versions and price of the Pixel 8 Pro
Starting today, the new Pixel 8 Pro is now available for pre-order, arriving in stores on October 12. The Pixel 8 will be available to purchase in both Google and Amazon stores.
It will be offered in three colors: light blue, obsidian and porcelain, with its official price for the 12/128GB model being 1,099 euros . The model with 256GB goes up to 1,159 euros while the model with 512GB reaches 1,299 euros.