Google Pixel 8 vs. Google Pixel 8 Pro: Key Differences

Google has continued its winning streak with the release of the Google Pixel 8 and Google Pixel 8 Pro. Both devices offer best-in-class AI features, stellar camera setups, capable processors, elegant designs, and perhaps the best possible Android 14 experience in a smartphone lineup. However, there are some important distinctions between the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro that you’ll want to be aware of before buying.

In this article, we’ll explain how the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro compare in terms of their designs, displays, processing, cameras, and more. Read on to find out which device is better suited to your needs.

Google Pixel 8 vs. Google Pixel 8 Pro: Specs

Here’s a detailed breakdown of the Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro specs. 

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Google Pixel 8 vs. Google Pixel 8 Pro: Price

When it first debuted in October of 2023, the 128GB Google Pixel 8 was priced at $699. The 128GB Google Pixel 8 Pro, meanwhile, went for $999. These prices represented a $100 bump from the Pixel 7 models, bringing Google’s phone lineup ever closer to Apple iPhone levels of expense (the iPhone 15 starts at $799, and the iPhone 15 Pro at $999). 

However, since the release of the budget-friendly Pixel 8a, the prices on Google’s flagship phones have come down. You can now pick up an unlocked 128GB Pixel 8 for $549, or an unlocked 128GB Pixel 8 Pro for just $749 via the Google Store.

So the initial $300 price disparity between the Google Pixel 8 and Google Pixel 8 Pro has shrunk to $200. As for whether it’s worth shelling out a bit more for a Google Pixel 8 Pro, you’ll want to read on. 

Google Pixel 8 vs. Google Pixel 8 Pro: Design and Display

At first glance, the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro look very similar, with rounded edges, glass finishes, and the trademark Pixel camera band on the back. However, when you pick them up, some differences emerge. 

The Pixel 8 Pro is not only larger than the Pixel 8 (measuring 6.4 x 3.0 to the Pixel 8’s 5.9 x 2.8), but almost an ounce heavier. When you turn them on, differences in the displays also become apparent: the Google Pixel 8 Pro’s much-publicized 6.7-inch “Super Actua” display is noticeably brighter—and sharper—than the Pixel 8’s 6.2-inch display. In fact, it’s one of the brightest displays on the smartphone market, topping out at 2,400 nits (a.k.a. peak brightness), compared to the 2,000 nits in the Pixel 8. As a point of comparison, the iPhone 15’s screen tops out at 2,000 nits, and the Samsung Galaxy S24 at 2,400 nits; however, anecdotally, the Pixel 8’s display feels brighter than both of them. 

Both sport durable Gorilla Glass Victus, though the Pixel 8 Pro’s version of the material is slightly tougher and more scratch resistant than the Pixel 8’s. 

Google Pixel 8 vs. Google Pixel 8 Pro: Processing

Both the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro are powered by Google’s Tensor G3 chip, so they perform identically in terms of processing speed. 

Shootouts have revealed the Tensor G3 to be somewhat inferior to the industry-leading A17 chipset in the iPhone 15, according to standard performance benchmarks. However, you’re unlikely to notice any of this in your everyday usage of the Pixel 8 phones, and in fact the Tensor G3 is ideally suited to take advantage of the AI features that the devices excel at. 

On this front, both the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro come packaged with Google’s Gemini Nano, another name for the company’s smartphone AI. Gemini can make summaries of your voice recordings (conversations, lectures, interviews), alert you if it detects scammy language in one of your calls, give you AI-assisted descriptions of images on your phone, and much more. Plus, as anyone who’s owned a Pixel can attest, Google Assistant is incredibly intuitive. 

Google Pixel 8 vs. Google Pixel 8 Pro: Cameras

Google is a perennial frontrunner when it comes to the camera technology it puts into its Pixel phones, and the Pixel 8 lineup is no different. 

The Pixel 8 features a 50 MP wide lens and a 12 MP ultrawide lens in the back, while the front is outfitted with a 10.5 MP selfie camera. It’s a perfectly capable setup that’s likely to be more than enough for the average smartphone picture-taker. 

However, the Pixel 8 Pro model comes packaged with some key camera features that the Pixel 8 doesn’t have. While it also sports a 50 MP main camera lens in the back, the Pixel 8 Pro’s secondary ultrawide lens is 48 MP to the Pixel 8’s 12 MP. Plus, the Pixel 8 Pro adds a third 48 MP telephoto lens with 5X optical zoom. Like the Pixel 8, the Pixel 8 Pro features a 10.5 MP front-facing selfie camera, but it adds an autofocus feature. All of this makes the Pixel 8 Pro worthy of consideration if you’re serious about photography. 

Google Pixel 8 vs. Google Pixel 8 Pro: Battery Life

While Google says both the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro offer “24+ hour battery life,” you may get more continuous usage out of the Pixel 8 Pro, since its battery is considerably larger than the Pixel 8’s—5,050 mAh, versus 4,575 mAh. Either way, the battery sizes and purported lifespans outdo their Pixel 7 predecessors. 

Google Pixel 8 vs. Google Pixel 8 Pro: Storage

The Google Pixel 8 is offered in two storage sizes, 128GB and 256GB. While this is probably enough for most smartphone users, if you’re looking for more storage options, the Pixel 8 Pro also comes in 512GB and 1TB versions. 

The Bottom Line

The Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro are both excellent phones—particularly now that they’ve come down in price—but the upgrades that the Pixel 8 Pro comes packaged with make it hard to pass up, particularly since the 128GB model is only $200 more expensive than the 128GB model of the Pixel 8. To review, the Pixel 8 Pro offers the following over the Pixel 8: 

• A brighter and sharper Super Actua display
• A professional-grade triple dual camera arrangement with telephoto
• A bigger battery
• More storage options

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