Pixel 8 Pro vs Pixel 7 Pro: Should You Upgrade?

After Google laid out the entire stash of cards on the table in all the supposed “leaks,” the Pixel 8 and the Pixel 8 Pro are finally here. We stacked their specifications and compared them in our Google Pixel 8 Pro vs. Pixel 8 article. One of the major questions people have when a new iteration of a device comes out is how they juxtapose against each other, and that’s exactly what we’ll be doing in this article. Here’s our Pixel 8 Pro vs. Pixel 7 Pro comparison and if you should upgrade to the latest Pixel 8 Pro.

Pixel 8 Pro vs Pixel 7 Pro: Display

The Pixel 8 Pro display receives a “downgrade” in resolution from 1440 x 3120p on the Pixel 7 Pro last year to 1344 x 2992p this year, which is still technically a 2K panel. Either way, a normal user wouldn’t be able to tell the difference in the sharpness of both displays. The 8 Pro’s display reaches a peak brightness of 2400 nits when compared to 2000 nits on the Pixel 7 Pro. This means the outdoor visibility should be better on the 8 Pro. While we’re on the topic, it’s also worth mentioning that the 8 Pro now uses Gorilla Glass Victus 2 instead of just Victus on the Pixel 7 Pro.

Google went with a flat display on the Pixel 8 Pro compared to the round edges on the Pixel 7 Pro. We already sense displeasure from one room because lots of people almost always view it as a premium feature. The other group of people must be quite jolly because no accidental touches, woohoo! This also means replacing a cracked Pixel 8 Pro display will be much easier if repairability matters to you.

Another thing that’s better on the Pixel 8 Pro is its LTPO panel. Pixel 7 Pro also uses an LTPO (Low-temperature Polycrystalline Oxide) which dials down the refresh rate to a minimum of 10 Hz to save battery during, say, Always-on Display. The 8 Pro’s display is capable of reaching just 1 Hz and can help you save even more battery. The bottom line is, that you shouldn’t upgrade to Pixel 8 Pro for just the display as the Pixel 7 Pro’s display is just as good but is missing teeny tiny perks.

Pixel 8 Pro vs Pixel 7 Pro: Build

Both the Pixel 8 Pro and Pixel 7 Pro have glass backs and an Aluminum Chassis sandwich behind them and the display. Although, there’s one big difference in the Pixel 8 Pro this year, and that’s the matte finish on the back glass. This should help the device catch much fewer fingerprints like the fingerprint magnet the Pixel 7 Pro is. The dimensions of both are pretty much identical; so are the display sizes and the visors that house the cameras.

Storage, RAM, and Tensor G3

The storage variant and RAM remain the same on the Pixel 8 Pro. The phone still comes with 128GB of UFS 3.1 memory as standard in the base variant (Boooo!) but does offer a generous RAM upgrade from 8 GB on the Pixel 7 Pro’s base variant to 12 GB on the Pixel 8 Pro’s base variant. UFS 3.1 is old and most competitors have moved to the faster UFS 4.0 speeds, which Google’s “latest and greatest” Pixel should’ve also offered, but here we are.

Tensor G3 is a considerable upgrade from last year’s Tensor G2. It supposedly runs cooler, is faster both in CPU and GPU-bound tasks, and is also efficient because it’s built on Samsung’s 4 nm process. It uses the Cortex-X3 as the Prime Core clocked at 2.91 GHz. The performance cores are Cortex-A715 which is clocked at 2.37 GHz, and the efficiency cores are Cortex-A510 clocked at 1.7 GHz. The GPU is a Mali-G715. Given Google’s claims about the G3 running cooler than G2, they may have added a beefy cooling chamber or Samsung’s really done it this time. The G3 also has more AI processing power and runs 30% faster in CPU-related tasks and 20% in GPU (Check)

Battery and Charging

The battery on the Pixel 8 Pro is a 5050mAh cell capable of charging at 27 Watts via Wired Charging and 23 Watts via Wireless. This is a slight bump from Pixel 7 Pro’s 23W wired charging speed. Unlike most manufacturers which have already switched to speeds like 60W or even 120W, Google’s still way behind in their charging game.

Pixel 8 Pro vs Pixel 7 Pro: Camera

The primary sensor on the Pixel 8 Pro is the same as last year, i.e., a 50 MP f/1.9 Wide lens. The secondary is a 48 MP f/3.5 Telephoto lens with 5x Optical zoom and 30x by Software. Lastly, the ultra wide-angle lens receives an upgrade and is now a 64 MP sensor instead of 12 MP, supposedly for better Macro shots. (Check) The setup is similar to last year’s Pixel 7 Pro except for the bigger ultra-wide angle lens.

The only factor that could end up making the Pixel 8 series images look better than the 7 Pro is Tensor G3. Like every time, Google claims the Tensor G3 has better-equipped image and AI processing that should give both the photo and video quality a significant boost in challenging situations such as nighttime. Besides, the Pixel 8 Pro has new software features such as Magic Editor, AI Face Swap, Pro Mode, Video Boost, Audio Eraser for Videos, and Night Sight for videos.

Most of these features should be coming to the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, but some features such as Video Boost and Night Sight for videos may remain Tensor G3 exclusive since they sound more tied to the hardware. Either way, if you already have a Pixel 7 Pro, you should stick to it if you’re thinking of upgrading to the Pixel 8 Pro for its new Image and Video capabilities.

Connectivity

On the connectivity side, the Pixel 8 Pro has Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, and USB Type-C. The Type-C port this time around is not just any regular Type-C port that Charges and has slow Data transfers but a USB 3.2, meaning Pixels can now output a display signal that users can use to connect their devices to external displays or even external accessories like AR Glasses.

The Pixel 7 Pro, on the other hand, uses Wi-Fi 6E and also has Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, and a Type-C port, albeit, a slower data transfer interface. Here’s to hoping that Google has improved the signal reception since the Pixel 7 series had issues with the same upon launch.

Pixel 8 Pro vs Pixel 7 Pro: Specifications

Pixel 8 Pro vs Pixel 7 Pro: Verdict

Both the Pixel 8 Pro and Pixel 7 Pro are solid devices and if you already have the latter, you shouldn’t be switching. Sure you’d be missing out on the new features initially, but most of them will be available via updates in the future, besides those that are closely tied to the hardware. However, if you’re getting a great trade-in price for the Pixel 8 Pro or plan on buying the Pixel Watch 2 with the Pixel 8 Pro, Google has a bundle that is US-only where you can get a Pixel Watch 2 for free upon pre-ordering Pixel 8 Pro. It’s also worth mentioning that the Pixel 8 series will get 7 years of feature drops which is a first for any smartphone in the industry.