Google Pixel 8 Pro vs. the competition: From Tensor to temperature sensor
After weeks of teases and leaks, Google formally took the wraps off its next flagship smartphone, the Pixel 8 Pro. Revealed during the company's Made by Google event on Wednesday, the handset adds a host of new camera and AI features, a brighter OLED display, an improved Tensor G3 chip, seven years of software updates and, oddly, a built-in temperature sensor. It costs $100 more than its predecessor, however. For more on how all of this feels in practice, you can check out some early hands-on impressions from Engadget's Deputy Reviews Editor, Cherlynn Low.
Here, though, we've broken down how the Pixel 8 Pro compares on paper to two other large, pricey and well-known flagships, Apple's iPhone 15 Pro Max and Samsung's Galaxy S23 Ultra. As always, raw specs won't tell the whole story, but if you're curious about how Google's latest and greatest stacks up, here's a quick overview. If you're more interested in the smaller Pixel 8, meanwhile, we have a similar breakdown for that device too.
Google Pixel 8 Pro | Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | |
Pricing (MSRP) | From $999 | From $1,199 | From $1,200 |
Dimensions | 6.4 x 3.0 x 0.3 inches | 6.29 x 3.02 x 0.32 inches | 6.43 x 3.07 x 0.35 inches |
Weight | 7.5 ounces | 7.81 ounces | 8.25 ounces |
Screen size | 6.7 inches | 6.7 inches | 6.8 inches |
Screen resolution | 1,344 x 2,992 489 ppi | 1,290 x 2,796 460 ppi | 1,440 x 3,088 500 ppi |
Screen type | LTPO OLED Up to 120Hz (1-120Hz) Up to 2,400 nits brightness Gorilla Glass Victus 2 | LTPO OLED Up to 120Hz (1-120Hz) Up to 2,000 nits brightness Ceramic Shield | AMOLED Up to 120Hz (1-120Hz) Up to 1,750 nits brightness Gorilla Glass Victus 2 |
SoC | Google Tensor G3 | Apple A17 Pro Hexa-core CPU (up to 3.78GHz) 6-core Apple GPU | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform for Galaxy Octa-core CPU (up to 3.36GHz) Adreno 740 GPU |
RAM | 12GB | 8GB | 8GB / 12GB |
Battery | 4,950mAh "Beyond 24 hours" | "Up to 29 hours video playback" | 5,000mAh "Up to 26 hours of video playback" |
Charging | USB Type-C 3.2 Up to 30W wired Up to 23W wireless with Google Pixel Stand (2nd gen) Qi wireless charging up to 12W Reverse wireless charging | USB Type-C (USB 3.2 Gen 2) "Up to 50 percent charge in around 30 minutes" MagSafe wireless charging up to 15W Qi wireless charging up to 7.5W Reverse wired charging | USB Type-C (USB 3.2 Gen 1) Up to 45W wired Qi/WPC wireless charging up to 15W Reverse wireless charging |
Storage | 128GB / 256GB / 512GB / 1TB | 256GB / 512GB / 1TB | 256GB / 512GB / 1TB |
Rear camera | Main: 50 MP, f/1.68 Ultrawide: 48 MP, f/1.95, 125.5 degree FOV Telephoto: 48 MP, f/2.8, 5x optical zoom | Main: 48 MP, f/1.78 Ultrawide: 12 MP, f/2.2, 120 degree FOV Telephoto: 12 MP, f/2.8, 5x optical zoom | Main: 200 MP, f/1.7 Ultrawide: 12 MP, f/2.2, 120 degree FOV Telephoto: 10 MP, f/2.4, 3x optical zoom Telephoto: 10 MP, f/4.9, 10x optical zoom |
Front camera | 10.5 MP, f/2.2 | 12 MP, f/1.9 | 12 MP, f/2.2 |
Video capture | Rear: 4K at 24/30/60 fps, 1080p at 24/30/60/120/240 fps Front: 4K at 24/30/60 fps, 1080p at 30/60fps | Rear: 4K at 24/25/30/60 fps, 1080p at 25/30/60/120/240 fps Front: 4K at 24/25/30/60 fps, 1080p at 25/30/60/120 fps | Rear: 8K at 24/30 fps, 4K at 30/60 fps, 1080p at 30/60/240/960 fps Front: 4K at 30/60 fps, 1080p at 30 fps |
Water and dust resistance | IP68 | IP68 | IP68 |
Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 7 | Wi-Fi 6E | Wi-Fi 6E |
Bluetooth | v5.3 | v5.3 | v5.3 |
NFC | Yes | Yes | Yes |
OS | Android 14 "Seven years of OS, security and Feature Drop updates" | iOS 17 | Android 13, One UI 5.1 Four generations of OS updates, five years of security updates |
Finishes | Obsidian, Porcelain, Bay Polished aluminum frame | Natural Titanium, Blue Titanium, White Titanium, Black Titanium Titanium frame | Phantom Black, Green, Lavender, Graphite, Cream, Lime, Sky Blue, Red Armor aluminum frame (advertised) |
Follow all of the news live from Google's 2023 Pixel event right here.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-pixel-8-pro-vs-the-competition-from-tensor-to-temperature-sensor-151016002.html?src=rss