Photo: Google
The new Pixel 8 line of phones by Google with a Tensor G3 chip, a 50 MP rear camera, and an improved 4,575mAh battery are the talk of the town. The lineup is available from October 12th, with Pixel 8 starting at $699 and Pixel 8 Pro at $999.
However, one question remains: how does the Pixel 8 stack up against the earlier version, the Pixel 7?
In this article, we’ll pitch the Pixel 8 against the Pixel 7 and see if you should upgrade your old phone for the new one based on different aspects.
Price and size
Pixel 8 lineup starts at $699 for 8GB of RAM for the base Pixel 8 model and $999 for 12 GB/256 GB Pixel 8 Pro. Pixel 8 lineup costs $100 higher than its predecessor.
While Pixel 7 Pro, the highest model, is priced at $899, the lower models, like Pixel 7A and Pixel 7, are priced at $499 and $599, respectively.
Coming to the screen sizes, the Pixel 8 Pro and Pixel 7 Pro stand at 6.3 inches, while the Pixel 8 comes with a slightly smaller 6.2-inch screen when compared to Pixel 7’s 6.3-inch screen size. Pixel 7A is the smallest, with a screen size of 6.1 inches.
Regarding the storage, the Pixel 8 Pro leads the battle with a maximum capacity of 1 TB, while the Pixel 7 Pro maxes out at 512 GB.
Design and display
Google has slightly modified the look of the Pixel 8 lineup, offering rounded corners alongwith a matte glass finish.
Pixel 8 Pro and Pixel 7 Pro offer a 120Hz refresh rate, which can be great for gaming and other intensive tasks. However, the Pixel 8 base model offers a dynamic refresh rate between 60 to 120Hz. In comparison, Pixel 7 and Pixel 7A offer 90Hz refresh rate.
Pixel 8 phones also offer more brightness than their predecessors, with a claimed 2,400 nits of brightness in sunlight.
Chip and battery life
The new Pixel 8 phone lineup is powered by a Tensor G3 chip, faster than the previous generation Tensor G2 chips in Pixel 7 models.
Google also tweaked the software in Pixel 8 phones to detect spam calls via the Call Screen and Clear Calling feature, which the Pixel 7 phones lack. Another feature unique to Pixel 8 lineups is the Best Take, where similar photos will be grouped.
Both the lineups come with the enhanced Titan M2 security, a dedicated chip to bolster the hardware security.
Regarding battery life, Google vaguely claims that Pixel 8 phones will run for a day without any hiccups, which can be increased to about three days with the battery saver on. Pixel 8 has a larger 4,575mAh battery, about 200mAh more than Pixel 7 phones. Pixel 8 Pro offers a 5,050mAh battery, slightly more than the 5,000mAh capacity in the Pixel 7 Pro version.
Camera
Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro have a 50-megapixel main camera boosted with 21% more light sensitivity than Pixel 7 models — Pixel 7A sports a 64-megapixel main camera. Pixel 8 Pro and Pixel 7 Pro have a 48-megapixel telephoto lens with 5x zoom. But the Pixel 8 Pro takes the front seat with a 48-megapixel ultrawide lens, an upgrade over the 12-megapixel ultrawide lens in the Pixel 7 Pro model.
Google has also updated the camera app in Pixel 8 phones, allowing users more control over the options.
Pixel 8 Pro and Pixel 8 come with 10.5-megapixel front cameras, slightly less than the 10.8-megapixel camera offered in Pixel 7 and 7 Pro and the 13MP in Pixel 7A.
Software
Both lineups run on Android 14, as the OS has been released for the Pixel 7 lineup. For Pixel 8 phones, Google offers up to seven years of security and OS updates, which is a significant improvement compared to the five years of security and three years of OS updates for the Pixel 7 lineup.
When you compare this, Pixel 8 lineups are a thing to go for. Another tweak in the Pixel 8 lineup is the ability of users to generate AI wallpapers by just describing them. Besides that, there is not much difference between the phone lineup’s software.
Here is a side-by-side comparison of the specs of Pixel 7 vs. the Pixel 8 and the Pixel 7 Pro vs. Pixel 8 Pro.
Google Pixel 7 vs Pixel 8
| Category | Google Pixel 7 | Google Pixel 8 |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $599 | $699 |
| Colours | Dark grey, pink, light gray/green | Dark grey, pink, light grey/green |
| Dimensions | 6.1 x 2.9 x 0.3 | 5.9 x 2.8 x 0.4 |
| Weight | 195.6 grams | 187 grams |
| OS | Android 14 | Android 14 |
| Display | 6.3-inch OLED | 6.2-inch OLED |
| Screen resolution | 1080 x 2400 | 1080 x 2400 |
| Max. refresh rate | 90Hz | 120Hz |
| Processor | Google Tensor G2 custom chipset | Google Tensor G3 custom chipset |
| RAM | 8GB | 8GB |
| Storage | 128GB, 256GB | 128GB, 256GB |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, 5G | Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3, 5G |
| Wireless charging | Yes, up to 20W | Yes, up to 18W |
| Water and dust protection | IP68 | IP68 |
| Front camera | 10.8-megapixel | 10.5-megapixel |
| Rear camera | 50-megapixel wide, 12-megapixel ultrawide | 50-megapixel wide, 12-megapixel ultrawide |
| Video recording | Up to 4K at 60 FPS | Up to 4K at 60 FPS |
| Battery capacity | 4,355mAh | 4,575mAh |
| Android version / Security updates | Until at least Oct. 2025 / Oct. 2027 | Until Oct. 2030 |
| Temperature sensor | No | Yes |
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Google Pixel 8 Pro vs Pixel 7 Pro
Here’s how Pixel 8 Pro and Pixel 7 Pro stack against each other:
| Category | Google Pixel 7 Pro | Google Pixel 8 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $899 | $999 |
| Dark grey, light blue, white/beige | Light grey/green, white, dark grey | Dark gray, light blue, white/beige |
| Dimensions | 6.4 x 3.0 x 0.3 | 6.4 x 3.0 x 0.3 |
| Weight | 212.6 grams | 213 grams |
| OS | Android 14 | Android 14 |
| Display | 6.7-inch OLED | 6.7-inch OLED |
| Screen resolution | 1440 x 3120 | 1344 x 2992 |
| Max. refresh rate | 120Hz | 120Hz |
| Processor | Google Tensor G2 custom chipset | Google Tensor G3 custom chipset |
| RAM | 12GB | 12GB |
| Storage | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, 5G | Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3, 5G |
| Wireless charging | Yes, up to 23W | Yes, up to 23W |
| Water and dust protection | IP68 | IP68 |
| Front camera | 10.8-megapixel | 10.5-megapixel |
| Rear camera | 50-megapixel wide, 48-megapixel telephoto, 12-megapixel ultrawide | 50-megapixel wide, 12-megapixel ultrawide, 48-megapixel ultrawide |
| Video recording | Up to 4K at 60 FPS | Up to 4K at 60 FPS |
| Battery capacity | 5,000mAh | 5,050mAh |
| Android version / Security updates | Until at least Oct. 2025 / Oct. 2027 | Until Oct. 2030 |
| Temperature sensor | No | Yes |
Pixel 8 vs. Pixel 7 lineups: Which one should you prefer?
If you own a Pixel 7 or Pixel 7 Pro, we would recommend sticking to it unless you want some incremental improvement on the device. Sticking to your current device is also advisable since it still has software support. If you wish to go for the longer software update promised by Google, and your pocket allows it, by all means, upgrade. However, if your pocket doesn’t allow you to upgrade yet, maybe wait a few months for the Pixel 8a’s release or even a year for the Pixel 9’s release so that the 8’s get cheaper and you still have about six years worth of updates left on the device.
If you don’t own a Google Pixel and have deep pockets, go for the Pixel 8 or 8 Pro — in all likelihood, it’ll last you at least half a decade with the promised updates or even more. If you’re not willing to spend as much as Google is demanding for their new lineup, we suggest you buy the discounted Pixel 7 or 7 Pro, which still has about two years of software updates and four years of security updates coming up.
Pixel 8 if you have the dough and want new, cool, kicking hardware and camera. But Pixel 7, if you’re okay with a bit of old tech, aren’t a power user, want a great camera too, and aren’t willing to part with much of your money.
If you’re looking for a newer Android phone, the Pixel 8 models should be your first choice, as the security and OS updates are set for seven years. You can use your newer Pixel 8 model for at least seven years without worrying about potential security hazards. For camera enthusiasts, Pixel 8 offers some impressive tech. But upgrading the phone doesn’t make sense for those who do not do much photography.
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