Meet the Pixel 8: Google’s new CA$949 smartphone with a 120Hz display and secure face unlock

Google

The Google Pixel 8 joins the Google Pixel 8 Pro as one of two new smartphones from the tech giant. The Pixel 8 gets a more refined design, a faster display, a bigger battery, and a more secure face unlock feature. It also costs CA$949 for the base model with 128GB of storage. You can preorder it now in rose, black, or hazel colours, and expect to receive it by October 12.

The Pixel 8 still has a metal frame and a distinctive camera bar on the back, but its corners are more rounded than the Pixel 6 and 7, giving it a softer look. The phone is also slightly smaller than the Pixel 7, with a 6.2-inch OLED screen instead of a 6.3-inch display. It supports a 120Hz refresh rate for smoother scrolling and animations. However, unlike the Pixel 8 Pro, the Pixel 8’s screen does not have an LTPO technology that can dynamically adjust the refresh rate from 1Hz to 120Hz depending on the content. This means that the Pixel 8 may consume more battery power than the Pixel 8 Pro when displaying static or low-motion content.

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What’s new in the Pixel 8 Pro: AI, camera, screen, and more

Google

The Pixel 8 Pro is Google’s latest flagship phone. It follows last year’s design, but with a sleeker camera bar, smoother corners, and a familiar look that works. It’s AI-powered on the inside and out. The Pixel 8 Pro runs on Google’s third-generation custom chipset, Tensor G3. It enables many of the new AI features onboard, but Google doesn’t claim any improvement in battery life or heat management. It has a 5,050mAh battery and supports 30W wired and 23W wireless with the Pixel Stand).

The Google Pixel 8 Pro differs from the standard Pixel 8 by having a matte finish on the back glass panel. It comes in obsidian black, porcelain, and a light blue “bay.” This Pro phone is the one has an LTPO display (Google calls it “Super Actua”) with variable refresh rates from 1Hz to 120Hz. It’s still 6.7 inches across, but it finally has a flat screen instead of curved edges. It also boasts a higher peak brightness of 2,400 nits, which is very bright in technical terms. If the Pixel 8 Pro can maintain that brightness level without overheating and dimming, that’s impressive.

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Google Pixel 8 series to get 7 years of OS updates

Google

Google Pixel 8 series debuted without too many unexpected surprises, except possibly for one. Google's biggest surprise for the phones' official announcement today: the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro will get seven years of operating system upgrades. That’s a huge leap from the three years of OS upgrades and five years of security support Google offered for its previous flagships. And it potentially matches the lifespan Apple provides for its iPhones. That is, if Google delivers on it. 

Now, if there’s one thing that makes a higher price more palatable, it’s the promise that you’ll get many more years of use out of your device. And if Google stays true to its word, we finally have that option in the Android space. We're curious to see if other Android manufacturers, like Samsung, will follow suit.

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EU privacy rules may force Meta to offer subscription options for its apps

Meta might charge European Instagram users US$14 (around CA$19) per month to avoid targeted ads. It could also offer a US$17 (~CA$23) monthly fee for ad-free Facebook and Instagram on desktop. Meta reportedly plans to force subscriptions on users who reject ad tracking, based on their personal data. This is in response to a court ruling that Facebook must get users’ consent to access their data.

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