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Google Pixel 8
Pixel 8 is a sensible used buy if you want a compact Pixel with about four years of updates left and can do without a telephoto lens.
Product images
Google Pixel 8, from its Amazon listing.
Credit: Amazon.com (Associates Program). Amazon listing
Product image from the Amazon listing.
In short
Pixel 8 is a sensible used buy if you want a compact Pixel with about four years of updates left and can do without a telephoto lens. It has a 6.2-inch 120 Hz screen that peaks at 2,000 nits, 50MP and 12MP rear cameras, 8GB of RAM and a 4,575mAh battery. Pixel 8 Pro adds a 5x telephoto and 12GB of RAM; it launched at $999, against $699 for Pixel 8.
Who it is for
- People who want a smaller phone. At 150.5 × 70.8 × 8.9 millimeters, it's the compact half of the 2023 pair.
- Used buyers who want years of updates without paying for a new phone.
- Anyone who shoots with the main and ultrawide cameras and rarely zooms.
Who should skip it
- Anyone who zooms a lot. There's no telephoto and Super Res Zoom stops at 8x; Pixel 8 Pro has a 5x telephoto and goes to 30x.
- Heavy multitaskers. Pixel 8 has 8GB of RAM, against 12GB in Pixel 8 Pro and Pixel 9.
- People holding out for Qi2 charging, which arrived with Pixel 10.
What sets it apart
- A 6.2-inch Actua OLED at 1080 × 2400 that peaks at 2,000 nits, or 1,400 in HDR, and refreshes at 60 to 120 Hz.
- The same Tensor G3 and Titan M2 chips as Pixel 8 Pro.
- Seven years of updates, covering the OS, security and Pixel Drops, a first for a compact Pixel.
- IP68, with Gorilla Glass Victus front and back, in a 187-gram body.
- Bluetooth 5.3, and Wi-Fi 7 on models for the US, Canada, UK, EU and Australia.
Caveats
- The 10.5MP selfie camera is fixed-focus.
- Google's Pixel 8 specs name no Satellite SOS or Crash Detection features, so don't count on either.
Key specs
In the same order on every phone page, so you can compare models.
| Spec | Value | Source and notes |
|---|---|---|
| Display size | 6.2-inch (157 mm) Actua, 20:9; measured diagonally as a rectangle, so the actual viewable area is less | Google Pixel 8 tech specs |
| Display type | OLED Actua; Smooth Display; Corning Gorilla Glass Victus cover glass; HDR; 24-bit color; >1,000,000:1 contrast | Google Pixel 8 tech specs |
| Display resolution | 1080 × 2400 at 428 ppi | Google Pixel 8 tech specs |
| Refresh rate | Smooth Display, 60–120 Hz | Google Pixel 8 tech specs |
| Peak brightness | Up to 1400 nits (HDR) and up to 2000 nits (peak) | Google Pixel 8 tech specs |
| Always-on display | Yes: Pixel 8's always-on display shows At a Glance and Now Playing | Google Pixel 8 tech specs |
| Dimensions | 150.5 × 70.8 × 8.9 mm (5.9 × 2.8 × 0.4 in) | Google Pixel 8 tech specs |
| Weight | 187 g (6.6 oz) | Google Pixel 8 tech specs |
| Build | Gorilla Glass Victus front; edgeless Victus back; matte aluminum frame; fingerprint-resistant coating; IP68. The housing is 100% recycled aluminum, and Pixel 8 is at least 18% recycled materials by product weight | Google Pixel 8 tech specs |
| Colors | Obsidian, Hazel, Rose, Mint (availability varies by region and channel) | Google Pixel 8 tech specs |
| Water and dust resistance | IP68 dust and water resistance (Google footnote 23) | Google Pixel 8 tech specs |
| Chip | Google Tensor G3; Titan M2 security coprocessor | Google Pixel 8 tech specsThe same chip as Pixel 8 Pro. |
| RAM | 8 GB LPDDR5X | Google Pixel 8 tech specs |
| Storage | 128 GB / 256 GB UFS 3.1 (availability varies by region and channel) | Google Pixel 8 tech specs |
| Rear cameras | Two cameras: 50MP Octa PD wide, ƒ/1.68, 82°, 1.2 μm pixels, 1/1.31" sensor, optical and electronic stabilization; 12MP ultrawide with autofocus, ƒ/2.2, 125.8°, 1.25 μm pixels, lens correction. Single-zone LDAF; spectral and flicker sensor | Google Pixel 8 tech specs |
| Zoom | No telephoto; Super Res Zoom up to 8x | Google Pixel 8 tech specs |
| Front camera | 10.5MP Dual PD, ƒ/2.2, fixed focus, 95° ultrawide field of view | Google Pixel 8 tech specs |
| Video | Rear: 4K and 1080p at 24, 30 or 60 fps; 10-bit HDR; digital zoom up to 7x. Front: 4K at 24, 30 or 60 fps. Slow motion up to 240 fps | Google Pixel 8 tech specs |
| Battery capacity | Typical 4,575mAh; minimum 4,485mAh | Google Pixel 8 tech specs |
| Battery life | Beyond 24 hours; up to 72 hours with Extreme Battery Saver | Google Pixel 8 tech specs |
| Wired charging | Up to 27W on Pixel 8; up to 50% in about 30 minutes with Google's 30W USB-C charger (USB-PD 3.0 PPS), sold separately | Google Pixel 8 tech specs |
| Wireless charging | Qi-certified fast wireless charging: up to 18W on Pixel Stand (2nd gen), up to 12W on Qi-certified EPP chargers; Battery Share | Google Pixel 8 tech specs |
| Operating system | Seven years of Android OS upgrades; Google gives no launch version for Pixel 8 | Google Pixel 8 tech specs; Google blog |
| Updates | 7 years of OS, security and Pixel Drop updates from when it first went on sale on the US Google Store | Google Pixel 8 tech specs |
| Cellular | 5G Sub-6 on North American model G9BQD; mmWave and Sub-6 on GKWS6, sold through Verizon, AT&T or the Google Store (Google footnote 21) | Google Pixel 8 tech specs |
| Wi-Fi and Bluetooth | Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be), 2.4, 5 and 6 GHz, 2×2 + 2×2 MIMO in the US, Canada, UK, EU and Australia; Wi-Fi 6E in Japan; Wi-Fi 6 in Taiwan, Singapore and India. Bluetooth 5.3 with dual antennas; NFC; Google Cast | Google Pixel 8 tech specs |
| Ports and buttons | USB Type-C 3.2; power button; volume controls | Google Pixel 8 tech specs |
| SIM | Dual SIM: one nano-SIM and eSIM | Google Pixel 8 tech specs |
| NFC and payments | NFC for contactless payments | Google Pixel 8 tech specs |
| GPS | US: dual-band GNSS with GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and QZSS; India adds BeiDou and NavIC; elsewhere GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS and BeiDou | Google Pixel 8 tech specs |
| Biometrics | Under-display fingerprint sensor (Fingerprint Unlock); Face Unlock; pattern, PIN or password | Google Pixel 8 tech specs |
| Other sensors | Proximity, ambient light, accelerometer, gyrometer, magnetometer, barometer; single-zone LDAF, spectral and flicker sensors for the cameras | Google Pixel 8 tech specs |
| US launch price | $699 (US) at launch, 4 October 2023; Pixel 8 Pro started at $999 | Google blog, 4 October 2023 |
| Price band | Previous-generation compact Pixel, launched at $699 | Based on the $699 launch price |
| Announced | 4 October 2023, alongside Pixel 8 Pro | Google blog, 4 October 2023 |
| Availability | Pre-orders from 4 October 2023; in stores from 12 October 2023. Replaced by Pixel 11 as Google's current compact Pixel (as of 2026-09-19) | Google blog, 4 October 2023 |
Google Pixel 8 extras
Specs only this model has.
| Spec | Value | Source and notes |
|---|---|---|
| Two rear cameras, no telephoto | 50MP wide and 12MP ultrawide; Super Res Zoom up to 8x; Pixel 8 Pro adds a 5x telephoto | Google Pixel 8 tech specs |
| 8GB of RAM | 8GB LPDDR5X; Pixel 8 Pro and Pixel 9 have 12GB | Google Pixel 8 tech specs |
| Qi, not Qi2 | Qi-certified fast wireless charging up to 18W on Pixel Stand (2nd gen), plus Battery Share; Qi2 with Pixelsnap arrived on Pixel 10 | Google Pixel 8 tech specs |
| Charger in Google's figures | 50% in about 30 minutes with Google's 30W USB-C charger (USB-PD 3.0 PPS); up to 27W on Pixel 8 | Google Pixel 8 tech specs |
Google announced Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro together on 4 October 2023. The $699 Pixel 8 got the same Tensor G3 chip as the $999 Pro, but not its telephoto, its bigger screen or its 12GB of RAM. The 7-year update clock started with its US Google Store debut in October 2023, so as of September 2026 about four years remain, plenty for a used phone.
Pixel 8 or Pixel 8 Pro?
| Spec | Pixel 8 | Pixel 8 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Screen | 6.2-inch Actua, 2,000 nits peak | 6.7-inch Super Actua, 2,400 nits peak |
| Rear cameras | 50MP main, 12MP ultrawide | Adds a 5x telephoto |
| Zoom | Super Res Zoom to 8x | Super Res Zoom to 30x |
| RAM | 8GB | 12GB |
| Battery | 4,575mAh typical, 4,485mAh minimum | 5,050mAh typical, 4,950mAh minimum |
| US launch price | $699 | $999 |
The Pro’s higher price bought a telephoto, more memory, a bigger screen and a bigger battery. If you rarely zoom, Pixel 8 gives you the same chip in a smaller phone, and in this generation it was the only small option: Google didn’t offer a 6.3-inch Pro, alongside a 6.8-inch one, until 2024. Pixel 8 Pro covers the Pro in detail.
What Pixel 9 added
| Spec | Pixel 8 | Pixel 9 |
|---|---|---|
| Chip | Tensor G3 | Tensor G4 |
| RAM | 8GB | 12GB |
| Ultrawide | 12MP | 48MP |
| Peak brightness | 2,000 nits | 2,700 nits |
| Charger Google quotes | 30W (Pixel 8 takes up to 27W) | 45W |
| US launch price | $699 | $799 |
If more memory and a higher-resolution ultrawide matter to you, Pixel 9 is the step up.
Cameras without a telephoto
The 50MP main camera sits on a 1/1.31-inch sensor with optical and electronic stabilization, and the 12MP ultrawide has autofocus. Without a telephoto, zoom comes from Super Res Zoom, up to 8x for photos, while video zoom stops at 7x.
Battery and charging
Google rates Pixel 8’s battery at beyond 24 hours per charge, stretching to 72 with Extreme Battery Saver. It charges at up to 27W wired, and Google quotes 50% in about 30 minutes using its own 30W USB-C charger, which is sold separately. Wirelessly it takes up to 18W on the Pixel Stand (2nd gen) or 12W on Qi EPP chargers, against 30W wired and 23W on the Stand for Pixel 8 Pro.
Price
Pixel 8 launched at $699 in the US with 128GB or 256GB of storage, in Obsidian, Hazel, Rose and Mint. With Pixel 11 now Google’s compact Pixel, a Pixel 8 comes from the used or refurbished market, where condition sets the price; check a few sellers before you buy.
Sources
- Amazon product listing — accessed 2026-09-20
- Google Pixel Help — Pixel phone hardware tech specs — accessed 2026-09-19
- Google blog — Meet Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, our newest phones — accessed 2026-09-19
Frequently asked questions
Does Pixel 8 have Face Unlock?
Yes. It has Face Unlock and an under-display fingerprint sensor, with pattern, PIN or password as backups.
Does Pixel 8 still take a physical SIM?
Yes. It has a nano-SIM slot alongside eSIM; Google's US models only went eSIM-only with Pixel 10.
Do all Pixel 8 models support mmWave 5G?
No. Only GKWS6, sold through Verizon, AT&T and the Google Store, adds mmWave; the North American G9BQD model is Sub-6 only.
Does Pixel 8 record 4K video?
Yes. Both the front and rear cameras record 4K at 24, 30 or 60 fps, the rear adds 10-bit HDR, and slow motion goes up to 240 fps.
Official product page: Google Pixel 8. Tech specs: Google Pixel 8 specs.