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

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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.

The Pixel 8’s screen can reach a peak brightness of 2000 nits when outdoors, making it easier to see in bright sunlight. It also has an always-on display feature that shows the time, date, notifications, and other information without waking up the phone. 

The fingerprint sensor under the screen is still for unlocking and authentication. But now, the front-facing camera works for facial unlock and payments. This means you can use face unlock to access bank and payment apps on the Pixel 8, which was not possible on previous Pixel models. Google claims that it has improved the face unlock algorithm without adding any special hardware for 3D face scanning.

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The Pixel 8 has a 4,485mAh battery that is slightly larger than the Pixel 7’s 4,280mAh battery. Google says the phone can last more than 24 hours on a single charge, but this may vary depending on your usage and settings. The phone supports fast charging with a 30W wired charger (sold separately) that can charge it up to 50 percent in half an hour. It also supports wireless charging with any Qi-compatible charger or accessory.

The Pixel 8 is one of the first phones to run on Android 14, which brings new features and improvements to the operating system. It also comes with Google’s own Tensor G3 chip, which is designed to enhance the performance and capabilities of the phone’s camera, artificial intelligence, and security features. 

The Google Pixel 8 has a dual-camera system on the back, consisting of a 50-megapixel main camera with a wider aperture and a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera with autofocus and macro capabilities. It gets camera features like Magic Eraser and Best Take, the latter combines images taken from a series to ensure everyong looks good in group shots.

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