Google’s Pixel 7 and 7 Pro may be relatively new, having only been released in October, but it appears Mountain View is already looking ahead to their successors. That’s not surprising given that the company typically reveals its latest flagships months ahead of their launch, but we’re getting a sneak peek that’s even earlier than that.
That’s because Smartprix has teamed up with serial leaker OnLeaks to create renders of the Pixel 8 Pro, giving us a first look at Google’s next powerhouse model. While it clearly draws from the design language introduced on the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro—what with the trademark camera “visor” across the back of the device—it holds a few surprises nevertheless.
For a start, the Pixel 8 Pro will now house its main, ultra-wide and telephoto cameras inside a single pill-shaped cutout in the visor, rather than the periscope lens being cast aside in a separate circular cutout. Perhaps this is to prevent the occurrence of the spontaneous shattering glass problem that happened with the current model.
Next to the brace of cameras is the flash and an unusual black circle just underneath. While Smartprix is speculating that a depth sensor or macro camera is residing in here, it’s more likely that the Pixel 8 Pro will instead feature a lidar sensor to facilitate augmented reality—again, that wouldn’t be a surprise, given Google’s investments in this area—just like the iPhone 12 Pro and later.
The second surprise is the more rounded corners of the phone, deviating from the broad-shouldered look of the Pixel 6 and 7. This stands in stark contrast to the display, which appears to be completely flat for the first time on a Pro model.
Google is clearly following an industry trend—even Samsung, hitherto a proponent of the curved edge display, has flattened the screen almost entirely on the new Galaxy S23 Ultra. The rounded corners do mean that the screen itself is expected to be slightly smaller, measuring 6.52 inches across instead of 6.7.
The other rumour is that Google’s new Tensor G3 chip will be build on Samsung’s 3nm node technology and will be based on the as-yet-unannounced Exynos 2300 processor, which itself is tipped to power the Galaxy S22 FE and Tab S8 FE.
The Pixel 8 Pro is also expected to use staggered HDR that takes multiple exposures simultaneously instead of one after the other. This should not only help reduce shutter lag but also eliminate ghosting due to the phone moving between one capture and the next.
As usual, the device will likely be previewed alongside the Pixel 8 at Google I/O 2022 on May 11, before a full launch in the autumn. Can us Malaysians finally purchase this one this time, please?
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