All the news on Google’s Pixel 8, 8 Pro, and 8A – The Verge

Google’s June Pixel update brings Gemini AI to cheaper phones

2024-06-11T12:00:00-04:00

Google's latest feature drop for Pixel devices is a big one for people who want to run its AI tech on cheaper phones, folks who constantly misplace their phones, and photographers who want a little more control.

The latest update, which starts rolling out today, will make the mobile-ready Gemini Nano model that was already available to Pixel 8 Pro owners available as an option on the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8A phones, too. Apple just announced a slew of new AI features for its platforms, but similar to Google's initial announcement that it eventually walked back, Apple has restricted Apple Intelligence to people with the latest iPhone 15 Pro.

Ho …

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Google’s Pixel Tablet relaunch at $399 makes its magnetic dock optional

2024-05-07T13:13:28-04:00

Along with a new value-priced entry for the Pixel 8 lineup, Google has some news about the largest member of the Pixel lineup, as its 128GB Pixel Tablet is now available for preorder at $399 - $100 cheaper than the launch price last summer.

However, to reach that price, you'll have to go without its smart display-like magnetic Charging Speaker Dock.

Nothing is changing about the Pixel Tablet itself compared to the model that launched last summer, as it still has a Tensor G2 processor, 8GB of RAM, fingerprint sensor, and Wi-Fi 6. Google is just creating a new SKU that decouples the Charging Speaker. If you purchase the standalone tablet and …

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Google’s Pixel 8A is a midrange phone that might actually go the distance

2024-05-07T12:00:00-04:00

Aloe is the new coral. | Photo: Vjeran Pavic / The Verge

The Pixel 8A is officially here, with very little in the way of surprises since it leaked to all heck over the past few weeks - as Google hardware always does. The 8A gets Google's latest processor, adds a bunch of new AI features, and still starts at $499 in the US. But the very best news is that the 8A adopts the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro's seven years of software support, which is just unheard of in a midrange phone.

The 8A retains the same general shape and size as its predecessor. But its 6.1-inch screen gets a couple of significant updates: the top refresh rate is now 120Hz, up from 90Hz, and the panel gets up to 40 percent brighter, up to 2, …

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Pixel 8A leak reveals $499 starting price

2024-04-30T12:08:52-04:00

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The Google Pixel 8A might not be getting that rumored price hike after all. Details shared with Smartprix by reliable leaker OnLeaks suggest that the base 128GB model will have the same $499 price as its predecessor.

However, Google could bump the price of the Pixel 8A to $559 for a new 256GB storage option, according to Smartprix. The leak also suggests that the Pixel 8A will come with a larger 4,500mAh battery instead of the 4,385mAh option that came with the Pixel 7A.

So far, Pixel 8A leaked details point to a G3 Tensor chip just like its more expensive siblings, along with a brighter 120Hz display than its predecessors, IP67 water resi …

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Google Pixel 8A leak reveals seven years of security updates

2024-04-26T12:46:44-04:00

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We've already seen a bunch of images revealing what Google's Pixel 8A might look like, but now, leaked marketing materials shared by Android Headlines give us an even better picture of what we can expect. The promotional images suggest that the budget-friendly Pixel 8A will come with seven years of security updates.

But the materials don't indicate whether the phone will come with seven years of Android OS upgrades, something its flagship Pixel 8 and 8 Pro have. Still, the seven years makes a big difference from Google's previous policy for Pixel phones, which only provided five years of security updates and three years of Android OS upgrad …

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Google’s Pixel 8A leaks in all colors — including a bold green

2024-04-12T13:23:11-04:00

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We're a month out from Google I/O, where the company will likely announce its new Pixel 8A phone. At this point, there have already been plenty of renders and even some real-world shots. And now, courtesy of Android Headlines, it appears official marketing images of the device have leaked.

If accurate, they show that Google plans to offer the Pixel 8A in four colors: black, porcelain, blue, and a very vibrant green. It's certainly more saturated than the subdued "mint" that Google added to the Pixel 8 color choices earlier this year.

Like its predecessor, the phone is rumored to have a 6.1-inch display, though it's not yet clear whether it …

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Surprise! Google will let the Pixel 8 run on-device AI after all

2024-03-28T10:00:00-04:00

Google Pixel 8 owners can have a little on-device AI, as a treat. | Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge

We did it, y'all. We bullied Google into letting the Pixel 8 run on-device AI. Starting with the next Pixel feature drop, the Pixel 8 will use Gemini Nano for a couple of AI features.

Google announced Gemini Nano as its mobile-optimized large language model in December and said it would be a core part of Android in the future - but in its own device lineup, only the Pixel 8 Pro was able to use it. Despite using the same Tensor G3 chipset, the Pixel 8 wasn't getting on-device AI because of "hardware limitations." Pixel fans and watchful Android experts asked the same question: what the heck, Google?

The Pixel 8 will get support for Gemini N …

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The Google Pixel 8A may get a brighter, 120Hz display

2024-03-19T18:23:47-04:00

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Google's Pixel 8A may have a 120Hz display - up from 90Hz in the Pixel 7A - and a brighter screen, according to Kamila Wojciechowska, whose past leaks have included videos of the pre-release Pixel Fold.

Google's I/O 2024 conference is set for May 14th, when the company will likely talk a lot about AI again. That's also probably where the company will announce the Pixel 8A.

Writing for Android Authority, Wojciechowska says this next entry in the line of budget Pixel phones will feature 1,400 nits of peak brightness, up from the 7A's 1,000 nits, and limited support for DisplayPort output via USB-C. Those may both be improvements over its pre …

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The Pixel 8a may get a 256GB storage boost — and a price hike

2024-03-05T18:03:51-05:00

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Is this what the Pixel 8a will look like? | Image: OnLeaks / Smartprix

The Pixel 8a phone is getting a new 256GB tier, at least according to rumblings heard from retailers by the usually reliable German tech news site WinFuture. The site's sources also say it will come in four colors, like the $499 Pixel 7a, but it will cost a quite a bit more than that phone at €569.90, or about $618 USD.

According to WinFuture's sources, the beefed-up storage version will cost even more - €630 (about $684 USD) - putting it a whiff away from the regular Pixel 8's $699 price tag. However, as the site notes, that could be subject to change.

The Pixel 8a will reportedly come in obsidian (black), porcelain (beige), bay (light bl …

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Google’s Circle to Search is a dead-simple way to find what you’re looking for

2024-01-17T13:00:00-05:00

It's hard to think of a more self-explanatory feature than Circle to Search: it does exactly what it sounds like it does. You circle something on your phone screen, tap a button, and voila! A page full of Google search results telling you about the thing you circled. Easy, right? The new feature is launching on five phones to start - the three members of Samsung's brand-new Galaxy S24 series, as well as Google's Pixel 8 and 8 Pro - before it comes to other "select, premium" Android phones.

Well, maybe it does need a little explaining. If the feature sounds familiar, you might be thinking of Google Lens, which is similar. But instead of open …

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