Exclusive: These are the specifications of the Google Pixel 8 display

It takes a big display to make a brilliant smartphone. Google’s most recent Pixel phones have been good at this, especially at realistic color reproduction. However, they have never matched the best in some important areas, such as maximum brightness and dynamic refresh rates. Google has often used older generation panels, presumably to save money and position their offers more aggressively. The downside is that its latest flagship, the Pixel 7 Pro, while well calibrated, wasn’t bright enough in some scenarios.

Thanks to a source inside Google, we’ve gotten a lot of information about the display specs and features of the upcoming Google Pixel 8 series, and a lot looks set to change.

The perfect phone size has been an ongoing debate for years, and it doesn’t look set to end any time soon. Regardless of your take on the matter, Google’s Pixel series offers two distinct display sizes, a smaller one on non-Pro models (6.3 inches on the Pixel 6 and 7) and a larger, curvier one on the Pro models (6.3-inch on the Pixel 6 and 7). 7 inches on Pixel 6 and 7). on 6 Pro and 7 Pro). Though the other phones specs are not exactly identical, it still gave the users a choice.

With the Pixel 8 series, Google is changing the formula a bit. First, the regular Pixel 8 is switching to a smaller 6.17-inch display instead of the 6.3 inches of previous models. The Pixel 8 Pro, on the other hand, keeps the same 6.7-inch size, but the panel is now good news for the many people who view flat displays as a good thing.

Google has also fine-tuned the rounded corners of both models, more than doubling the corner radius in both cases. In other words, the displays are slightly less squared than before and a bit more rounded in the corners.

Google has always used OLED displays for pixels and this time is no different. What may change, however, is the source of the panels. The last couple of generations of Pixels exclusively used panels from Samsung. The exception was a mysterious and unreleased device codenamed G10, which would have a BOE display Instead. I speculated at the time of the initial reports that Google was testing the panel to see if BOE was reliable enough to be included in Pixel phones, and now it turns out that was true. While the larger Pixel 8 Pro has a Samsung panel, just like previous generations, the regular Pixel 8 has two sources for the panel: BOE and Samsung. My source couldn’t confirm whether Google will be using both in the production process or if this is merely an initial assessment, but both panels share the same specs, which could hint at the former.

This generation of Pixels also changes the resolution of the Pro Phone for the first time since the Pixel 6 series. Google has opted for a slightly lower resolution of 2,992 x 1,344 for the Pixel 8 Pro instead of the older standard of 3,120 x 1,440, giving it a pixel density per inch (PPI) of 490, down from 512.

The resolution of the Pixel 8 remains unchanged, which combined with the smaller display means that its PPI is slightly higher: 427 instead of 417.

The brightness of both phones has also been substantially improved, at least according to the values ​​​​declared in code (which, keep in mind, may deviate from reality). The Pixel 8 can allegedly achieve a peak brightness of up to 1,400 nits in HDR content, compared to the Pixel 7’s 1,000 nits. The Pixel 8 Pro has also been updated and can now display up to 1,600 nits in HDR, compared to the Pixel 8’s 1,000 nits. Pixel 7.7 Pro.

Since the Pixel 6 series, Google has used display refresh rate as a differentiator between different product tiers. For example, in the Pixel 6 series, the Pixel 6a was 60Hz, the Pixel 6 was 90Hz, and the Pixel 6 Pro was 120Hz.

The Pixel 7 series made one significant change: The Pixel 7a now has a 90Hz panel to match the Pixel 7. This was an interesting move; what was previously the main reason to pay more for the base phone than the Pixel A series unit was now gone.

However, Google will widen the gap between the Pixel 7a and the Pixel 8 series again, as the regular Pixel 8 now has a 120Hz display.

The Pixel 8 Pro also has a notable upgrade of its own; a more variable refresh rate. My sources’ information on the matter was limited. However, it appears that the Pixel 8 Pro will be able to switch its refresh rate smoothly between 60 and 120Hz, unlike previous generations, which could only use a few preset frequencies (as listed in the table below).

The benefit of this approach is that the refresh rate of the display can more accurately match different content, reducing screen tearing. For example, 24fps content could now be shown at 72Hz, meaning that each video frame is shown for exactly three display refresh cycles (rather than five at 120Hz). Another way this could be used is for gaming. If Google implements this feature, the display could match a game’s higher frame rates by removing tearing entirely, similar to AMD’s FreeSync or Qualcomm’s Q-SYNC. Additionally, the new displays clock down to as low as 5Hz, saving power when the screen isn’t actively updating content.

That’s all there is to the Pixel 8 series display. It seems that Google is upping its game to compete with the best in another aspect. So far, all the Pixel 8 leaks suggest the phones will be a huge improvement, and the display is no different. I can’t wait to upgrade to Pixel 8 Pro when it comes out.