After a period of anticipation, Google officially unveiled its latest flagship smartphone, the Pixel 8 Pro, during the Made by Google event on Wednesday. This device introduces an array of new camera enhancements, AI capabilities, a brighter OLED display, an upgraded Tensor G3 chip, a commendable seven-year software support promise, and an intriguing built-in temperature sensor. However, it comes with a $100 price increase compared to its predecessor. To get a firsthand feel for these improvements, you can explore the initial hands-on impressions from Cherlynn Low, Deputy Reviews Editor at Engadget.
In this overview, we’ll compare the Pixel 8 Pro, on paper, with two other prominent, large, and high-priced flagship smartphones: Apple’s iPhone 15 Pro Max and Samsung’s Galaxy S23 Ultra. As always, while raw specifications provide valuable insights, they don’t tell the complete story. Nevertheless, if you’re curious about how Google’s latest flagship stacks up against the competition, we’ll provide you with a brief overview. If you’re more interested in the smaller Pixel 8, we also offer a similar comparison for that device.
| Google Pixel 8 Pro | Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | |
| Pricing (MSRP) | From $999 | From $1,199 | From $1,200 |
| Dimensions | 6.4 x 3.0 x 0.3 inches | 6.29 x 3.02 x 0.32 inches | 6.43 x 3.07 x 0.35 inches |
| Weight | 7.5 ounces | 7.81 ounces | 8.25 ounces |
| Screen size | 6.7 inches | 6.7 inches | 6.8 inches |
| Screen resolution | 1,344 x 2,992
489 ppi |
1,290 x 2,796
460 ppi |
1,440 x 3,088
500 ppi |
| Screen type | LTPO OLED
Up to 120Hz (1-120Hz) Up to 2,400 nits brightness Gorilla Glass Victus 2 |
LTPO OLED
Up to 120Hz (1-120Hz) Up to 2,000 nits brightness Ceramic Shield |
AMOLED
Up to 120Hz (1-120Hz) Up to 1,750 nits brightness Gorilla Glass Victus 2 |
| SoC | Google Tensor G3 | Apple A17 Pro
Hexa-core CPU (up to 3.78GHz) 6-core Apple GPU |
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform for Galaxy
Octa-core CPU (up to 3.36GHz) Adreno 740 GPU |
| RAM | 12GB | 8GB | 8GB / 12GB |
| Battery | 4,950mAh
“Beyond 24 hours” |
“Up to 29 hours video playback” | 5,000mAh
“Up to 26 hours of video playback” |
| Charging | USB Type-C 3.2
Up to 30W wired Up to 23W wireless with Google Pixel Stand (2nd gen) Qi wireless charging up to 12W Reverse wireless charging |
USB Type-C (USB 3.2 Gen 2)
“Up to 50 percent charge in around 30 minutes” MagSafe wireless charging up to 15W Qi wireless charging up to 7.5W Reverse wired charging |
USB Type-C (USB 3.2 Gen 1)
Up to 45W wired Qi/WPC wireless charging up to 15W Reverse wireless charging |
| Storage | 128GB / 256GB / 512GB / 1TB | 256GB / 512GB / 1TB | 256GB / 512GB / 1TB |
| Rear camera | Main: 50 MP, f/1.68
Ultrawide: 48 MP, f/1.95, 125.5 degree FOV Telephoto: 48 MP, f/2.8, 5x optical zoom |
Main: 48 MP, f/1.78
Ultrawide: 12 MP, f/2.2, 120 degree FOV Telephoto: 12 MP, f/2.8, 5x optical zoom |
Main: 200 MP, f/1.7
Ultrawide: 12 MP, f/2.2, 120 degree FOV Telephoto: 10 MP, f/2.4, 3x optical zoom Telephoto: 10 MP, f/4.9, 10x optical zoom |
| Front camera | 10.5 MP, f/2.2 | 12 MP, f/1.9 | 12 MP, f/2.2 |
| Video capture | Rear: 4K at 24/30/60 fps, 1080p at 24/30/60/120/240 fps
Front: 4K at 24/30/60 fps, 1080p at 30/60fps |
Rear: 4K at 24/25/30/60 fps, 1080p at 25/30/60/120/240 fps
Front: 4K at 24/25/30/60 fps, 1080p at 25/30/60/120 fps |
Rear: 8K at 24/30 fps, 4K at 30/60 fps, 1080p at 30/60/240/960 fps
Front: 4K at 30/60 fps, 1080p at 30 fps |
| Water and dust resistance | IP68 | IP68 | IP68 |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 7 | Wi-Fi 6E | Wi-Fi 6E |
| Bluetooth | v5.3 | v5.3 | v5.3 |
| NFC | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| OS | Android 14
“Seven years of OS, security and Feature Drop updates” |
iOS 17 | Android 13, One UI 5.1
Four generations of OS updates, five years of security updates |
| Finishes | Obsidian, Porcelain, Bay
Polished aluminum frame |
Natural Titanium, Blue Titanium, White Titanium, Black Titanium
Titanium frame |
Phantom Black, Green, Lavender, Graphite, Cream, Lime, Sky Blue, Red
Armor aluminum frame (advertised) |
