Even though Google unpleasantly surprised some of its hardcore fans by uttering no word about the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro at the I/O developer conference three months ago, the two next-gen high-end handsets haven't exactly been the tech world's best kept secrets.
We've seen plenty of details and even the phones themselves leaked all across the world wide web both before and after the I/O 2023 event, but of course, there are still things left to be discussed, revealed, and confirmed ahead of an official launch likely to happen sometime in October.
Yes, it appears that Google's next big thing will be available with your choice of 128, 256, or 512GB internal storage space, at least according to the "dealer data" seen by the aforementioned German journalist/leaker/rumormonger/pooper of smartphone announcement parties.
These are real-life photographs of a 128GB Pixel 8 Pro unit.
If those variants sound familiar, it might be because that's what's currently at the disposal of Pixel 7 Pro buyers as well. It wouldn't have made much sense of Big G to get rid of that 512 gig upper tier for the giant's sequel, but alas, it doesn't look like such a generous option will be offered to potential adopters of the "vanilla" Pixel 8.
Similar to its non-Pro predecessor, this bad boy is expected to go on sale in 128 and 256GB storage variants only... at currently unknown prices. It's pretty clear that Google wants to keep the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro as affordable as possible, but while Samsung's Galaxy S23 Plus, for instance, is only available in 256 and 512GB configurations, the base S23 can be purchased in an entry-level 128 gig model in addition to those two.
That sounds like the best strategy that the search giant could have employed for the Pixel 8, but unfortunately, you'll need to make do with what you get.
Three colors "confirmed" today, a fourth one rumored recently
While nothing about an unreleased and unannounced phone can be confirmed until, well, its manufacturer confirms it, the existence of three interesting-sounding paint jobs for the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro seems all but etched in stone after multiple references to the exact same names by multiple different sources.
According to both Roland Quandt now and Android Authority recently, these will be called "Licorice", "Peony", and "Haze" for the smaller Pixel 8 and "Licorice", "Porcelain", and "Sky" as far as the larger model is concerned.
These are leaked renders of the Pixel 8 Pro.
We can't know for sure precisely how these will look at this point, especially with Google often trying different and very interesting things from a chromatic standpoint, but Licorice should designate some sort of a black shade (thus replacing the Pixel 7's "Obsidian" flavor), Porcelain is obviously white, Sky can only be a light blue, and Haze... could literally be anything.
While the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro stopped at three colorways each, a fourth "Jade" option was tipped back in June for both the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro, although for some reason, that's completely absent from this latest report.
That might signal limited availability in select markets like the US (especially with WinFuture generally focused on European information) or it could suggest Google will once again stop at three hues for its high-end phones. That's what launch events are for, so let's just wait and see what the company properly confirms in October.
Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.
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