North Korea's Pixel 8 Pro clone packs one killer upgrade that even Google's Pixel 11 won't get

When it comes to the display, the North Korean device has a 1080 x 2400 panel that supports 60 Hz. The original wins in this department as it has a 1344 x 2992 px display that supports a 120 Hz refresh rate. However, the reviewer notes that the display panel used in the clone uses high-frequency PWM dimming, which in simple terms means that the screen would cause comparatively less strain on the eyes than the display used in Google's phone.

Fenibook notes in its video that the knockoff product comes with an unlocked bootloader. This basically means that you can even install the Pixel OS and enjoy a complete feel of the original Pixel phone.

The counterfeit handset has an advantage in one crucial area

Although the Pixel 8 Pro is available in four storage options (128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB, and 1 TB), all come with 12 GB of RAM. Even the upcoming base Pixel 11 is rumored to be available only in the 12 GB RAM option. Surprisingly, the fake phone from North Korea features 16 GB of RAM, which is paired with 256 GB of internal storage.

Such an impressive number is usually not seen on a counterfeit device. Interestingly, the phone impresses in the camera department as well.

Just like the original, it also features a triple camera setup at the back. The main camera uses a 50 MP OmniVision OV50H, the periscope telephoto is a 50 MP Samsung S5KJN1 that supports a 15 cm minimum focusing distance, and there is a 50 MP ultrawide lens. The YouTuber claims that the telephoto lens of the fake phone is capable of capturing macro-style images from a much closer distance than the Pixel 8 Pro. For reference, the telephoto lens of the Google phone requires you to move back almost 1 m so that the lens can focus on the object; however, the counterfeit device can reportedly focus from as close as 15 cm.

Lastly, the reviewer also claims that the Dimensity 7050 was able to keep the phone cool even during a heavy load. That's apparently another advantage, as there are multiple complaints on platforms like Reddit from users claiming that their Pixel 8 series phones powered by the Tensor G3 get abnormally hot even during normal usage.

Pixel 8 Pro is still better

Despite having more RAM, a better telephoto lens, and a better cooling system, the clone phone from North Korea is still far behind the original. There's literally no competition between the Tensor G3 and the MediaTek 7050, as the former scores 800,832, whereas the latter only gets to 365,693 in the AnTuTu 11 benchmark. In the GeekBench 6 test results as well, Google's chip emerges as the winner in both single-core and multi-core tests.

The Pixel 8 Pro features a 5050 mAh battery, which was able to keep the device running for 7 hours and 3 minutes in our in-house testing. Furthermore, you also get plenty of AI features, incredible computational photography, and seven years of software support.

Google could definitely take the positives

I really want Google to make 16 GB RAM the new standard on its smartphones. Furthermore, the company should also note how the clone phone is managing heat even during heavy load. While the possibility of more RAM seems very slim, it will be interesting to see how well the Tensor G6 in the upcoming Pixel series performs, especially in managing the heat and keeping the device cool even during heavy load.