FCC visit reveals that a new feature is coming to the Pixel 8 Pro only

Just yesterday we learned that Google will introduce the new Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro handsets on October 4th in New York City. Yes, in the city known as the "Big Apple," Google will introduce its 2023 flagship phones. And as Google goes through its checklist of tasks it must complete to get the new phones released on time, the Mountain View crew can now put a line through "Visit FCC." As noted by 9to5Google, the regulatory agency has been the recipient of a visit by the upcoming Pixel handsets.

The FCC filing says that Google sought approval for different models: GKWS6, G9BQD, GZPF0, GPJ41, and G1MNW. Back at the end of May, the GKWS6 number showed up at the Wireless Power Consortium in reference to a listing for the Pixel 8. The FCC documentation indicates that the GZPF0 model carries the same internal hardware as the G9BQD minus the components needed for mmWave connectivity. This is used for high-band 5G signals which are hard to find but do deliver extremely fast downlink data speeds.

The Pixel 8 Pro models appear to be GC3VE and G39DP. The former is a variant without support for mmWave connectivity. The latter is a non-U.S. variant of the Pixel 8 Pro. And the G1MNW is another Pixel 8 Pro model. It should be noted that only the Pixel 8 Pro will feature UWB (Ultra Wideband) capabilities which deliver more precise tracking information than Bluetooth alone when searching for a lost item that has a smart tracker attached.

Google will soon upgrade its Find My Device feature to allow it to leverage the location services of other Android devices to help find tagged items. This is similar to how Apple's Find My app works. To reiterate, the FCC filing indicates that the UWB feature will be available to Pixel 8 Pro users, but not those with the Pixel 8. So this is something that you might want to keep in mind when choosing between the two models.