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Some pre-ordered Pixel 8 units are being delivered to buyers three days before the release date

By Alan Friedman

Published: Oct 09, 2023, 4:10 PM

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Some pre-ordered Pixel 8 units are being delivered to buyers three days before the release date

Some lucky people are receiving the Pixel 8 handsets they pre-ordered even though the official release date is in three days, October 12th. Those who have received their new Pixel 8 handsets are posting about their experience on Reddit. One user said that while overall he thought the phone was "great," he wasn't happy with the pictures taken with the front-facing camera compared to the shots snapped with the front camera on his iPhone 13 Pro Max.

Pre-order a Pixel 8 or a Pixel 8 Pro and get a valuable gift

Get Google Pixel 8 Pro at Amazon and save $300

Google's 2023 Pixel 8 Pro flagship is available at Amazon. At the moment, the 128GB model in Porcelain is 30% off. That saves you $300 on the high-end camera phone with a Tensor G3 chip. The offer only applies to the model in Porcelain.

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Get Google Pixel 8 for $200 off on Amazon

The Google Pixel 8 is available at Amazon right now. The smartphone sells for 29% off, which equates to $200 in savings. Keep in mind that only the Obsidian-coated Google phone is available at such low prices. The unit is available in limited quantities.

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We should point out that while both the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro sport 10.5MP selfie snappers, only the front-facing camera on the Pixel 8 Pro has auto-focus. Interestingly, multiple Reddit users said that the Pixel 3 XL delivered the best selfies and they missed the quality of the pictures snapped with the front-facing camera on that model.

As for the lack of sharpness found in pictures snapped with the Pixel 8's front-facing camera, there is always the chance that Google can release an update to fix the issue. Many manufacturers fine-tune the camera on a new phone by issuing an update following the release of the device.

One person who received his Pixel 8 early said that he ordered the device on October 4th, the day that Google introduced the new Pixel 8 line. Pre-orders opened that same day and the phone was shipped to India.

#teampixel pic.twitter.com/p3WDtRSILc
— The Lost Alpaca (@spikydoc) October 7, 2023

Because Google added a 90Hz refresh rate to the Pixel 7a (the Pixel 6a used the old-school 60Hz refresh rate), the Pixel 8 this year has a 120Hz refresh rate compared to 90Hz on the Pixel 7. Interestingly, the Smooth Display feature (which is what Google calls the refresh rate on Pixel models) is disabled on the Pixel 8 out of the box. To enable it, go to Settings > Display and toggle on Smooth Display.

According to the Pixel 8 owner in India, viewing angles on the Pixel 8 are fine although he did say that there is a "Very slight tinting or color shift if you look hard at the screen for some flaw. As for the speakers, he said that even though the Pixel 8 has slightly less bass, the overall sound is "crisp and comparable to iPhone."

So far we've only heard about early arrivals for the Pixel 8 and haven't found anyone who received a Pixel 8 Pro early.

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Alan, an ardent smartphone enthusiast and a veteran writer at PhoneArena since 2009, has witnessed and chronicled the transformative years of mobile technology. Owning iconic phones from the original iPhone to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, he has seen smartphones evolve into a global phenomenon. Beyond smartphones, Alan has covered the emergence of tablets, smartwatches, and smart speakers.