Google Pixel 5 vs Pixel 8: Should you upgrade?

The Pixel 8 series arrived in late 2023 bringing an improved SoC, a model new digital digital camera sensor, and additional. For these hanging on to the now three-year-old Pixel 5, is it time to lastly enhance? We take a greater look on this Google Pixel 5 vs Pixel 8 comparability.

The Pixel 5 was powered by a modest Snapdragon 765G SoC with 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM and solely a single storage measurement of 128GB. It moreover had a quite a bit smaller present than stylish Pixels, at merely 6 inches.

Although Google nonetheless sticks to additional modest CPUs as compared with a couple of of its rivals, the Tensor G3 is a gigantic enhance over the 765G. Merely don’t anticipate it to be pretty as speedy as a result of the current-gen Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. This new Tensor chip has the latest ARM CPUs, an upgraded GPU, a model new imaging DSP, a model new ISP, and a next-gen TPU. In layman’s phrases, all these new chips allow it to have among the many most spectacular image processing, machine finding out, and AI capabilities on the planet.

Whereas the Pixel 8 nonetheless merely has 8GB of RAM, it’s now using LPDDR5X RAM. It moreover has a 256GB storage alternative, alongside a base 128GB model. The Pixel 8 present might be improved. Not solely is it a bit larger at 6.2 inches, but it surely absolutely moreover has a 60-120Hz variable refresh worth and a peak brightness of two,000 nits.

The rest of the core variations come proper all the way down to the battery measurement, charging speeds, and the digital digital camera. We’ll communicate a bit additional about that later,  nevertheless first, let’s concentrate on software program program. The Pixel 5 shipped with Android 11 and is now reaching the tip of its exchange cycle. Android 14 is the ultimate OS enhance the Pixel 5 will get hold of, and even security updates are anticipated to complete with this exchange.

The Pixel 8 not solely comes with Android 14 out of the sector, nevertheless Google has launched a strong exchange protection of seven years of OS updates, security patches, and have drops.

The Pixel 5 and Pixel 8 couldn’t be a lot much less alike. On the doorway, you’ll uncover the Pixel 5 has a spherical cut-out for the digital digital camera inside the larger left nook, whereas the Pixel 8 amenities its notch. The rear sees far more dramatic variations.

The Pixel 5 had a fingerprint scanner inside the center of its rear and a sq. digital digital camera bump inside the upper-left nook.  It wasn’t an disagreeable design, but it surely absolutely was pretty boring. That’s in sharp distinction to the Pixel 8, which continues the model new design language first launched with the Pixel 6. The all-glass rear is break up into two components, with a metallic digital digital camera bar in direction of the very best. Contained within the digital digital camera bar, you’ll uncover a pill-shaped cut-out for the digital digital camera, and the flash is located on one of the best.

The Pixel 5 might be the smaller of the two, coming in at 144.7 x 70 with a thickness of 8mm. The Pixel 8 is a bit larger at 150.5 x 70.8 and with a thickness of 8.9mm. No matter its greater footprint, it’s really a quite a bit smaller phone than its speedy predecessor, the Pixel 7. In our Pixel 8 hands-on safety, we felt the Pixel 8 hit the sweet spot as a result of it was neither too large nor too small.

The Google Pixel sequence has always had a reputation for digital digital camera excellence. The Pixel 5 utilized the similar 12MP predominant sensor that Google had used given that genuine Pixel, though it moreover packed a 16MP huge sensor with .6x zoom. The {{hardware}} wasn’t among the finest on the time, nevertheless Google’s digital digital camera software program program and algorithms allowed it to take care of up reasonably with completely different 2020 flagships.

Since then, Google has enormously improved its digital digital camera recreation as soon as extra. A giant part of that’s because of the machine finding out and AI strategies enabled by the Tensor SoC. The exact {{hardware}} has moreover improved by way of the years. The Pixel 8 has a 50MP predominant sensor with an aperture of ƒ/1.68, backed by a secondary 12MP ultra-wide digital digital camera with 1.25μm pixel width, ƒ/2.2 aperture, and a 125.8-degree FoV.

We’ve however to position the Pixel 8 digital digital camera by way of its paces, nevertheless we’re in a position to safely say its digital digital camera experience represents a major enhance over the three-year-old Pixel 5.

The Pixel 5 has a relatively small battery at 4,080mAh, nevertheless don’t let this fool you. Due to its a lot much less demanding chipset, the phone could merely make it by way of a full day’s use. Sadly, charging it was a relatively gradual experience as a result of it solely supported 18W wired charging and 12W wi-fi.

The Pixel 8 has an even bigger 4,575mAh battery. You might assume this suggests it could effectively even make it proper right into a second day with cheap use. Whereas we haven’t put it by way of its paces however, the battery measurement isn’t quite a bit fully completely different from the Pixel 7. Judging by the Pixel 8’s predecessor, we must always all the time anticipate a full day’s use nevertheless nothing over that.

The good news is charging has improved a bit inside the remaining three years. The Pixel 8 has a 27W wired charging and as a lot as 18W wi-fi.

The Pixel 5 initially retailed for $699, although it’s not on the market to purchase anymore. The Pixel 8 moreover is on the market in at $699 for the underside model, whereas the 256GB variant will set you once more $759.

Positive! The Pixel 5 was phone all through its heyday nevertheless with Android help ending, now could be the right time to enhance. The Pixel 8 is the right alternative for Google followers, though the Pixel 8 Skilled can also be worth a look to ensure that you one factor with additional vitality. Conversely, the Galaxy S23 ($799 at Amazon) is an outstanding numerous.

For people who don’t ideas prepared a bit longer, it’s moreover worth mentioning the Galaxy S24 is decrease than half a 12 months away.