New Pixel 8 leaks detail faster charging, bigger batteries, and next-gen Wi-Fi

As we are now firmly in the summer months, details and leaks surrounding Google’s Pixel lineup for the fall hardware event are basically inevitable. As we turn the corner on the 8th generation of Google’s own in-house phones, we fully expect to know the whole story leading up to the now-standard launch event at some point in October.

Up to this point, we have already seen renders of the new phones’ flatter screens and slightly modified exteriors. We’ve already been told to expect Tensor G3 and we also know there’s some form of thermometer on the device alongside the ability to finally utilize video output from the USB Type C port. And while that is a lot to know about a phone that is still months from release, it looks like more details have been unearthed by the folks over at Android Authority.

Faster charging, bigger batteries

Companies like OnePlus and Samsung have been pushing forward in charging speeds over the past few years, making the process of topping off your battery a quick, painless ordeal most times. Google, on the other hand, has maintained a pretty modest approach, keeping even the Pixel Pro series at a measly 23W charging speed. And while the changes we’re seeing aren’t mind-blowing, they are at least a step in the right direction, bringing the Pixel 8 up to 24W speeds and the Pixel 8 Pro up to 27W. Wireless charging looks to remain unchanged, staying at 20W for the Pixel 8 and 23W for the Pixel 8 Pro.

As far as the battery sizes go, both phones are looking to get a bump up from last year as well. The Pixel 8 will move to a 4485mAh cell (versus 4270 in the Pixel 7) and the Pixel 8 Pro will get a tiny bump to 4950mAh from the Pixel 7 Pro’s 4926mAh pack. Again, these are modest improvements, but a bit more battery life and a bit more speed on the top-up are both welcome changes to Google’s setup.

Wi-Fi 7 is on the way

While the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 series utilized a Broadcom Wi-Fi/Bluetooth combo that supported Wi-Fi 6E, the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro will upgrade to the BCM4398 that supports Wi-Fi 7. As all Wi-Fi standards go, Wi-Fi 7 is backwards compatible, so it will work just fine with the routers you already utilize on a daily basis. However, when you do come into contact with a Wi-Fi 7 router, you’ll get to take advantage. That means better overall speeds, connectivity, latency and stability when on a Wi-Fi 7 network. It’s all still pretty cutting edge at the moment, so it may take some time before this upgrade actually delivers any notable change in real world user experiences.

Google’s Pixel 8 series is shaping up to be a nice upgrade over the past couple iterations, but there are still clearly questions surrounding these new phones. Namely, can Tensor G3 solve some of the hiccups with the first two versions of Google’s own SoC? If it can and we can get better battery life, less heat, and some solid performance and connectivity upgrades, I think the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro look like contenders once again. There’s not a ton left to learn about these new phones, but as we hear about it, we’ll be sure to share.