Google’s Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro are matching their best prices to date
11.01.2024 - 18:59
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By Quentyn Kennemer, a writer who helps The Verge's readers save money by surfacing the best tech deals and presenting the latest product recommendations from our experts. He has covered tech and gaming for all of his 15-plus-year career for publications like Forbes, Business Insider, and more.
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We’re firmly living in 2024, and if there’s no other tradition to lean on after setting your New Year’s resolutions, you invariably can rely on Samsung’s tone-setting phone announcements to make early ripples. Rumor has it we’ll see the Galaxy S24 series in short order, and phones like the Pixel 8 family may lose a bit of sheen in its wake. The Pixel 8 and 8 Pro aren’t suddenly obsolete, however, and that’ll only lead to sharper discounts. In fact, this dream duo (we think they’re two of the best Android phones you can buy right now) is already seeing substantial price cuts despite being just a few months old.
Right now, the 128GB Pixel 8 is back down to its Black Friday price of $549 ($150 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and the Google Store. The Pixel 8 Pro won’t be outdone, though. It’s available for $799 ($200 off) in the 128GB confirmation from the same retailers: Amazon, Best Buy, and Google. The same price cuts apply to the upgraded storage models, too.
When comparing the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, the latter justifies its premium price with better onboard AI capabilities, an extra 5x telephoto camera sensor (three rear cameras total), and a temperature sensor for whatever quirky needs you may have. If none of those extras tickle you, then the base Pixel 8 model offers incredible value. Either way, you’re in for a well-designed piece of hardware that works seamlessly with Android 14. The platform feels just right on Google’s maturing Tensor G3 chipset, which falls just short of competing devices’ top speeds but enables increasingly useful AI tools that push the bar for computational photography and video.
The Pixel 8 comes with just a couple of key upgrades over the Pixel 7, and it misses out on several higher-end features on the 8 Pro, like a telephoto lens. But its combination of price, features, and the promise of seven years of OS updates makes it the best mainstream Android phone to buy right now.
The Pixel 8 Pro offers some solid upgrades over the standard Pixel 8, including a 5x telephoto lens, a bigger 6.7-inch screen, and the promise of more on-device AI capabilities in the near future.
If you missed out on your chance to pick up four AirTags for the price of three over the holidays, you’ll be happy to know that Amazon has circled the block with a similar deal. Right now, you can save $21 after clipping