Google Pixel 8

Google will once again have a Pixel commercial during the Super Bowl. The Pixel 8 and 8 Pro Super Bowl ad focuses on using the camera with Guided Frame. 

Announced earlier this month and then made part of the January Feature Drop, Circle to Search is beginning to roll out to the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro. It’s very much the latest version of “Now on Tap,” “What’s on my screen?” in Assistant, and later “Search screen.”

Google is now offering the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro in a “Mint” color. It’s a really light shade of green that reflects Google’s penchant for choosing pastel colors that look almost white depending on the lighting.

Google has been teasing a new ‘Minty Fresh’ color lately, and just a day ahead of the formal reveal, an image of the Pixel 8 Pro in this new green shade has finally surfaced.

Last week, Google teased a mint Pixel 8 and 8 Pro release for January 25 at midnight PT. The Google Store landing page was updated this afternoon with an extended countdown that now completes at 6 a.m. PT.

The Google Store has begun teasing something “Minty Fresh” for the Pixel 8 to be released next week.

Google is following “Now on Tap,” “What’s on my screen?” in Assistant, and later “Search screen” with a new “Circle to Search” feature debuting on the Pixel 8 and Samsung Galaxy S24 series. 

The Google Store is kicking off 2024 with notable discounts on the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro, as well as several other products in the hardware family.

Screen protectors can often be a little clunky or annoying, but they’re still a great way to keep your device safe. Google Pixel phones have had a special mode for a while to boost touch sensitivity while using a screen protector, and on the Pixel 8 series, that setting can actually apply itself automatically.

With January 1 falling on a Monday, Google took two additional days to deliver the first update of 2024 for the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro.

In addition to the Diagnostic App and manuals that Google released earlier this month, Pixel 8 and 8 Pro repair parts are also available at iFixit.

Aggressive Pixel 8 and 8 Pro sales that reward existing users of Google services continue today with a further $125 off the phones if you’re a YouTube Premium member.

Samsung’s next big Android update, One UI 6.1, will add new features on top of Android 14, and it seems a big focus will be on AI features. According to newly leaked images, that includes Samsung using Google’s generative AI wallpapers that debuted on the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, except on Galaxy phones.

In the past, you have been able to redeem Play Points for Google Store discounts. Google is now running a much deeper offer where US Play Points Gold, Platinum, and Diamond members can get 40% off the Pixel 8, 8 Pro, and Tablet.

Best Buy is currently offering $200 off of the Pixel 8 series during its big Black Friday sale, but the accompanying trade-in estimates are at an all-time low.

Google’s work on “Actua” displays for Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro is one of the biggest upgrades we’ve seen on the company’s smartphone hardware in quite a while, but on the smaller Pixel 8, that upgrade is even bigger than it was thought to be.

Google’s Black Friday deals are kicking off a full week before Thanksgiving this year, and of note is a $200 discount on the Pixel 8 Pro that’s paired with slightly higher trade-ins. 

In a rather charming move that certainly has promotional benefits for the brand, Google wants to help animal shelters take better adoption pics by offering a free “Pawtraits Kit” that includes a Pixel 8 Pro.

Google has been in the process of moving Nest products into the Google Home app, but the old Nest app is still in use by many on older cameras, thermostats, and more. For Pixel 8 buyers, though, the old Nest app is strangely unable to send notifications.