Google takes on Apple with Pixel 8, launches smartphones with AI camera

Google is looking to challenge Apple head-on with new Pixel phones that are more iPhone-like than ever before. 

This year’s Pixel 8 and 8 Pro are closer in price to Apple’s counterparts, have similar flat-edged screens and can make payments with face identification. Alphabet’s Google introduced its new lineup Wednesday — including fresh smartphones, watches and earbuds — and raised the starting price of its phones by $100 each.

The Pixel 8 Pro matches the iPhone 15 Pro at $999, while the Pixel 8 costs the same as the iPhone 14 at $699. The new prices reflect the upgraded displays and cameras used in the latest devices, which are still “punching above our weight class,” according to Google product manager Patrick Hennessey, suggesting that consumers are getting more for their money.

 

Pixel 8 smartphones pack an upgraded core processor and artificial intelligence-based photography features, and a new smartwatch. The firm also announced Pixel Watch 2 starting at $349, at the Made by Google event. 

The Pixel rollout is Google’s latest attempt to make a dent in the market. Though its Android operating system runs the majority of the world’s smartphones, the company’s own hardware accounts for just a fraction of sales.