Google is expected to release the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro smartphones in October this year. The duo is anticipated to come with camera upgrades over last year’s Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro. Besides the hardware, the tech giant will reportedly debut a redesigned camera UI on the upcoming Pixel phones, and a new leak gives a glimpse at the revamped interface. The design overhaul brings a separation between the Photo and Video modes. Also, Google seems to have swapped the position of the camera switch and the gallery button as a part of the redesign.
Android Authority has published screenshots of the alleged new Google Camera UI redesign for the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro. From what we can see, the design looks fresh with a new interface dividing the photo and video modes. There’s now a separate toggle placed under the mode selection bar to change between the photo and video modes.
Google appears to have also swapped the location of the camera switch button and the gallery preview button, which are now on the opposite sides of where they used to be. As per the screenshots, the settings pop-up will now show up when the screen is swiped from the bottom up. The new settings icon in the bottom left can also be pressed to bring up the settings menu. In the current Google Camera build, users have to swipe down the viewfinder to access the settings menu.
In the Google camera app for the Pixel 8 series, Google has split the “Motion” tab into “Long Exposure” and “Action Pan” and these modes have separate tabs to improve their visibility. In the current Pixel 7 handsets, these modes are arranged inside the Motion tab. Another thing to notice is the change of Cinematic Pan as a dedicated option called “Pan”.
Finally, Google seems to have removed the old stabilisation modes menu and the options — Standard, Locked, and Active —are seen housed in the new popup menu.
The Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro are said to go official in October this year. Both smartphones are tipped to run on Android 14 and come with a 120Hz refresh rate display. They are rumoured to ship with a Tensor G3 chip, which would come as an upgrade to the Tensor G2 SoC, used in Pixel 7 series and Pixel Fold.
Pixel 8 Pro is expected to carry a triple rear camera setup, comprising a 50-megapixel primary sensor with optical image stabilisation (OIS) support, a 64-megapixel ultra-wide-angle sensor, and a 48-megapixel telephoto camera. The regular Pixel 8 could feature a dual rear camera unit, comprising a 50-megapixel primary Samsung ISOCELL GN2 sensor with OIS and a 12-megapixel ultra wide-angle camera.
The upcoming Pixel phones could debut in 128GB and 256GB storage options. The Pixel 8 Pro is expected to pack a 4,950mAh battery with 27W wired fast charging support. The Pixel 8, on the other hand, could carry a 4,485mAh battery with 24W wired charging and 12W wireless charging support.