Pixel 8 Pro live images are shared on Reddit

The first live images of the Pixel 8 Pro were shared today on Reddit (via Droid-Life) before the pictures were taken down.  One of the images shows the back of the device with a sticker that reads, "For Test/Evaluation Only." The back of the device also shows the codename "Zuma" which is a reference to the Tensor 3 chipset that will be driving the phone. The back of the phone also shows the sensor (under the flash) that will be able to measure the body temperature of the phone's user.

The back panel of the device appears to have a textured pattern. However, this is most likely something that Google is using with the test units and it will most likely not be part of the final design of the phone.

The front of the handset, showing the fastboot screen, mentions "Husky" which is a codename for the Pixel 8 Pro model. The screen also reveals that the particular prototype pictured carries 12GB of Samsung LPDDR5 RAM and 128GB of UFS storage sourced from Korea's SKHynix. The image shows that the Pixel 8 Pro will not sport a curved display as the Pixel 6 Pro and Pixel 7 Pro do. The display will remain at 6.7 inches and will feature a 120Hz refresh rate.

The Pixel 8 Pro is rumored to receive an upgraded camera system led by Samsung's ISOCELL GN2 50MP camera which will replace the GN1. The newer image sensor is said to let 35% more light in to improve photos shot in low-light conditions. The Pixel 8 Pro is also expected to back the Ultra-wide camera with a 64MP Sony IMX787 sensor. The same telephoto setup from the Pixel 7 Pro is rumored to handle the same job in the Pixel 8 Pro (which is equipped with a periscope lens), and the front-facing selfie snapper will also remain the same.

Recently, a tipster leaked the battery specs for the Pixel 8 Pro. The battery in the phone will still get marketed by Google as a 5000mAh capacity cell even though the rated capacity is rumored to be 4950mAh. That's a small hike from the 4950mAh rated capacity of the battery powering the Pixel 7 Pro. The charging speed will increase from 23W to 27W. Despite the small increase in capacity, the Tensor 3 chip should be more energy efficient than the Tensor 2 and could deliver a noticeable increase in battery life for Pixel 8 Pro users compared to the Pixel 7 Pro.

A Google insider last month revealed that the Pixel 8 Pro will be available in Jade, Licorice, Porcelain, and Sky. We expect the Pixel 8 Pro to be introduced by Google alongside the Pixel 8 sometime this October.

The Reddit tester claims that he received the Pixel 8 Pro prototype from Google for testing. Now that the photos have been deleted from the social media site, we wonder if the Reddit subscriber received communication from Google requesting that the images be removed from the platform.