Google Pixel 8 Pro: New leak reveals design changes with flat display and possible LiDAR sensor
Purportedly, @OnLeaks on Smartprix have obtained CAD drawings of the Pixel 8 Pro, likely one-half of Google's next flagship smartphone series. The leaked images show that the Pixel 8 Pro has broadly retained the design of the Pixel 7 Pro, which iterated on the Pixel 6 Pro. Arguably, the Pixel 8 Pro will be more of a departure from its predecessor than the Pixel 7 Pro was from the Pixel 6 Pro.
As the images below show, the Pixel 8 Pro still has a full-width camera bar. However, Google has switched to a pill-shaped recess that houses three cameras. Additionally, the camera bar contains an LED flash and a mysterious fifth aperture. Potentially, this could be a LiDAR scanner, which could improve bokeh effect simulation in portrait mode. For reference, Google continues to use flicker and spectral sensors in their flagships but for mitigating banding when LED lights are in focus.
Moreover, the Pixel 8 Pro has a flat display, which would be a first for a larger Pixel flagship since the Pixel 4 XL. @OnLeaks adds that the Pixel 8 Pro measures 162.6 × 76.5 × 8.7 mm, making it 0.3 mm shorter than its predecessor, as well as 0.1 mm narrower and 0.2 mm thinner. While the device has a slightly thicker chin than the Pixel 7 Pro, we suspect it will still have approximately a 6.7-inch display. Other details remain unknown for now, although there is a chance that Google will preview the Pixel 8 series during its I/O 2023 keynote in May alongside the rumoured Pixel 7a and Pixel Fold.
