Pixel 8’s smaller display will allegedly measure 6.16-inches

Ben Schoon | Apr 12 2023 - 1:51 pm PT

Smaller phones have mostly disappeared from the flagship market in recent years, but it seems Google is looking to split the difference to some extent with the Pixel 8’s display coming in a bit smaller than expected.

Google’s Pixel lineup was, for years, offering both small and large versions of effectively the same phone. And for those times, the smaller Pixels were some of the best small phones you could buy. However, that all changed with the introduction of the Pixel 6 series, which saw both the standard Pixel 6 and the larger Pixel 6 Pro debuting with huge displays. At a minimum, buyers were looking at a 6.4-inch display.

Things shrunk a bit the following year, as the Pixel 7 debuted with a 6.3-inch display. The phone’s new slimmer design also emphasized the size savings a fair bit as well.

But rumors have been pointing towards an even smaller Pixel 8. We originally heard that the phone would be smaller back in December, and later CAD-based leaks pinpointed a display size in the realm of 6.2 inches.

According to display analyst Ross Young, the Pixel 8 will have a display panel measuring 6.16 inches. That’s not drastically smaller than the Pixel 7, but it’s certainly going to feel quite small compared to the Pixel 8 Pro, which Young says will retain the same 6.7-inch panel as its predecessor. We’d guess that this will most likely be rounded up to 6.2 inches in marketing materials and spec sheets. Young also mentions that this is a Samsung-made display panel.

This would put Google’s phone in closer competition with its main rivals. Samsung’s Galaxy S23 has a 6.1-inch display, as does Apple’s iPhone 14 Pro.

From DSCC's new monthly OLED smartphone service:
– Google Pixel 8 – 6.16", down from 6.32" on the Pixel 7
– Google Pixel 8 Pro – 6.7", same as Pixel 7 Pro
Both start panel production in May.
— Ross Young (@DSCCRoss) April 12, 2023

Google is expected to debut the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro sometime around October, as has become tradition, and we could see a preview next month at Google I/O if last year’s unexpected announcement has a repeat. That event is also expected to bring the reveal of the Pixel 7a and Pixel Fold, as well as more information about the Pixel Tablet.