Google Pixel 8 reported battery upgrade is the feature I've been waiting for

Of all the phones I've used in recent years, it's the Google Pixel 7 Pro that sits high up my list. Indeed, as the winner of Best Phone in the 2023 T3 Awards, there's no doubt it's an Android champ. And now its rumoured follow-up, the Google Pixel 8 Pro, which is expected to appear in the third quarter of the year alongside the Google Pixel 8, is reported to feature a much-requested upgrade.

An exclusive report on Android Authority states that the "Google Pixel 8 series will have bigger batteries, faster charging" – easily two of the most wanted features in the upcoming handsets. I'm thrilled by the prospect, too, although that does come with some caveats. Namely: just how much more capacity are we talking here?

I'd like to call the reported upgrade a major change, but glancing over the differences – which I've compiled into a handy table below – and it's clear that the Pro model's capacity increase is negligible at best. It's the smaller-scale Pixel 8 that will receive the greater capacity increase, generation on generation.

The data in the above table is derived from Android Authority's report, and it's worth pointing out that the battery capacity data is quoting Google's official "minimum" capacity, as you'll see on the official tech spec pages. Actually the Pixel 7's "typical" battery capacity is 4,355mAh, while the Pixel 7 Pro's typical measure is 5,000mAh.

Which does make me ponder if there's going to be any quoted battery capacity increase when it comes to the Pixel 8 Pro's launch. It sounds to me like only the smaller Pixel 8 will get a verified and beneficial capacity bump. I'd certainly like more capacity in the Pro, but not if it means a mammoth or overly thick new phone design.

Where there's clear new benefit, however, is with the new wired charging speeds. Google doesn't aim for the stars when it comes to super-fast charging speeds, especially when you consider how quickly some of the best Android phones can rejuice their batteries, so it's good to see a notable move towards quicker recharging.

So while the Google Pixel 8 Pro might not have as major a battery change as I'd like, it sounds as though the smaller Pixel 8 will. Besides that upgrade, however, it's the other new features in the series that I'm excited about, from camera to new processor and beyond. But we'll have to wait and see how true and next-gen all these rumoured features are yet...