Google Pixel 8 Pro looks familiar in leaked photos — but what's with that weird new sensor?

(Image credit: Google)

The launch of Google's Pixel 8 Pro is still months away, but images possibly showing a prototype of the unreleased phone leaked recently. The images first surfaced on Reddit, and the first thing we noticed is how similar the supposed new Google Pixel 8 Pro looks to the 7 Pro. The one exception, of course, is the new infrared sensor that everyone is talking about (via Neowin).

The infrared sensor is an interesting thing, but my question is, why is Google adding an infrared temperature sensor to a phone? It would have been a highly sought-after feature in previous years, but it's slightly more head-scratching in 2023.

Alleged Google Pixel 8 Pro prototype — (Image credit: Reddit/Droid Life)

What were those images?

While the original post on Reddit was quickly deleted, the internet never forgets, so the leaked images have spread like wildfire. The new photos offer us another peek at the new infrared sensor originally revealed in a leaked demo video.

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The second image of the display gives us a glimpse at what might be inside, showing 12GB of Samsung LPDDR5 RAM and 128GB of storage onboard. The bootloader refers to something titled " ripcurrent" which is speculated to be the code name for the next Tensor chipset.

The Reddit user, who posted the photos before unceremoniously deleting their account, stated Google had sent them the Pixel 8 Pro for testing. That seems pretty questionable, but if true, Google needs to do better background checks on the people the company uses to test upcoming devices.

In the tech world, breaking embargoes and NDAs is a massive no-no, and this person is probably in a lot of hot water. Google has never been the best at keeping its devices under wraps, so we expect to see plenty more Pixel 8 Pro and Pixel 8 leaks in the upcoming weeks and months leading up to the official announcement.

Mark has spent 20 years headlining comedy shows around the country and made appearances on ABC, MTV, Comedy Central, Howard Stern, Food Network, and Sirius XM Radio. He has written about every topic imaginable, from dating, family, politics, social issues, and tech. He wrote his first tech articles for the now-defunct Dads On Tech 10 years ago, and his passion for combining humor and tech has grown under the tutelage of the Laptop Mag team. His penchant for tearing things down and rebuilding them did not make Mark popular at home, however, when he got his hands on the legendary Commodore 64, his passion for all things tech deepened. These days, when he is not filming, editing footage, tinkering with cameras and laptops, or on stage, he can be found at his desk snacking, writing about everything tech, new jokes, or scripts he dreams of filming.