ThePixel 8and8 Proare the best phones to come out of Google’s stable to date, and compared to their predecessors, they feel quite mature. The Pro model this year nowcomes with a ton of features that help it stand out, including the kind of video enhancements we’ve been asking for from Pixel phones for a long time. While there is along list of features exclusive to the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro, a recent report suggests that Google had planned even more features for the duo but dropped them at the last moment.
Android whizMishaal Rahmanunearthed traces of a few features that could’ve brought the Pixel 8 series on par with Samsung flagships, but they were axed, unfortunately (viaAndroid Authority). Tinkering with Android’s factory images and code, he found a few interesting bits about the Pixel camera that never made it to the real world.
Google was evidently planning to add 8K 30fps video recording capabilities to the two Pixel 8 phones. It had been trying to add a dedicated encoder profile to the new Tensor G3 processor at least since 2022, which could’ve allowed the Pixel 8 to record 8K videos. However, some trouble during the testing phase led it to drop the idea and limit the phone’s maximum video resolution to 4K 60fps. And it looks like the Pixel 8 won’t get 8K video in the future, too, though there is still hope for the 2024 Pixel flagship lineup.
Source:Android Authority
Besides that, the two Pixel 8 phones were also supposed to get their own super slow-motion mode for taking 720p videos at 480fps to capture fast-moving objects. But this, too, was dropped a few months ago. In comparison, theSamsung Galaxy S23series is capable of recording super slow-mo videos at a staggering 960fps and even 8K 30fps videos.
But that’s not all. Google also planned to add a desktop mode to the Pixel 8 series, which would’ve been a big deal had it seen the light of day. We’ve been hearing about a Samsung DeX-inspired desktop mode for Pixel handsets for years now, withmore solid proof appearing months before Android 14’s release. To enable these PC-like capabilities, the Pixel 8 models were earlier expected to ship with a DisplayPort Alt mode that allows the USB-C port to double up as a video-out interface.
However, neither of these could become reality. Rahman predicts that it will take another year for Android to get its full-blown desktop mode.
While we would’ve greatly appreciated having these handy features on Pixel phones, many ofthe top Android handsetscan already record 8K videos and super slow-mo videos, while Samsung devices continue to flaunttheir unmatched DeX mode. Even without these features, the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro have a lot to offer, including the headlining Best Take, Video Boost, anda new Assistant supercharged with Bard AI.
