We seem to be entering one new “golden age” of compact top-of-the-range Android smartphonesa category that after years of only “pans” with the legendary Xperia Z Comapct as the only exception is expanding significantly: we have for example the Zenfone 9 from ASUS, the Galaxy S23 from Samsung, and apparently this summer will also arrive Google’s Pixel 8.
Ross Young of DSCC confirms rumors that have already emerged previously, namely that the basic Google smartphone will have a display with a smaller diagonal than the model that precedes it: more specifically, from 6.32″ it will go to 6.16″. For reference, S23 is 6.1”, ZenFone 9 is 5.9”. The Pixel 8 Pro, on the other hand, will remain identical to its predecessor, with 6.7 “. According to the source, production of both panels will start in May.
Previous leaks indicate that this won’t be the only new screen for the next-generation Pixels: both models are expected to have a flat edged display, previously a prerogative of the “base” Pixel while the Pro adopts curved side edges. And given that apparently the cheaper Pixel 7a will have a 90 Hz refresh, it is not impossible to hypothesize that both flagships will sport 120 Hz, so far seen only on the Pro variant.
THE ever smaller, more powerful and more efficient chips are mainly responsible for this rebirth of compact smartphones, easy to use even with one hand. By now the space occupied by the actual electronics is in the minority, thanks also to advanced techniques such as the application of chips on both sides of the motherboard PCBs; the main responsible for the overall size of a device are the battery and the photographic module.
