Google Pixel 8 Pro key upgrade just leaked

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The Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro improved a lot over their predecessors. While some troubles remain, like lackluster battery life, the latest Pixels improved one key aspect over the Pixel 6: the fingerprint sensor. It went from agonizing slow (and inaccurate) last year to much faster this time around.

But according to a new leak from Kuba Wojciechowski on Twitter, Google might try out an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor on the Pixel 8 (Pro). Digging into the Pixel 7 Pro's source code, Kuba discovered references to a Pixel G10, also possibly referred to as "gepard" (a German word for cheetah).

I've recently found some information about the rumoured Google Pixel G10 - which is a modified Pixel 7 Pro with a Qualcomm Ultrasonic fingerprint scanner! Read more below: https://t.co/P4TK28fwSUOctober 25, 2022

One thing we should note is that Cheetah was the Pixel 7 Pro's codename, so the G10 could actually be a Pixel 7 Pro testing platform, similar to how there was a Pixel 5 with Tensor that Google tried. So Pixel G10, likely a modified Pixel 7 Pro prototype, will probably never see the light of day. (A stance that 91mobiles, which broke the most recent news about G10, agrees with.)

With that out of the way, what's the gist here? It seems that Kuba found a reference to an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor in the code. The G10 is otherwise a Pixel 7 Pro all the way through, including a QHD+ display, which is why we believe this is a bridge between the Pixel 7 Pro and Pixel 8 Pro.

Google seems to have a lot of Pixels in development, including the mysterious Lynx and Felix models spotted by 9to5Google several months ago. The site believes one to be the Pixel 7a, which would make a lot of sense. The other might be — and take this with a huge grain of salt — the long-rumored Pixel Fold.

Pixel G10 was spotted back then, too, and some believe it to be a so-called Pixel 7 Ultra. We're skeptical, as the leaked info about G10 up until now is a Pixel 7 Pro in all but name and fingerprint scanner.

We'd love to see a faster fingerprint sensor on the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro. Google has made serious strides in the last couple of years with its smartphones, so we want to see that trend continue. The Pixel 7 Pro, for instance, is so close to topping our list of the best Android phones, and Google could take the overall crown if it sorts out some of the remaining troubles with the Pixel devices.

Jordan is the Phones Editor for Tom's Guide, covering all things phone-related. He's written about phones for over six years and plans to continue for a long while to come. He loves nothing more than relaxing in his home with a book, game, or his latest personal writing project. Jordan likes finding new things to dive into, from books and games to new mechanical keyboard switches and fun keycap sets. Outside of work, you can find him poring over open-source software and his studies.