In terms of design, there were no major differences between Google's Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 smartphones. Now, new case renderings of the upcoming Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro from MySmartPrice (opens in new tab) suggest that this will be the third generation running case.

Both clear case designs show large areas molded to fit the device's distinctive camera rubber, with the main difference being the width of each lens cut.

The Pixel 8 case has a pill-shaped hole in the back that allows two lenses to peek through; the Pixel 7 had a 50MP, f/1.85 main lens and a 12MP, f/2.2 ultrawide sensor. Whatever changes to the specs, it does not appear that Google plans to add a third camera.

MySmartPrice did not share dimensions, but we have heard that the regular Pixel 8 will actually be a bit smaller than its predecessor: from the 6.32-inch display of the Pixel 7, the Pixel 8 is rumored to have a 6.16-inch panel. Not a huge difference, but noticeable, and enough to ensure that the existing Pixel 7 case won't fit.

The Pixel 8 Pro case, on the other hand, has a wider pill-shaped cutout to comfortably accommodate the third lens; on the Pixel 7 Pro, the third 48MP, f/3.5, 5x telephoto lens fit into a circular cutout away from the other two, but early renderings suggest that this time it is contained in a wider pill array.

Another interesting point to note in this case is the cutout to the right of the pill. This is larger than what is needed for just the flash, which was in that position on the Pixel 7 Pro, suggesting that rumors of an additional mystery sensor are also on target. Whether this is for macro, depth, or something else entirely remains to be seen.

It is not surprising that Google would want to keep the camera bar that has become the calling card of Pixel phones. And with so many similar black rectangles, the familiar visor genuinely makes the Pixel stand out these days.

The real test, of course, is how the Pixel 8 performs. If this is indeed the Tensor G3, it will have a 3.09GHz Cortex-X3, four 2.65GHz Cortex-A715 cores, four 2.1GHz Cortex-A1510 cores, and a 1.4GHz Xclipse 930 GPU.

These specs will likely lag a bit behind Qualcomm's Snapdragon and Apple A series rivals, as in previous generations, but could still be a solid step forward for the series as a whole.

The Pixel 8 series is expected to launch in the fall, but could arrive as early as next month; Google I/O 2023 kicks off on May 10, and this developer conference has given us early glimpses of upcoming hardware before, including last year's Pixel 7 and Pixel Watch have been seen.