Google Pixel 2 specs leak reveals a Galaxy S8 rival

The Google Pixel 2 is set to be a flagship phone, so we’d expect it to be packed full of power, and now a benchmark has provided some evidence of exactly that.

Listed on Geekbench and spotted by PocketNow, the benchmark is for the ‘Google taimen’ - which is widely rumored to be one of the codenames for the new Pixel 2 - and reveals 4GB of RAM and a 1.9GHz octa-core Qualcomm chipset.

That chipset is almost certainly the top-end Snapdragon 835, since 1.9GHz is the speed the slowest four cores of the 835 typically run at, and as the Snapdragon 835 has been rumored for the Pixel 2 before.

Those specs would combine to make the phone’s power a match for the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Sony Xperia XZ Premium, at least on paper.

Its multi-core benchmark score of 6248 suggests it will be powerful in practice too, since that’s not too far off the Galaxy S8, which in our own tests scored 6630, and this is pre-release hardware, so the Pixel 2 might score higher at launch.

Though of course, by the time the Pixel 2 does launch in likely October the specs might feel a bit less cutting edge.

Three of a kind

The only other thing the benchmark reveals is that, as expected, the Pixel 2 runs Android O, but it’s worth highlighting the ‘taimen’ codename of the phone, as that’s rumored to be a large, phablet-sized handset (perhaps the Pixel 2 XXL?), which could land alongside the standard Pixel 2 (believed to be codenamed ‘walleye’), and the Pixel 2 XL (supposedly going by ‘muskie’).

So the mention of taimen here is further evidence that a third phone is in fact in the works. 

We’d guess that all three handsets would pack similar internal specs though, with the main differences likely to be the screen and battery sizes, none of which are known yet.

TOPICS

James is a freelance phones, tablets and wearables writer and sub-editor at TechRadar. He has a love for everything ‘smart’, from watches to lights, and can often be found arguing with AI assistants or drowning in the latest apps. James also contributes to 3G.co.uk, 4G.co.uk and 5G.co.uk and has written for T3, Digital Camera World, Clarity Media and others, with work on the web, in print and on TV.

Latest in Google Pixel Phones
Google Pixel 9 on blue background with big savings text overlay
Forget Amazon, the best Pixel 9 deal is at Mint Mobile today - get $400 off without an annoying trade-in
Google Pixel 9a being held, from the back
The Google Pixel 9a’s mysterious delay may have just been explained
Android 16 logo on a phone
Here's how Android 16 will upgrade the screen unlocking process on your Pixel
Google Pixel 9
The Google Pixel 10 just showed up in Android code – and may come with a useful speed boost
Google Pixel 9 in green Wintergreen color showing AI features on screen
Older Pixels just got a big performance boost, while the Pixel 9a is lacking a key feature
Google Pixel 9 Pro XL on peach background with don't miss text overlay
Why wait for the Pixel 9a? Here's a Pixel 9 Pro XL deal that can save you up to $600 at Best Buy
Latest in News
Nintendo Switch 2 Joy-Con up-close from app store
Nintendo's new app gave us another look at the Switch 2, and there's something different with the Joy-Con
cheap Nintendo Switch game deals sales
Nintendo didn't anticipate that Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was 'going to be the juggernaut' for the Nintendo Switch when it was ported to the console, according to former employees
Three angles of the Apple MacBook Air 15-inch M4 laptop above a desk
Apple MacBook Air 15-inch (M4) review roundup – should you buy Apple's new lightweight laptop?
Witchbrook
Witchbrook, the life-sim I've been waiting years for, finally has a release window and it's sooner than you think
Amazon Echo Smart Speaker
Amazon is experimenting with renaming Echo speakers to Alexa speakers, and it's about time
Shigeru Miyamoto presents Nintendo Today app
Nintendo Today smartphone app is out now on iOS and Android devices – and here's what it does