Google is freshening up the Pixel 8 series with a new Mint Green colorway
What you need to know
Google teased a new color for the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro earlier this week, and it's finally here: in Mint Green.
Phones with the Mint Green colorway are limited to 128GB of storage, with no upgrades available.
You can only buy the mint-colored Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro from the Google Store or with a Google Fi cellular plan.
Both the Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro shipped with three color options each last October, but the company is celebrating winter with a new Mint Green colorway. It's available for purchase starting tomorrow, Jan. 25, if the fresh color is enough to push you to try one of the best phones of the year.
Google sent over a sample of the Mint Green Pixel 8 to Android Central, and it has a subdued, pastel look. The fact that it's a green smartphone makes a statement, but the actual hue of the color is much closer to white than dark green. Still, it's the first unique color option to come to the Pixel 8 since it was originally released.
The regular Pixel 8 came in Obsidian, Hazel (which is like a gray shade), and Rose. These colors have been used by Google pretty frequently over the years, so they aren't anything special. Meanwhile, phones like the Pixel 8 Pro and Pixel 7a have gotten more bold color choices, such as Bay and Coral options, respectively.
The new Mint Green color comes to both Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, meaning the former finally has a statement colorway. However, the mint green phone is much lighter than the comparable bay and coral hues.
Unfortunately, not everyone will be able to get their hands on the mint Pixel 8 series smartphones. If you typically buy phones through your cellular carrier, that option is only available through Google Fi Wireless. In fact, the only two ways you can purchase the special Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro colors are from the Google Store and with Google Fi. Forget picking up a mint-green Pixel 8 series device at Best Buy or Amazon.
Going a step further, there's only one storage configuration option for the mint colorway of the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro: 128GB. That's not great for people who want a future-proofed device. It's definitely something to consider, especially since Google is promising seven years of full OS upgrades to the Pixel 8 series. It's up to you, but 128GB is unlikely to go unfilled over that long of a period.
You should also remember that the standard Pixel 8 has a glossy back, while the Pixel 8 Pro has a matte back. As such, the Mint Green color will look slightly different on each device, depending on how the light reflects off it.
Google's refresh of the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro comes a week after Samsung unveiled its new Galaxy S24 series of Android flagships.
You can order the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro in mint starting tomorrow, January 25, at the Google Store and Google Fi Wireless.
