The Google Pixel 8 lineup became official just a few days ago. And if you compare the new devices with the previous Pixel phones, it’s pretty clear that this is Google’s best launch.
From the camera hardware to the new Tensor G3 to AI features, the new Pixel 8 series took everything up a notch. Well, if you’ve been in the Pixel ecosystem for long enough, you might already know that the devices constantly get new features.
Google does this with something called Pixel Feature Drop. And the Google Pixel 8 series is about to become more feature-packed with these feature drops.
Among all, one of the confirmed features is lossless audio through USB. As you might already know, Google first introduced the lossless USB feature through the release of Android 14 Beta 2.
This feature of Android promises to deliver audiophile-grade experiences through compatible wired headsets.
That beta version release pretty much hinted that Google would be including support for it on the Google Pixel 8 series. Now, Google’s VP of Engineering has confirmed that the feature will be coming to the new devices soon.
According to Dave Burke, the VP of Engineering at Google, Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro are expected to gain lossless mode through future software implementations.
But before the new devices get the feature, app developers would need to adopt the new API. Otherwise, the new Pixel phones won’t be able to take advantage of the feature that’s already available in the current version of Android.
Nonetheless, once the developers adopt the new API, Google Pixel 8 devices can send audio directly through the USB-C port. That, too, without any mixing, processing effects, or volume adjustments.
In other words, the new Pixel phones will be capable of offering uncompressed audio files through the USB-C port. This feature will make lossless audio more accessible to the crowd.
Of course, after the feature drops, the Google Pixel 8 users would need to have compatible wired headphones and lossless audio files. But at the current stage, it’s easy to acquire both.
You can even rely on music subscription services such as Amazon Music, Apple Music, and TIDAL for lossless audio. And soon, Spotify will also be added to this list.
On that note, it’s not just the Google Pixel 8 devices that will acquire the support for lossless audio through USB. As Burke Said, “We’ve added OS support – so the next step is for support from device makers and app developers.”
This means the future Android 14 phones may also offer lossless audio through USB-C. And if the mid-range devices get the support, lossless audio may finally be more accessible than ever.
Slava is a man of mystery and no-one seems to know exactly where he is at any point in time. When he isn't enjoying writing about all things audio and technical he can be found researching his next project of interest. The man never rests.