Ryan Haines / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Google could possibly be getting ready to carry the Pixel Studio app to the Pixel 8 collection.
- The app is at present unique to the Pixel 9 collection.
- The app makes use of on-device AI and Google’s Imagen 3 AI mannequin to generate photos from textual content prompts.
It appears like Google is getting ready to roll out the Pixel Studio app on the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Professional. Android Authority and Assemble Debug have discovered proof suggesting that the Generative AI picture creation app could also be headed to the 2023 flagships. It’s at present unique to the Pixel 9 collection and makes use of AI to generate photos from textual content instructions.
We discovered a brand new APK stub for Pixel Studio on APK Mirror. The notes on the web site say it’s from the Pixel 8 Professional with the latest Android 15 replace. After additional investigation, we had been capable of affirm that the identical APK stub was additionally pre-installed on the Pixel 8 with Android 15.
An APK stub appears identical to the app it stands for and is signed with the identical safety keys. Nonetheless, it’s basically a placeholder that doesn’t comprise any precise app content material; as an alternative, it merely directs customers to the Play Retailer to obtain the total app. This enables machine producers to incorporate apps with out utilizing a lot space for storing. Google must enable the Play Retailer entry for Pixel Studio to let Pixel 8 and eight Professional customers formally obtain the app. So despite the fact that the APK stub is now current within the Android 15 replace for the older Pixels, Google must activate the change on the backend for customers to have the ability to get Pixel Studio.
One other piece of proof we discovered was the removing of the com.google.android.characteristic.PIXEL_2024_EXPERIENCE characteristic flag from the app. This flag has been accessible in all earlier Pixel Studio APKs. It’s used for units launched in 2024 (Primarily, the Pixel 9 collection). Its removing signifies that Google is able to roll out the Pixel Studio app to older units.
That is additionally why sideloading a earlier APK of the Pixel Studio app doesn’t work on the Pixel 8 and eight Professional proper now. Earlier variations of the APK embody the flag that requires your Pixel machine to be from 2024, i.e., a Pixel 9 collection telephone. So even when you sideload Pixel Studio proper now, the APK will refuse to open if it can not discover that 2024 characteristic flag within the system, which clearly isn’t accessible in Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Professional.
In the meantime, we checked, and it doesn’t appear like the Pixel 7 collection is in line to get the app proper now. The APK stub was not accessible on the Pixel 7 operating Android 15.
