AI as a buzzword has been overused a lot within the final 12 months that the time period has misplaced all which means. I used a number of telephones this yr that had been touted to have AI-assisted cameras, however these so-called options had been nothing greater than the same old filters and scene recognition algorithms that had been already obtainable — simply dressed up in a brand new avatar.
However when Google says that it is utilizing AI extensively on its new telephones, it is time to take discover. In contrast to different Android producers, Google has the wherewithal to combine complicated ML fashions on its gadgets, and it is going all-in with the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro. Each telephones get a slate of AI-backed options that embody all the pieces from guaranteeing you get one of the best group images, shifting objects round in present images, altering the audio of present movies to take away background distractions, and a lot extra.
The AI options are engaging to say the least, and within the month I used the Pixel 8, they made a significant distinction in each day use. One of the best half is that Google made these instruments as simple as attainable to make use of, and though the Pixel 8 misses out on Night time Sight video recording and a handbook mode — each of that are unique to the Professional mannequin — there’s sufficient new stuff right here to make it a viable improve to these on the Pixel 7 or earlier fashions.
The place the Pixel 8 actually stands out is its dimension; it’s lighter and smaller than the Pixel 7 however nonetheless manages to accommodate a bigger battery, and the display now goes as much as 120Hz. Oh, and did I point out that it’s going to get seven years of software program updates? Though it is costlier than final yr, the sheer variety of upgrades on supply make the Pixel 8 a no brainer.
Google Pixel 8: Pricing and availability
Google unveiled the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Professional on the Made by Google Occasion on October 4, 2023, and each fashions at the moment are up on the market globally. There are enticing trade-in offers with both system that allow you to save as much as $750, so though the Pixel 8 prices $100 greater than its predecessor, Google is incentivizing the launch with engaging provides.
Issues aren’t as rosy in different markets. In India, the Pixel 8 is offered for ₹75,999 ($912), or ₹16,000 ($192) greater than the Pixel 7. There are not any pre-order bonuses within the nation though clients are having to pay much more for the system, and that is the case with the Pixel 8 Professional as effectively. Google is beginning to make its gadgets obtainable in additional areas, with the Pixel 8 and eight Professional bought in 21 international locations.
Google Pixel 8: Design
I’ve all the time been a fan of the Pixel’s design aesthetic, so it is good to see that Google hasn’t modified issues a lot on this space. The Pixel 8 is essentially an identical to its predecessor, and also you get the identical digital camera bar on the again that distinguishes the design. There are delicate variations within the design; the pill-sized cutout that homes the cameras is wider on the Pixel 8, and it seems putting.
The Pixel 8 is offered in Hazel, Obsidian, and Rose shade variants, and the Hazel model I am utilizing has a barely darker inexperienced hue to the identical mannequin of the Pixel 7 Professional. I am nonetheless unsure why Google limits colours based mostly on the mannequin; the Bay colorway of the Pixel 8 Professional seems unbelievable, however you do not get it in the usual mannequin. Equally, the Rose model is unique to the Pixel 8. I really feel like that is a simple factor to treatment, however Google tends to be cussed about this stuff.
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On that notice, the Pixel 8 nonetheless has the facility button within the fallacious place; all different Android telephones have the facility button under the quantity rocker, however as a result of Google wants to do issues in a different way, the format is reversed on the Pixel 8. So while you return to a different system, you may inevitably hit quantity up as an alternative of the facility button.
Fortunately, that is about the one fault I might discover on the design entrance. Google did a superb job with the shape issue, and the Pixel 8 is 5.1mm shorter, 2.4mm narrower, and 10g lighter than the Pixel 7 — all whereas carrying a bigger 4575mAh battery. It is not fairly as diminutive because the Zenfone 10, however it comes shut, and is a delight to make use of one-handed.
The selection of supplies hasn’t modified with the Pixel 8, and which means you get an aluminum digital camera bar that merges seamlessly into the aluminum mid-frame, which is mated to a glass again coated by Gorilla Glass Victus. Whereas the Pixel 8 Professional has a matte coating on the again, the Pixel 8 retains the shiny coat, as an alternative providing matte sides.
I choose the Pixel 8 on this regard I affiliate a shiny mid-frame with funds gadgets (thanks, Samsung), and the usual mannequin undoubtedly would not look or really feel like one. If something, it is the Professional mannequin that comes throughout as a bit fundamental because of these chrome-accented sides; the matte texture on the Pixel 8 makes it a lot better to carry.
One other level in favor of the Pixel 8 is the scale; the telephone feels superb in-hand, and whereas I are inclined to choose bigger telephones, I had no points adjusting to the scale of the Pixel 8. The rounded corners make a distinction in each day use as effectively, and Google nailed the shape issue this yr. And like its predecessor, the Pixel 8 retains IP68 mud and water resistance, giving it added resistance towards the weather.
Rather a lot has been stated in regards to the dearth of compact Android telephones, and whereas the Pixel 8 is not the smallest system round, it comes shut. One of the best half is that Google hasn’t restricted the system when it comes to the {hardware} or the display, and the 6.2-inch panel mixed with the diminutive profile make the Pixel 8 a fantastic alternative, and if you’d like a small telephone, you may love what Google has to supply right here.
Google Pixel 8: Show
I by no means understood why Google selected display refresh charge as a differentiator on its gadgets; most Android manufacturers supply 120Hz as normal lately, so it was puzzling to see the Pixel 7 restricted to 90Hz final yr. Fortunately, the model is rectifying that mistake with the Pixel 8 — you get a 120Hz refresh charge right here, and it’s higher in each means towards the display on the Pixel 7.
Google one way or the other managed to cram a 6.2-inch panel right into a chassis that is significantly smaller than the Pixel 7. That is right down to the ultra-thin bezels across the display, with Google doing a fantastic job maximizing the display actual property. You do not have to fret about curved screens right here — each Pixel 8 fashions have flat panels — and there is a layer of Gorilla Glass Victus on the entrance.
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What’s notably attention-grabbing is that the OLED panel is now in a position to hit 2,000 nits in brief bursts, considerably brighter than the Pixel 7 collection. Colours look vibrant and saturated, and I did not discover any points with the vibrancy of the panel. The display misses out on LTPO tech — that is restricted to the Pixel 8 Professional — however that is not an enormous omission, and for what it is price, the swap to 120Hz provides the Pixel 8 a sizeable leg up over its predecessor.
The elevated brightness makes a distinction when streaming HDR10+ content material on the system, and the system is nice for streaming content material off the likes of Netflix and Prime Video. The telephone additionally will get noticeably brighter in out of doors use than its predecessor, and there are zero points on this specific space.
Total, the marginally smaller display mixed with 120Hz refresh and excessive brightness give the Pixel 8 a definite edge over its predecessors and quick rivals. It is good to see Google not limiting the {hardware} this time round, and that makes the Pixel 8 all of the extra alluring.
Google Pixel 8: Efficiency
Google is taking an attention-grabbing route with the Tensor G3; it is not providing the quickest cores or a customized GPU designed to play console-quality video games, as an alternative specializing in AI-related use circumstances. Because of this, the chip is not as quick because the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 or A17 Professional, however it’s leagues forward of all the pieces else in the case of operating on-device machine studying fashions.
Google sees this because the differentiator going ahead, so it is smart that the model determined to focus in that space. I am unsure how the Pixel 8 and eight Professional will stand the take a look at of time — they’re slated to get extra updates than some other Android telephone — however Google has proven up to now that it is ready to optimize the software program to take full benefit of the {hardware}, so I am crossing my fingers that it is ready to ship.
| Class | Google Pixel 8 |
|---|---|
| OS | Android 14 |
| Show | 6.2-inch Actua show, 120Hz AMOLED (2400×1080), HDR10+, 2000 nits, Gorilla Glass Victus |
| Chipset | Google Tensor G3, Titan M2 safety module |
| RAM | 8GB LPDDR5X |
| Storage | 128GB/256GB UFS 3.1 |
| Rear digital camera 1 | 50MP f/1.68, 1.2um pixels, PDAF, OIS, 4K at 60fps |
| Rear digital camera 2 | 12MP f/2.2, 1.25um pixels, 125-degree wide-angle |
| Entrance digital camera | 10.5MP f/2.2, 1.22um pixels, wide-angle |
| Connectivity (US, CA, UK, AU) | Wi-Fi 7, Sub-6 5G (mmWave in US), Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, AptX HD, USB-C 3.2 |
| Connectivity (TW, SG, IN) | Wi-Fi 6, Sub-6 5G, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, AptX HD, USB-C 3.2 |
| Ingress Safety | IP68 mud and water resistance |
| Safety | In-screen fingerprint module |
| Audio | Stereo sound, USB-C |
| Battery | 4575mAh, 30W wired charging, 20W wi-fi charging, 5W reverse wi-fi charging |
| Dimensions | 150.5 x 70.8 x 8.9mm, 187g |
| Colours | Obsidian, Hazel, Rose |
As for what it is like to make use of the Pixel 8, I did not see any points on the efficiency entrance. It is largely just like final yr’s gadgets, and you may run into the identical points when taking part in visually-demanding titles — it tends to throttle early, resulting in noticeable jitter. In that sense, it is largely just like final yr’s telephones, and whereas the Tensor G3 has a more recent Cortex X3 that goes as much as 3.0GHz, it would not really feel any sooner.
Google is utilizing a novel mixture of 9 CPU cores in complete, with that Cortex X3 joined by 4 Cortex A715 cores at 2.45GHz and 4 Cortex A510 effectivity cores at 2.15GHz. The Immortalis-G715s GPU can be new, and it has 10 cores this time. An attention-grabbing level to notice with the Tensor G3 is that it has greater frequencies throughout the board, however as of now, I did not see a lot in the way in which of distinction in each day use.
Speaking about lack of change, Google is utilizing the identical 128GB and 256GB UFS 3.1 storage modules as final yr, and this feels shortsighted contemplating how lengthy the system is supposed to final. Most telephones on this class now supply 256GB of storage and UFS 4.0 modules as normal, and the Pixel 8 misses out on this space. Whereas there are not any points associated to storage or reminiscence now, the telephone is theoretically meant to final at the very least seven years, and that is an eternity on this business.
I am additionally irritated that Google would not supply 256GB of storage as normal right here; the Pixel 8 has slightly below 80GB of usable storage with the 128GB mannequin, and that is not even near being sufficient on a 2023 flagship. I did not run into any points with connectivity, and whereas the worldwide mannequin of the Pixel 8 and eight Professional have a Wi-Fi 7 modem, the Indian model I am utilizing is restricted to Wi-Fi 6. That stated, it managed to ship constant bandwidth, and had rock-solid connectivity.
It is a related state of affairs with mobile connectivity as effectively, and 5G labored reliably effectively sufficient in each day use. The telephone has NFC, UWB, and AptX HD codecs, and whereas the USB-C port is predicated on the USB 3.2 normal, you do not get the power to attach the Pixel 8 to a conveyable monitor — it is a software program limitation.
Fortunately, Google is not shortchanging customers on the battery entrance. The Pixel 8 has a 4575mAh battery, and also you get 27W charging together with 18W wi-fi and 5W reverse wi-fi charging. I did not see any points on the battery entrance even with heavy use, and the Pixel 8 managed to constantly ship a day’s price of use, averaging slightly below six hours of display time.
The 27W charging tech is nowhere near what you get on Chinese language telephones, however it’s sooner than final yr, and the Pixel 8 manages to stand up to a 50% cost in slightly below half-hour, with a full cost taking 75 minutes. There isn’t any charger within the field, however the telephone works over the USB PD normal, so any USB PD GaN charger must be ultimate with the system.
Google Pixel 8: Cameras
Cameras are all the time a key speaking level with all Pixel releases, and that is no completely different this time round. Whereas the Pixel 8 makes use of the identical decision 50MP fundamental digital camera and 12MP wide-angle lens, Google is utilizing new modules this time round, and providing autofocus with the wide-angle module. Up entrance is a ten.5MP digital camera with the power to shoot 4K video at 60fps.
The Pixel 8 misses out on a devoted telephoto lens, however the 50MP digital camera doubles as a 2x lens, and Google says you get optical-quality photos. Different lacking options embody Night time Sight video, a Professional mode that allows you to tweak the capturing parameters, Video Increase, and autofocus on the lens on the entrance.
Clearly, Google is attempting to place the Pixel 8 Professional as the final word digital camera package deal, and with that system costing $300 extra, it wanted to restrict options on the usual mannequin. The result’s that the Pixel 8 feels deliberately hobbled, and you are not getting the complete potential of what this telephone is ready to ship. Whereas I used to be initially miffed by the characteristic omissions, there’s nonetheless lots on supply — notably when you’re switching from an older system.
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Google went overboard with all of the AI stuff, and options like Finest Take make an actual distinction when capturing images. The characteristic depends on you taking three or 4 photographs of a gaggle picture, and it routinely identifies one of the best pose of everybody within the photographs and applies that. It was a bit finicky after I initially began utilizing the Pixel 8, however Google ironed out the kinks, and it genuinely makes a distinction.
What I do not like fairly as a lot is the brand new digital camera interface; it now has a toggle on the backside that allows you to swap between picture and video modes, and the addition of this toggle moved the shutter button additional up, making it awkward to entry whereas utilizing the telephone one-handed.
That stated, the Pixel 8 manages to take actually excellent photographs in any situation, and it outshines its predecessor. Utilizing it alongside the Pixel 7, it is clear that the modifications with the Tensor G3 and Google’s digital camera algorithms ship real-world positive aspects throughout the board, and it is clear that the Pixel 8 is among the many best Android phones on this regard.
Pictures taken in daylight have loads of element and correct shade rendition, with Google persevering with to do a fantastic job in the case of foliage and out of doors scenes. Whereas there is not any zoom lens, the principle digital camera does an honest sufficient job in its personal proper at 2x, delivering photos which might be simply nearly as good as these taken at 1x. Equally, the Pixel 8 has one of the best wide-angle lens of any telephone, and also you get the identical shade steadiness and element as the principle 50MP lens.
Pixels have all the time been nice at low-light photographs, and the Pixel 8 delivers on this space as effectively. The Night time mode kicks in when ambient lighting is underneath a sure threshold, and it evens out highlights and shadows whereas nonetheless retaining the identical stage of element. Google’s portrait mode is among the many greatest within the business, and what I like about it’s that it does a superb job with inanimate objects. So if I must take a couple of product photographs to share on social media, I simply flip to the Pixel 8.
Greater than the rest, utilizing the cameras on the Pixel 8 is straightforward — you get a terrific shot each time, and it is this consistency that makes the telephone stand out.
Google Pixel 8: Software program
The Pixel 8 runs Android 14 and can get seven years of Android OS updates, safety patches, and Function Drops. That is clearly greater than some other system right now, and it is loopy to assume that the telephone will decide up the Android 21 replace sooner or later down the road. As to what options it can truly supply from Android 21, that is still to be seen.
As for proper now, there is definitely quite a bit to love. My favourite characteristic is Audio Magic Eraser. It is designed to take away background noises from a video, whether or not that is site visitors or wind noises, vague chatter, or the hum of an air conditioning, and it really works extremely effectively. It identifies sounds within the video, and isolates particular person layers — music, noise, wind, and so forth — and you’ll then flip down these layers to scale back that individual sound. All of that is carried out on-device, and it is rather cool.
Magic Editor can be a nifty software that allows you to modify the place of individuals and objects in a given picture. You possibly can choose components in a picture to resize or edit, and the characteristic makes use of generative AI to make the requisite tweaks.
These are simply the options obtainable in Google Pictures; the Pixel 8 additionally will get a nifty read-aloud mode that narrates complete pages. Google says it runs on the identical text-to-speech mannequin utilized in its knowledge facilities, and all you must do is pull up Google Assistant while you’re on a web page that you really want learn aloud. It really works astonishingly effectively, and the narration is convincingly humanoid sufficient that it would not really feel like synthetic in any respect.
Other than all of the AI options, you get a clear interface that is a delight to make use of. I used One UI for many of 2023, and coming again to the Pixel UI is a breath of recent air; the intense colours and customized Google options go a good distance in differentiating the Pixel 8. You do not have to cope with any bloatware both, and within the month I used the telephone, it felt higher optimized than its predecessor.
Google Pixel 8: The competitors
By guaranteeing seven Android OS updates, Google basically altered the dialog across the Pixel 8 and eight Professional. No different system will get as many software program updates, so there aren’t many tangible options right here. If you would like the same design and do not thoughts lacking out on all of the AI options which might be debuting this yr, the Pixel 7 remains to be a wonderful alternative, and it is a a lot better worth now that the Pixel 8 is hitting cabinets.
The primary rival to the Pixel 8 is the Pixel 8 Professional. The Professional variant has a brighter OLED display, extra cameras, and a collection of unique options you do not get on the usual Pixel 8. It’s significantly bigger and has a 5050mAh battery, and this time, Google went with a flat panel that is nice in each day use. The draw back is that it prices $300 greater than the Pixel 8, so it’s essential determine if the telephoto lens and some further software program options are well worth the premium.
Google Pixel 8: Do you have to purchase it?
You can purchase this if:
- You want a smallish telephone that does not miss out on any options
- You are in search of significant AI options
- You need excellent cameras
- You desire a telephone with class-leading software program updates
You should not purchase this if:
- You want one of the best cameras that Google has to supply proper now
I like what Google is doing with the Pixel 8 collection. It’s providing significant options that clients will truly find yourself utilizing relatively than chase meaningless specs, and that is a refreshing change of tempo. The result’s that you simply get a telephone that has tangible positive aspects over its predecessor: it’s lighter, simpler to make use of, lasts longer, has a smoother display, higher cameras, and can get greater than twice the variety of software program updates.
The most important cause for getting the Pixel 8 is the AI-backed options; Finest Take, Magic Editor, and Audio Magic Eraser rework the way you shoot and edit images and movies, and people are simply the camera-related choices. You get loads of nifty options on the telephone — most of which you will not discover wherever else.
My fundamental quibble with the Pixel 8 is that Google deliberately restricted the software program. I do not see why Night time Sight video recording or the Professional digital camera mode are lacking right here, and the one cause that involves thoughts is that Google wanted to create differentiation between the Pixel 8 and eight Professional in order that the latter can justify being $300 costlier.
That makes the Pixel 8 rather less engaging, however when you do not want all the most recent digital camera options and are as an alternative in search of a smaller telephone, there’s nonetheless sufficient right here to make a distinction. The most important factor in favor of the system is the smaller dimension, and when you’re not a fan of tall telephones, you may love what Google has on supply.
The Pixel 8 has significant upgrades over its predecessor, and also you get a whole suite of AI-backed options that rework how you utilize a telephone.