AI as a buzzword has been overused a lot within the final 12 months that the time period has misplaced all that means. I used a number of telephones this 12 months 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 accessible — simply dressed up in a brand new avatar.But when Google says that it is utilizing AI extensively on its new telephones, it is time to take discover. Unlike different Android producers, Google has the wherewithal to combine advanced ML fashions on its units, and it is going all-in with the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro. Both telephones get a slate of AI-backed options that embody every part from making certain you get the very best group images, shifting objects round in current images, altering the audio of current 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 every day use. The better part is that Google made these instruments as easy as potential to make use of, and though the Pixel 8 misses out on Night Sight video recording and a handbook mode — each of that are unique to the Pro mannequin — there’s sufficient new stuff right here to make it a viable improve to these on the Pixel 7 or earlier fashions.Where the Pixel 8 actually stands out is its dimension; it’s lighter and smaller than the Pixel 7 however nonetheless manages to deal with a bigger battery, and the display now goes as much as 120Hz. Oh, and did I point out that it’ll get seven years of software program updates? Although it is costlier than final 12 months, the sheer variety of upgrades on provide make the Pixel 8 a no brainer.Google Pixel 8: Pricing and availability(Image credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)Google unveiled the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro on the Made by Google Event on October 4, 2023, and each fashions at the moment are up on the market globally. There are engaging trade-in provides with both machine 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.Things 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 prospects are having to pay much more for the machine, and that is the case with the Pixel 8 Pro as effectively. Google is beginning to make its units accessible in additional areas, with the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro bought in 21 international locations.Google Pixel 8: Design(Image credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)I’ve at all times 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 digicam 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 appears hanging.The Pixel 8 is offered in Hazel, Obsidian, and Rose shade variants, and the Hazel model I’m utilizing has a barely darker inexperienced hue to the identical mannequin of the Pixel 7 Pro. I’m nonetheless unsure why Google limits colours based mostly on the mannequin; the Bay colorway of the Pixel 8 Pro appears unimaginable, however you aren’t getting it in the usual mannequin. Similarly, the Rose model is unique to the Pixel 8. I really feel like that is a straightforward factor to treatment, however Google tends to be cussed about this stuff.Image 1 of 4(Image credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)(Image credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)(Image credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)(Image credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)On that be aware, the Pixel 8 nonetheless has the facility button within the improper place; all different Android telephones have the facility button beneath the amount rocker, however as a result of Google must do issues in another way, the structure is reversed on the Pixel 8. So if you return to a different machine, you will inevitably hit quantity up as an alternative of the facility button.Thankfully, 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’s not fairly as diminutive because the Zenfone 10, nevertheless it comes shut, and is a delight to make use of one-handed.(Image credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)The selection of supplies hasn’t modified with the Pixel 8, and which means you get an aluminum digicam bar that merges seamlessly into the aluminum mid-frame, which is mated to a glass again lined by Gorilla Glass Victus. While the Pixel 8 Pro has a matte coating on the again, the Pixel 8 retains the shiny coat, as an alternative providing matte sides.I want the Pixel 8 on this regard I affiliate a shiny mid-frame with price range units (thanks, Samsung), and the usual mannequin undoubtedly would not look or really feel like one. If something, it is the Pro mannequin that comes throughout as a bit fundamental due to these chrome-accented sides; the matte texture on the Pixel 8 makes it a lot better to carry.(Image credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)Another level in favor of the Pixel 8 is the scale; the telephone feels superb in-hand, and whereas I are inclined to want bigger telephones, I had no points adjusting to the scale of the Pixel 8. The rounded corners make a distinction in every day use as effectively, and Google nailed the shape issue this 12 months. And like its predecessor, the Pixel 8 retains IP68 mud and water resistance, giving it added resistance in opposition to the weather.Loads has been mentioned in regards to the dearth of compact Android telephones, and whereas the Pixel 8 is not the smallest machine round, it comes shut. The better part is that Google hasn’t restricted the machine by way of the {hardware} or the display, and the 6.2-inch panel mixed with the diminutive profile make the Pixel 8 an important selection, and if you need a small telephone, you will love what Google has to supply right here.Google Pixel 8: Display(Image credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)I by no means understood why Google selected display refresh charge as a differentiator on its units; most Android manufacturers provide 120Hz as normal nowadays, so it was puzzling to see the Pixel 7 restricted to 90Hz final 12 months. Thankfully, the model is rectifying that mistake with the Pixel 8 — you get a 120Hz refresh charge right here, and it’s higher in each method in opposition to 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’s all the way down to the ultra-thin bezels across the display, with Google doing an important 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.Image 1 of two(Image credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)(Image credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)What’s notably fascinating is that the OLED panel is now in a position to hit 2,000 nits in brief bursts, considerably brighter than the Pixel 7 sequence. Colors 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 Pro — however that is not an enormous omission, and for what it is price, the change 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 machine, and the machine 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 explicit space.Overall, 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’s 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: Performance(Image credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)Google is taking an fascinating 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. As a outcome, the chip is not as quick because the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 or A17 Pro, however it’s leagues forward of every part else relating to working on-device machine studying fashions.Google sees this because the differentiator going ahead, so it is sensible that the model determined to focus in that space. I’m unsure how the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro will stand the check of time — they’re slated to get extra updates than every other Android telephone — however Google has proven prior to now that it is ready to optimize the software program to take full benefit of the {hardware}, so I’m crossing my fingers that it is ready to ship.Swipe to scroll horizontallyCategoryGoogle Pixel 8OSAndroid 14Display6.2-inch Actua show, 120Hz AMOLED (2400×1080), HDR10+, 2000 nits, Gorilla Glass Victus ChipsetGoogle Tensor G3, Titan M2 safety moduleRAM8GB LPDDR5XStorage128GB/256GB UFS 3.1Rear digicam 150MP f/1.68, 1.2um pixels, PDAF, OIS, 4K at 60fpsRear digicam 212MP f/2.2, 1.25um pixels, 125-degree wide-angleFront digicam10.5MP f/2.2, 1.22um pixels, wide-angleConnectivity (US, CA, UK, AU)Wi-Fi 7, Sub-6 5G (mmWave in US), Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, AptX HD, USB-C 3.2Connectivity (TW, SG, IN)Wi-Fi 6, Sub-6 5G, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, AptX HD, USB-C 3.2Ingress ProtectionIP68 mud and water resistanceSecurityIn-screen fingerprint moduleAudioStereo sound, USB-CBattery4575mAh, 30W wired charging, 20W wi-fi charging, 5W reverse wi-fi chargingDimensions150.5 x 70.8 x 8.9mm, 187gColorsObsidian, Hazel, RoseAs for what it is like to make use of the Pixel 8, I did not see any points on the efficiency entrance. It’s largely much like final 12 months’s units, and you will 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 much like final 12 months’s telephones, and whereas the Tensor G3 has a more moderen Cortex X3 that goes as much as 3.0GHz, it would not really feel any quicker.Google is utilizing a singular 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 also be new, and it has 10 cores this time. An fascinating 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 every day use.Talking about lack of change, Google is utilizing the identical 128GB and 256GB UFS 3.1 storage modules as final 12 months, and this feels shortsighted contemplating how lengthy the machine is supposed to final. Most telephones on this class now provide 256GB of storage and UFS 4.0 modules as normal, and the Pixel 8 misses out on this space. While there are not any points associated to storage or reminiscence now, the telephone is theoretically meant to final not less than seven years, and that is an eternity on this trade.(Image credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)I’m additionally aggravated that Google would not provide 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 ample on a 2023 flagship. I did not run into any points with connectivity, and whereas the worldwide mannequin of the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro have a Wi-Fi 7 modem, the Indian model I’m utilizing is proscribed to Wi-Fi 6. That mentioned, it managed to ship constant bandwidth, and had rock-solid connectivity.It’s an analogous state of affairs with mobile connectivity as effectively, and 5G labored reliably effectively sufficient in every 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 aren’t getting the power to attach the Pixel 8 to a transportable monitor — it is a software program limitation.Thankfully, 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 persistently 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 telephones, however it’s quicker than final 12 months, and the Pixel 8 manages to rise up to a 50% cost in slightly below 30 minutes, with a full cost taking 75 minutes. There’s no charger within the field, however the telephone works over the USB PD normal, so any USB PD GaN charger ought to be very best with the machine.Google Pixel 8: Cameras(Image credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)Cameras are at all times a key speaking level with all Pixel releases, and that is no totally different this time round. While the Pixel 8 makes use of the identical decision 50MP important digicam 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 10.5MP digicam with the power to shoot 4K video at 60fps.The Pixel 8 misses out on a devoted telephoto lens, however the 50MP digicam doubles as a 2x lens, and Google says you get optical-quality photos. Other lacking options embody Night Sight video, a Pro mode that permits you to tweak the capturing parameters, Video Boost, and autofocus on the lens on the entrance.Obviously, Google is making an attempt to place the Pixel 8 Pro as the final word digicam bundle, and with that machine 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 total potential of what this telephone is ready to ship. While I used to be initially miffed by the characteristic omissions, there’s nonetheless loads on provide — notably when you’re switching from an older machine. Image 1 of 5(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)Google went overboard with all of the AI stuff, and options like Best Take make an actual distinction when capturing images. The characteristic depends on you taking three or 4 photographs of a gaggle picture, and it robotically identifies the very 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 digicam interface; it now has a toggle on the backside that permits you to change 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 mentioned, the Pixel 8 manages to take actually excellent photographs in any state of affairs, and it outshines its predecessor. Using it alongside the Pixel 7, it is clear that the modifications with the Tensor G3 and Google’s digicam algorithms ship real-world positive factors throughout the board, and it is clear that the Pixel 8 is among the many finest Android telephones on this regard.Photos taken in daylight have loads of element and correct shade rendition, with Google persevering with to do an important job relating to foliage and out of doors scenes. While there is no zoom lens, the primary digicam does an honest sufficient job in its personal proper at 2x, delivering photos which are simply nearly as good as these taken at 1x. Similarly, the Pixel 8 has the very best wide-angle lens of any telephone, and also you get the identical shade steadiness and element as the primary 50MP lens.Pixels have at all times been nice at low-light photographs, and the Pixel 8 delivers on this space as effectively. The Night mode kicks in when ambient lighting is underneath a sure threshold, and it evens out highlights and shadows whereas nonetheless retaining the identical degree of element. Google’s portrait mode is among the many finest within the trade, and what I like about it’s that it does a superb job with inanimate objects. So if I have to take just a few product photographs to share on social media, I simply flip to the Pixel 8.More than anything, utilizing the cameras on the Pixel 8 is simple — you get a terrific shot each time, and it is this consistency that makes the telephone stand out. Google Pixel 8: Software(Image credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)The Pixel 8 runs Android 14 and can get seven years of Android OS updates, safety patches, and Feature Drops. That’s clearly greater than every other machine as we speak, and it is loopy to suppose that the telephone will decide up the Android 21 replace sooner or later down the road. As to what options it can truly provide from Android 21, that continues to be to be seen.As for proper now, there is definitely loads to love. My favourite characteristic is Audio Magic Eraser. It’s 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 performed on-device, and it is vitally cool.(Image credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)Magic Editor can also be a nifty instrument that permits you to alter the place of individuals and objects in a given picture. You can choose components in a picture to resize or edit, and the characteristic makes use of generative AI to make the requisite tweaks.Those are simply the options accessible in Google Photos; the Pixel 8 additionally will get a nifty read-aloud mode that narrates whole pages. Google says it runs on the identical text-to-speech mannequin utilized in its knowledge facilities, and all you need to do is pull up Google Assistant if you’re on a web page that you really want learn aloud. It works astonishingly effectively, and the narration is convincingly humanoid sufficient that it would not really feel like synthetic in any respect.(Image credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)Aside from 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 contemporary air; the intense colours and customized Google options go a good distance in differentiating the Pixel 8. You do not should 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(Image credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)By guaranteeing seven Android OS updates, Google essentially altered the dialog across the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro. No different machine will get as many software program updates, so there aren’t many tangible alternate options right here. If you desire a related design and do not thoughts lacking out on all of the AI options which are debuting this 12 months, the Pixel 7 remains to be a wonderful selection, and it is a a lot better worth now that the Pixel 8 is hitting cabinets.The important rival to the Pixel 8 is the Pixel 8 Pro. The Pro variant has a brighter OLED display, extra cameras, and a collection of unique options you aren’t getting on the usual Pixel 8. It is significantly bigger and has a 5050mAh battery, and this time, Google went with a flat panel that is nice in every day use. The draw back is that it prices $300 greater than the Pixel 8, so you should determine if the telephoto lens and some further software program options are well worth the premium.Google Pixel 8: Should you purchase it?(Image credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)You can purchase this if:You want a smallish telephone that does not miss out on any optionsYou’re in search of significant AI optionsYou need excellent camerasYou desire a telephone with class-leading software program updatesYou should not purchase this if:You want the very best cameras that Google has to supply proper nowI like what Google is doing with the Pixel 8 sequence. It is providing significant options that prospects will truly find yourself utilizing moderately 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 factors 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 greatest purpose for getting the Pixel 8 is the AI-backed options; Best Take, Magic Editor, and Audio Magic Eraser remodel 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 important quibble with the Pixel 8 is that Google deliberately restricted the software program. I do not see why Night Sight video recording or the Pro digicam mode are lacking right here, and the one purpose that involves thoughts is that Google wanted to create differentiation between the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro 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 digicam options and are as an alternative in search of a smaller telephone, there’s nonetheless sufficient right here to make a distinction. The greatest factor in favor of the machine is the smaller dimension, and when you’re not a fan of tall telephones, you will love what Google has on provide.
The Pixel 8 has significant upgrades over its predecessor, and also you get a whole suite of AI-backed options that remodel how you employ a telephone.
Google Pixel 8: Price Comparison