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 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 obtainable — 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 embrace every thing 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 attractive 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 simple as attainable 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 really stands out is its measurement; 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
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 for sale globally. There are attractive trade-in presents with both gadget 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 presents.
Things aren’t as rosy in different markets. In India, the Pixel 8 is accessible for ₹75,999 ($912), or ₹16,000 ($192) greater than the Pixel 7. There aren’t any pre-order bonuses within the nation though prospects are having to pay much more for the gadget, and that is the case with the Pixel 8 Pro as properly. Google is beginning to make its units obtainable in additional areas, with the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro offered in 21 nations.
Google Pixel 8: Design
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 equivalent 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 to be hanging.
The Pixel 8 is accessible in Hazel, Obsidian, and Rose colour 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 undecided why Google limits colours primarily based on the mannequin; the Bay colorway of the Pixel 8 Pro seems to be unbelievable, 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 these items.
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On that word, the Pixel 8 nonetheless has the facility button within the flawed place; all different Android telephones have the facility button under the quantity rocker, however as a result of Google wants to do issues otherwise, the structure is reversed on the Pixel 8. So if you return to a different gadget, you may inevitably hit quantity up as a substitute 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.
The alternative of supplies hasn’t modified with the Pixel 8, and meaning 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. While the Pixel 8 Pro has a matte coating on the again, the Pixel 8 retains the shiny coat, as a substitute providing matte sides.
I favor the Pixel 8 on this regard I affiliate a shiny mid-frame with price range units (thanks, Samsung), and the usual mannequin positively does not look or really feel like one. If something, it is the Pro mannequin that comes throughout as a bit primary due to these chrome-accented sides; the matte texture on the Pixel 8 makes it significantly better to carry.
Another level in favor of the Pixel 8 is the scale; the telephone feels superb in-hand, and whereas I are inclined to favor 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 properly, 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 towards the weather.
Loads has been stated in regards to the dearth of compact Android telephones, and whereas the Pixel 8 is not the smallest gadget round, it comes shut. The better part is that Google hasn’t restricted the gadget 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 alternative, and in order for you a small telephone, you may love what Google has to supply right here.
Google Pixel 8: Display
I by no means understood why Google selected display refresh fee as a differentiator on its units; most Android manufacturers provide 120Hz as normal today, 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 fee right here, and it’s higher in each approach 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’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 haven’t got 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 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 offers the Pixel 8 a sizeable leg up over its predecessor.
The elevated brightness makes a distinction when streaming HDR10+ content material on the gadget, and the gadget is nice for streaming content material off the likes of Netflix and Prime Video. The telephone additionally will get noticeably brighter in outside use than its predecessor, and there are zero points on this specific space.
Overall, the marginally smaller display mixed with 120Hz refresh and excessive brightness give the Pixel 8 a definite edge over its predecessors and speedy 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
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 a substitute specializing in AI-related use instances. As a consequence, the chip is not as quick because the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 or A17 Pro, however it’s leagues forward of every thing else relating to working 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’m undecided how the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro will stand the check of time — they’re slated to get extra updates than another 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.
| Category | Google Pixel 8 |
|---|---|
| OS | Android 14 |
| Display | 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 |
| Front 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 Protection | IP68 mud and water resistance |
| Security | 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 |
| Colors | 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’s largely just like final 12 months’s units, and you will run into the identical points when enjoying visually-demanding titles — it tends to throttle early, resulting in noticeable jitter. In that sense, it is largely just 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 does not really feel any quicker.
Google is utilizing a singular mixture of 9 CPU cores in whole, 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 attention-grabbing level to notice with the Tensor G3 is that it has increased 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 gadget 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 aren’t any points associated to storage or reminiscence now, the telephone is theoretically meant to final no less than seven years, and that is an eternity on this trade.
I’m additionally irritated that Google does 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 sufficient 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 stated, it managed to ship constant bandwidth, and had rock-solid connectivity.
It’s an analogous state of affairs with mobile connectivity as properly, and 5G labored reliably properly 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 flexibility 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 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 telephones, however it’s quicker than final 12 months, and the Pixel 8 manages to rise up to a 50% cost in slightly below half-hour, 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 needs to be excellent with the gadget.
Google Pixel 8: Cameras
Cameras are at all times a key speaking level with all Pixel releases, and that is no completely different this time round. While the Pixel 8 makes use of the identical decision 50MP primary 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 flexibility 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 photographs. Other lacking options embrace 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 attempting to place the Pixel 8 Pro as the final word digital camera bundle, and with that gadget 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. While I used to be initially miffed by the characteristic omissions, there’s nonetheless a lot on provide — notably should you’re switching from an older gadget.
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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 mechanically identifies one of the best pose of everybody within the photographs and applies that. It was a bit finicky once 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 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 stated, the Pixel 8 manages to take really excellent photographs in any situation, and it outshines its predecessor. Using it alongside the Pixel 7, it is clear that the modifications with the Tensor G3 and Google’s digital camera algorithms ship real-world features 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 colour rendition, with Google persevering with to do an important job relating to foliage and outside scenes. While there is not any zoom lens, the principle digital camera does a good sufficient job in its personal proper at 2x, delivering photographs which can be simply nearly as good as these taken at 1x. Similarly, the Pixel 8 has one of the best wide-angle lens of any telephone, and also you get the identical colour steadiness and element as the principle 50MP lens.
Pixels have at all times been nice at low-light photographs, and the Pixel 8 delivers on this space as properly. The Night mode kicks in when ambient lighting is below 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 finest within the trade, and what I like about it’s that it does a superb job with inanimate objects. So if I must 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
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 another gadget immediately, 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 is still to be seen.
As for proper now, there is definitely lots 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 properly. 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 exact sound. All of that is finished on-device, and it is vitally cool.
Magic Editor can also be a nifty device 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 obtainable in Google Photos; the Pixel 8 additionally will get a nifty read-aloud mode that narrates total pages. Google says it runs on the identical text-to-speech mannequin utilized in its knowledge facilities, and all it’s important to do is pull up Google Assistant if you’re on a web page that you really want learn aloud. It works astonishingly properly, and the narration is convincingly humanoid sufficient that it does not really feel like synthetic in any respect.
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 most 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 must 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 essentially altered the dialog across the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro. No different gadget will get as many software program updates, so there aren’t many tangible options right here. If you need a related design and do not thoughts lacking out on all of the AI options which can be debuting this 12 months, the Pixel 7 continues to be a wonderful alternative, and it is a significantly better worth now that the Pixel 8 is hitting cabinets.
The primary rival to the Pixel 8 is the Pixel 8 Pro. The Pro variant has a brighter OLED display, extra cameras, and a set 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 could work out if the telephoto lens and some further software program options are definitely worth the premium.
Google Pixel 8: Should you purchase it?
You should purchase this if:
- You want a smallish telephone that does not miss out on any options
- You’re wanting for significant AI options
- You need excellent cameras
- You need 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 sequence. It is providing significant options that prospects will truly find yourself utilizing quite than chase meaningless specs, and that is a refreshing change of tempo. The result’s that you just get a telephone that has tangible features 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 primary 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 digital camera 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 attractive, however should you do not want all the most recent digital camera options and are as a substitute wanting for a smaller telephone, there’s nonetheless sufficient right here to make a distinction. The greatest factor in favor of the gadget is the smaller measurement, and should you’re not a fan of tall telephones, you may 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.