Google released their latest flagship phone, the Pixel 8 Pro in October 2023. It is a stunning device with a premium design, a brilliant screen, and a powerful camera system. The Pixel 8 Pro is one of the best Android phones of the year. In this article, we will review the Google Pixel 8 Pro in detail.
Design
Google Pixel 8 Pro has an improved design compared to the Pixel 7 Pro. it has a sleek and elegant design that feels great in the hand. The matte finish of the rear glass gives it a smooth and velvety feel. This phone has 213g weight, but it still feels solid and durable. The camera cutout on the back is single and seamless, unlike some other phones that have multiple bumps or holes. Google introduced a new color option, the “Bay Blue” to the Pixel 8 Pro.
Screen
Google Pixel 8 Pro features a 6.7-inch OLED display with a 2992 x 1344 pixels resolution. The display also has a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate that delivers smooth graphics and makes it more responsive for scrolling. The display can change the refresh rate from 1HZ to 120HZ according to the content you are viewing.
The Pixel 8 Pro has high brightness levels, up to 1,600 nits for HDR content. This makes it easy to see even in bright sunlight. The display also has excellent dimming capabilities for comfortable use in dark environments. Also, the Pixel 8 Pro has fantastic colors and contrast, with symmetrical bezels around it.
Camera
Google Pixel 8 Pro has a triple-camera setup on the back, including a main, an ultrawide, and a telephoto sensor. The 50MP main camera increased light sensitivity for better low-light photos. The 48MP ultrawide camera improved the macro mode for capturing close-up details. The telephoto camera increased light sensitivity for better zoom photos. This camera system delivers exceptional photo quality. The telephoto lens gives high-quality optical zoom. You can zoom up to 5x without losing any detail.
Pixel 8 Pro has a 10.5MP front-facing camera with autofocus for selfies and video calls. Google Camera app is one of the best apps made by Google. It gives you a simple and intuitive user interface, with various modes and more controls for the photographer.
AI Photo Editing
Google Pixel 8 Pro comes with some built-in AI photo editing features. One of these features is the “Best Take” feature. Best Take automatically selects the best faces from multiple photos taken in quick succession. This is useful for group photos or selfies where someone might blink or look away.
Magic Editor is another cool feature that comes with Pixel 8 Pro. This allows you to perform advanced photo editing tasks. You can remove unwanted objects or people from your photos, replace the background with another image or color, or apply various filters and effects to your photos.
With the Stylized option feature, you can transform your photos into more dramatic or artistic versions. You can make your photos look like paintings, sketches, cartoons, or other styles with just a tap.
These built-in AI photo editing features are only available in Pixel 8 Pro.
Temperature Sensor
The Pixel 8 Pro has a unique feature that no other smartphone has: a temperature sensor on the back. Now your phone can measure the temperature of various objects like Food & organic, Beverages & water, etc. You can access the temperature sensor through the Thermometer app on the phone. But this temperature sensor can’t measure your body temperature.
The temperature sensor is not a bad feature, but it is not a selling point either. Google has plans to get FDA approval for the temperature sensor to measure body temperature and integrate it with the Fitbit app. This might make this feature more useful and relevant in the future.
Face Unlock
Google includes the Face Unlock feature in their new Google Pixel 8 Pro. It works not only for unlocking the device but also for various other authentication purposes. You can use Face Unlock to sign into apps, make payments, access secure folders, and more.
Pixel 8 Pro’s Face Unlock does not require additional hardware sensors. It uses a front-facing camera and AI algorithms to recognize your face. This makes the phone look more elegant, without any notches or holes on the screen.
The Pixel 8 Pro also includes an in-screen fingerprint sensor, offering both biometric security options for users. You can choose to use either Face Unlock or fingerprint sensor, or both.
Tensor G3 Chip
The Pixel 8 Pro is powered by Google’s custom Tensor G3 chip. It is designed to handle AI tasks and improve performance and efficiency. The Tensor G3 chip is the third generation of Google’s Tensor chips. However, the previous iterations of Tensor chips had some issues with overheating and performance instability. But the new Tensor G3 chip performs well without overheating issues, even during gaming and benchmark tests.
Battery and Charging
The Pixel 8 Pro has a full-day battery life with moderate usage. The device has a 5,050mAh battery, which is slightly larger than the previous model’s battery. However, the battery life is not exceptional compared to other flagship Android phones.
Google Pixel 8 Pro supports 30W wired charging. You can charge the phone from zero to 50% in about 30 minutes. But this is slower than some other flagship Android phones that support fast charging speeds up to 65W or more. The Pixel 8 Pro also supports wireless charging up to 12W and reverse wireless charging. With wireless charging, you can charge other devices like earbuds or smartwatches by placing them on the back of the phone.
Software
Google Pixel 8 Pro comes with Android 14. Google added some Pixel-only software features to the new Pixel 8 Pro. Also, Android 14 comes with lots of features. Some of these features are lock screen customization, AI wallpaper generation, Summarize and Read Aloud features (coming soon).
One of the best things about Pixel phones is that they get regular software updates from Google. Google promises seven years of Android OS updates, security patches, and feature drops for the Pixel 8 Pro. This means that the Pixel 8 Pro will receive Android 15, 16, 17, and so on until Android 21. This makes the Google Pixel 8 Pro the most future-proof device.
Price and Availability
The starting price of the Google Pixel 8 Pro is US $999.
There are three storage configurations available at different price points:
- $999 for 128GB
- $1,099 for 256GB
- $1,199 for 512GB
The Pixel 8 Pro comes in three color options:
- Bay blue (exclusive to Google Store)
- Stormy black( available in Google Store and other retailers)
- Cloudy white (available in select markets)
Google increased the price of the new Pixel 8 Pro from $100 compared to the previous model. But the Pixel 8 Pro offers a lot of features for this price.
Conclusion
Google Pixel 8 Pro is one of the best Android phones of the year. It’s premium design and the brilliant screen give users a premium experience. The powerful camera system unlocks new boundaries of photography. Other innovative features and software features make the Pixel 8 Pro special from its competitive smartphones. It also has a reliable processor, a satisfactory battery life, and a future-proof software experience. The Pixel 8 Pro is a phone that can do almost anything you want. It is a phone that will impress you.
