Last year, Google launched the Pixel 8 Pro, boasting significant upgrades that position it as the best Pixel phone yet. The company is also setting a new industry standard by committing to provide seven years of software support aimed at ensuring longevity and security for users.
Alongside, Google has focused on improving every aspect of the smartphone while maintaining its superiority in the camera department.
While the Pixel 8 Pro excels in various aspects, it does come with its share of drawbacks. Its notable downside lies in its premium price tag, which, upon consideration, may not make it the most cost-effective choice when compared to competitors offering greater value for money.
In terms of design, the Pixel 8 Pro looks sleek with its aluminum and glass body and curved edges. Its ergonomic design ensures a comfortable grip, while the wide camera bar adds a distinctive aesthetic touch, setting it apart from other smartphones.
The Pixel 8 Pro introduces a new temperature sensor located right below the camera flash. This feature allows the phone to measure the temperature of objects or surfaces using the Temperature app. While it can be useful for certain tasks like checking drink temperatures, its practicality beyond that seems limited, since the body temperature measurement feature is available only in the U.S. Despite being a unique addition, its overall usefulness may not be significant for most users.
The phone features an excellent 6.7-inch Super Actua display with an exceptional 2,400 nit peak brightness. It also comes with the added convenience of Extra Dim for enhanced viewing comfort in low-light conditions.
Like its predecessors, the Pixel 8 Pro uses a dynamic adaptive refresh rate, and instead of just toggling between the standard 60 Hz rate to 120 Hz, it smoothly transitions from as low as 1 Hz up to 120 Hz as needed.
Below the display, there is a fingerprint scanner that works 80% of the time, whereas its Face Unlock feature is more reliable and functions well enough.
Google Pixel 8 Pro is powered by its home-baked Tensor G3 SoC, optimized for efficiency and AI, not for raw performance. While it may fall behind Snapdragon, Apple’s chipset in benchmarks, the real-world usage paints another picture.
I haven’t experienced any performance issues while using the Pixel 8 Pro casually. However, I have noticed that the device tends to heat up quickly when making WhatsApp video calls or playing games, such as Genshin Impact. But then again, people don’t typically buy the Pixel 8 Pro for hardcore gaming purposes.
Pixel phones, especially the flagship models, are renowned for the quality of the photographs they produce, and Pixel 8 Pro is no exception! The camera specs include
- 50MP rear camera with 1/1.3″ sensor, LDAF, Samsung GN2 sensor, f/1.68 aperture
- 48MP 125° Ultra-wide camera, f/1.95 aperture, macro option
- 48MP Samsung GM5 sensor, 5x zoom, 30x digital zoom, f/2.8 aperture, 10-bit HDR recording, Cinematic Blur, 4K 60 fps video recording
The underlying hardware across the camera has seen a massive upgrade, with bigger and better sensors over its predecessors. The camera is solid, and consistent, and churns out some of the best output we have seen in smartphones recently.
Google has now increased the choices for its users. Among the new options are resolution choices, such as the 12MP and full-resolution 50MP options on the main lens. There are also new Pro controls that allow users to disable automatic lens switching when focusing or zooming. Additionally, new Portrait mode options have been added along with 5x optical zoom on the telephoto lens. The video recording feature has also been improved, making it more efficient.
Check out some of the sample
The Pixel has received a crucial upgrade this year – 7 years of software support. The device comes with the Android 14 version and a commitment to provide seven years of Android and security updates. It implies that the 8 Pro will remain secure and up-to-date until at least October 2030.
With this move, Google has surpassed Apple and other mainstream Android makers like Samsung, Xiaomi, OPPO, OnePlus, and others. This time, Google has added several AI-based features, including a wallpaper generator, the ability to read articles, and much more. However, several features are US-only for now. Besides, we have much-talked-about features like magic and an audio editor, which works like a charm.
The Pixel 8 Pro is powered by a 5,050mAh battery with 30W wired fast charging, and 23W wireless charging. The phone delivers an all-day battery life with casual to heavy usage, thanks to a few software updates.
The Pixel 8 Pro is one of the top-tier smartphones in the premium smartphone market. It boasts a flat display, excellent camera setup, and good performance, although not exceptional. The most noteworthy feature of this phone is the 7-year OS update, which has piqued the interest of many. However, given Google’s history of abandoning projects midway, people are curious about the company’s plans for this phone.
Pros
- Class leading display
- Amazing camera across board
- AI capabilities
- 7-years software updates
- Ideal for multimedia consumption
- Excellent battery life
Cons
- Not so powerful processor compared to rivals
- Gets heated up during gaming
- Hefty price tag
- Inconsistent fingerprint unlock
- Modem issue (particularly for Jio)