Google Gets It Mostly Right With the Pixel 8 Pro
Reading Time: 5 minutesThe Pixel 8 Pro feels like a solid evolution from the Pixel 7, but it isn’t perfect.
The Pixel 8 Pro is Google’s latest top-of-the-line flagship device, and while some have argued that the new device doesn’t offer enough at its price point, I think Google is finally starting to get into its groove. What we’re seeing with the Pixel 8 Pro is the first step to Google creating one of the best Android phone lineups on the market.
Design
Looking at the device, there isn’t much here that’s different from the Pixel 7 Pro. It still has the camera bar across the back, a USB-C charging port on the bottom, and all the usual power buttons you’d expect. It’s also still sporting a hole-punch camera on the front, just like the previous Pixel phones.
What is different, though, is Google finally dropped the curved display seen on previous Pixel phones. These have been a thing for the past several years, and while they’ve appealed to some folks, I was one of many who found the curved edges more annoying than endearing. Now that the Pixel 8 Pro sports a flat display, though, you can rest easy knowing you’ll see crisp visuals all across the panel without any weird curving pixels.
This flatter display also means the sides are slightly flatter and bigger than on the Pixel 7 Pro, but the phone still offers that lightweight and thin Pixel design Google has been fostering for a while now. It’s easier to hold the phone now than previous Pixels, and you don’t have to worry about accidentally touching the screen while you’re doing it.
The back is made of a soft-touch glass like that seen on the previously released Pixel Fold. It feels nice against your fingers, while also doing well to hide fingerprints compared to a standard glass back. It looks great on the black Pixel 8 Pro, offering a satiny finish that looks nice in all lighting conditions. The aluminum on the sides has a mirror polish, which means it’s more likely to show fingerprints, making it one of the weak points of the design. Still, altogether the phone is beautiful to look at.
Now, the display: Google has offered solid displays in most of its Pixel devices over the past few years, and the Pixel 8 Pro is no different. It’s a massive 6.7-inch OLED offering up to a 120Hz refresh rate, with a maximum brightness of 2400 nits and up to 1600 nits when using HDR. It’s a fantastic display, easily on par with other top-end flagship devices like the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Software and performance
Software is always a category that Pixel devices shine in, and the 8 Pro is no different. Google offers the lightest and fastest build of Android out there, running stock without a lot of the bloatware and add-ons that Samsung and other Android manufacturers build into their devices. It’s the most cohesive option on the market if you want straight Android, and it’s easy to see why these Google-made devices have remained so popular over the years with Android OS fans.
Google has also baked a lot of AI features into the Pixel 8 Pro, allowing you to use generative AI to create wallpapers and even edit photos and videos with the tech. There are a lot of features on display—or set to arrive in the next few months—that just aren’t available on other phones, and if you like tinkering with these kinds of things, you’ll love what the Pixel 8 Pro has to offer.
Other than that, the experience is exactly what you’d expect from an Android-powered smartphone. A lot of what makes the Pixel 8 Pro impressive in particular are those AI features, though, powered by Google’s custom Tensor G3 chip. That said, it does feel like these features could be expanded to other devices, and Google’s decision to limit them to the G3 feels a bit artificial at most points.
The Pixel 8 series is the first of Google’s devices to offer up to seven years of promised support, something you wouldn’t see on a device with a Qualcomm chip. But those additional years do come at a cost—Google’s custom Tensor G3 chip just isn’t up to snuff with the more powerful chips offered by Samsung and Qualcomm, or Apple’s A-series chips in the iPhone.
But, if you’re buying a Pixel 8 Pro, you aren’t going to be doing it for performance alone. There’s definitely something to be said about brand loyalty, and there’s certainly a lot of that for the Pixel lineup, even if it has strayed from the more budget-friendly options that made these devices so popular in the past.
Face unlock is finally useful
In great news, face unlock doesn’t suck this time around. Apple has been rolling with Face ID for years now, with all but the iPhone SE relying on face scans to unlock. And while Google tried to replicate the success of Face ID with Face Unlock, this is the first time that it actually works like it’s supposed to.
After following a very short setup process, you’re free to start unlocking your phone with your face, and it works well. During my time with the device, I’ve only had to put in my PIN at startup, or rely on fingerprint scans a couple of times when Face Unlock would randomly fail to scan. I did notice it isn’t as reliable when your face is wet, so you may find your fingerprint is needed when you’re working out, or if you check your phone after swimming. It’s a lot more reliable than it was in the past, which is a huge win for the Pixel lineup.
Camera
The Pixel line is known for its cameras, and the 8 Pro’s don’t disappoint. The new ‘Pro Mode’ lets you adjust focus, ISO, shutter speed, and other settings like white balance and brightness, so you won’t need to download a third-party app to control these settings. However, it’s not the camera’s hardware that’s most impressive with the Pixel: It’s really made special by Google’s various machine-learning systems, which help produce the striking images Pixels are known for.
Overall, though, you aren’t going to see much difference between the photos taken by the Pixel 8 series and Pixel 7 series. Sure, Google improved macro mode on the 8, which makes it easier to take a great close-up, but aside from that, these small updates likely aren’t enough on their own to convince Pixel 7 owners to upgrade.
The gimmick
There is one thing about the Pixel 8 Pro that just stands out as a bit silly, though: the temperature sensor. The sensor is located on the back of the phone, along the camera bar, and while you might think, ‘that’s cool,’ the feature is mostly useless, requiring you to put your phone directly against whatever you are trying to measure the temperature of.
It feels like a gimmick through and through, and while it might have proven useful back in 2020 when we were on lockdown and had to keep a constant watch on our temperatures to leave the house, it’s not really something that feels needed at the moment.
The final word
The Pixel 8 Pro feels like a consistent evolution from the Pixel 7. It’s a really solid phone, especially if you want to see more of what Google is doing with AI. The promised seven years of support means you’ll be able to use this phone for a long time going forward, and the changes to the design are welcome.
While there isn’t much here to justify the additional $100 added to the price tag, the Pixel 8 Pro is easily one of the best Android smartphones on the market, offering the lightest, fastest, and most comprehensive version of Android you can pick up right now.
Pros:
- Beautiful device and display
- Tons of AI features that make the phone feel fresh
- Soft-touch glass back looks nice, feels nice, and hides fingerprints well
- Still offers the most lightweight version of Android ever
Cons:
- Polished aluminum on the sides could scratch easily
- $100 price increase doesn’t feel justified
- Temperature sensor feels like a gimmick
Reference: https://lifehacker.com/google-pixel-8-pro-review-1850930355
Ref: lifehacker
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