Google Pixel 8 Pro Review: New Pixel, Old Problems

The Google Pixel 7 Pro was a superb smartphone general. It packed in all the things an off-the-cuff smartphone person would anticipate from an Android smartphone together with, the now normal, well timed software program updates. But it got here up quick in just a few areas like battery life, charging and had its fair proportion of heating points and camera-related bugs as properly. With the brand new Pixel 8 Pro, there is a brand-new design, loads of AI-enabled options and even a brand new processor. Keeping this in thoughts, one would naturally anticipate Google to have labored on some if not the entire shortcomings of its predecessor. But that is not precisely the case with Google’s latest Pixel flagship.

Google Pixel 8 Pro worth in India

Unlike final 12 months, Google’s Pixel 8 Pro lastly provides a better storage choice in India. After years of complaining about providing a measly 128GB of storage with its base fashions, Google lastly determined so as to add a brand new storage tier in India with the introduction of a 256GB variant. I acquired the 128GB storage variant for evaluate which is priced at Rs. 1,06,999 in India, whereas the 256GB variant is out there at Rs. 1,13,999.

As talked about in my first impressions, each the Pixel 8 and the Pixel 8 Pro, are Google’s most costly Pixel smartphones to launch in India. Simply put, the brand new top-end Pixel 8 Pro has acquired a worth hike of Rs. 22,000, which immediately places it out of attain of a number of potential patrons. And then it’s a must to understand that even at Rs. 1,06,999, you’re nonetheless getting simply 128GB of inside storage and no free cloud storage entry both.

Indeed, Google has its arms full in terms of convincing its present Pixel customers to improve to the newest mannequin this 12 months. And it is in all probability one of many explanation why you’re studying this evaluate.

Google Pixel 8 Pro Review: Design

Google’s Pixel 8 Pro has seen extra adjustments than the usual Pixel 8 (Review) this 12 months. Basically, Google’s engineers removed some pointless stuff and made some refinements to the Pixel 7 Pro’s design. Keeping in thoughts its flat show, and general flatter profile it qualifies as a brand new design. But it’s an overhaul of kinds as the brand new Pixel 8 Pro nonetheless seems distinctly Pixel. This is especially all the way down to its sharper, visor-like digicam module on the again which is as chunky as final 12 months’s mannequin.

The visor-like digicam module nonetheless will get scratched simply, identical to the Pixel 7 Pro

The digicam module’s edges are fairly sharp in contrast to final 12 months’s mannequin, however I’m glad Google retained its chunky protruding look as a result of it makes it simpler to carry on to the telephone’s somewhat slippery matte-finished physique by resting my index finger under it for assist.

The matte-finished rear glass panel is a primary for Google’s Pixel vary and its general rounded look and curves do remind me of the unique Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones. As slippery because the rear panel is, it is glorious in terms of resisting fingerprints. At 213g the telephone doesn’t really feel too heavy or too mild. This mixed with the soft-finished glass again lends the machine a really premium and opulent really feel.

Google’s Pixel 8 Pro positively seems the half for a premium smartphone

Google additionally provides an IP68 ranking which is identical as on final 12 months’s mannequin. Build high quality is kind of stable and I’m glad Google lastly removed the curved edge show which appeared pointless on a Pixel, on condition that it by no means had any added software program options like on Samsung’s smartphones.

Google Pixel 8 Pro Review: Specifications and software program

This 12 months’s Pixel 8 Pro brings one other new chipset known as the Tensor G3. It’s constructed utilizing the 4nm manufacturing course of, which along with its new nona-core structure ought to in concept translate to higher efficiency and effectivity. However, Google is extra targeted on its AI capabilities and that is the place it’s anticipated to shine. 12GB RAM is normal and the telephone provides as much as 256GB of storage this 12 months with no expandable storage and no further SIM card slot. However, one can use the eSIM performance to make use of two numbers on the identical machine.

In phrases of connectivity, the Pixel 8 Pro provides an upgraded WiFi 7 expertise, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, a USB-C port, ultra-wideband (UWB) assist and assist for a number of world positioning techniques.

The Pixel 8 Pro’s (proper) design shares some similarities with the older Pixel 7 Pro (left)

Apart from the same old digicam array, there may be additionally a brand new thermometer which can be utilized to test the floor temperature of assorted supplies. Google can be including assist for checking physique temperature quickly, which might make it helpful if it seems to be correct.

The telephone has a 5,050mAh battery and helps 30W wired charging and 23W wi-fi charging. However, the field contents do not embody a supported charging adapter.

Going with the AI pattern, Google introduces its new AI wallpaper function which is unique to this 12 months’s Pixel 8 and 8 Pro units. It wants an web connection to work however chomps out some actually distinctive and fascinating wallpapers utilizing its AI bits. The remainder of Android 14 feels and seems much like what’s out there on a Pixel 7 Pro.

Other new smarts which might be out there on the Pixel 8 Pro embody the power to learn aloud internet pages or articles from an internet browser. Google Assistant may even translate an internet web page earlier than studying it aloud which can also be helpful. The operation is correctly hands-free on the Pixel 8 Pro (I couldn’t get the function to work efficiently on a Pixel 7 Pro), which is helpful in case your arms are busy.

The AI Wallpaper function is a enjoyable option to pattern the facility of AI and create some distinctive wallpapers within the course of

The Pixel 8 Pro’s AI modifying instruments, which can be found in its Photos app are jaw-droppingly spectacular by way of functionality. While the older Magic Eraser has gotten significantly better over time, the newly marketed instruments nonetheless want a little bit of polish by way of output.

The new Magic Editor instrument allows you to actually reposition folks and objects in {a photograph} (which needs to be uploaded to the cloud). The AI fashions positive are spectacular! At instances it could actually get actually exhausting to inform if a picture has been edited in any respect. However, pixel-peeping into these pictures normally reveals some clues. Magic Editor is not good and will get polished with future updates, however it’s a very highly effective instrument nonetheless.

The identical might be mentioned concerning the new Best Take function which requires a sequence of pictures of the identical setting with the intention to work. If you occur to have sufficient pictures of the identical folks in the identical setting, then it is somewhat exhausting to inform if a picture has been edited.

Audio Magic Eraser is one other AI-enabled instrument, which might impressively perceive the sounds in a video. Once activated, it listens to the clip and rapidly identifies the completely different sounds after which categorises them (speech, nature, wind, noise and many others.) letting one alter the degrees to bump up the amount of the sounds they want to hear (speech, nature) over those that they wish to quieten (noise, wind). While I didn’t discover the outcomes all that spectacular, it’s fascinating to see how the AI mannequin identifies the completely different sounds in any given video.

(*8*)

The Audio Magic Eraser instrument within the Photos app is helpful for eradicating or decreasing undesirable sounds in a recorded video

As controversial as these picture modifying options are, I can see plenty of Pixel 8 and 8 Pro customers serving to many who aren’t in a position to snap handsome pictures. Moreover, Pixel 8 Pro customers might look like wizards to aged folks who normally do not find yourself composing a trip picture proper, and sometimes request the unimaginable, like transferring the Eiffel Tower a bit to the fitting. Surprisingly, all of that and extra is now doable utilizing easy drag-and-drop instruments.

As spectacular because the Pixel 8 Pro’s pictures and modifying capabilities are this 12 months, I nonetheless confronted the identical digicam bug as on final 12 months’s fashions. The Night Sight bug triggers when taking pictures back-to-back pictures from the digicam app’s night time mode when transitioning from 1X to 2X. Once triggered, all pictures captured thereafter don’t get saved within the telephone, leaving one with a digicam that may allow you to click on pictures however not save them. The solely option to get the digicam to start out storing snapped pictures once more is to restart the telephone or await the digicam app to crash.

For lengthy, Pixel smartphones have at all times been the primary units to obtain Android software program updates and Google has one way or the other managed to one-up itself on this space with the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro. Google claims that it’s going to present as much as 7 years of software program updates which incorporates its quarterly Feature Drops (that convey new options) and safety updates. Adding to this dedication Google additionally defined that it’s going to top off on spares for these two smartphones as properly, in case your smartphone will get broken or stops functioning over the subsequent 7 years. Indeed such commitments will enchantment to those that do not improve their units ceaselessly, however changing your smartphone much less ceaselessly works properly for the surroundings because it additionally reduces e-waste.

Google Pixel 8 Pro Review: Performance

As for the Pixel 8 Pro’s 6.7-inch QHD+ OLED show, it really works properly beneath vivid daylight and exhibits pretty correct colors when set to the Natural color mode. Its 120Hz dynamic refresh price, which might drop to 1Hz when not getting used, additionally works as anticipated.

Just like final 12 months, battery statistics aren’t all that nice as I typically discovered me reaching out for the charger by the tip of a piece day with about 20 p.c left round 7:00 PM, after unplugging the telephone at round 8:00 AM. If you find yourself utilizing the digicam and edit a number of pictures anticipate the battery ranges to drop even quicker. In our video loop battery check, the Pixel 8 Pro managed to final for 14 hours and quarter-hour, which is barely higher than the Pixel 7 Pro, however not nice in comparison with what most smartphones on this phase are able to. Samsung’s Galaxy S23 Ultra which presently retails a further Rs. 20,000 managed to final 21 hours and seven minutes within the identical check.

The Pixel 8 Pro (proper) has a flat show in comparison with the older Pixel 7 Pro (left)

On the Pixel 8 Pro, most informal and high-end video games run simply superb at default settings. But the telephone clearly is not as highly effective when in comparison with its Qualcomm Snapdragon-powered counterparts so do not anticipate flawless body charges when taking part in graphics-intensive titles like Genshin Impact or fast-paced video games like Call of Duty: Mobile.

The telephone does heat up after taking part in just a few Call of Duty tournaments on Ultra settings, nevertheless it doesn’t get abnormally sizzling and that is primarily all the way down to CPU throttling. However, one can anticipate loads of body drops throughout gameplay because the Tensor G3 is not actually designed for working demanding titles at the most effective settings. Ray-tracing, whereas being comparatively new, can also be not supported. I additionally discovered the contact sampling to be a bit sluggish when taking part in fast-paced FPS video games.

The Tensor G3 contained in the Google Pixel 8 Pro managed barely inferior scores in comparison with most smartphones on this phase and have been far under what Apple’s newest iPhone 15 Pro Max is able to. The Pixel 8 Pro scored 10,38,343 factors in AnTuTu and managed scores of 1,629 and three,274 in Geekbench’s single and multi-core checks. To provide you with an concept about the place Google’s Pixel 8 Pro stands, the lower-priced OnePlus 11 5G (QHD+ show) which we reviewed earlier this 12 months scored 11,89,556 factors and Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 5 (FHD+ show) managed a rating of 12,87,359 whereas the iPhone 15 Pro Max managed a snug lead scoring 16,61,205 factors in our evaluate.

Google sticking with its personal Tensor design for its processor does have its downsides as they’ve but to determine higher methods to deal with all of the processing that occurs after snapping {a photograph}. Just just like the Pixel 7 Pro, the Pixel 8 Pro struggles when taking pictures Portrait mode pictures and can cease capturing pictures (or disable the shutter button) when the picture buffer is full after clicking round 7-8 portrait mode pictures in fast succession. It does this to complete processing them within the background and can let one snap extra pictures solely as soon as it is performed processing those which have already been captured. While this doesn’t look like a giant drawback, I did find yourself lacking a number of moments whereas snapping pictures of my child. Shooting RAW pictures additionally takes some time to course of, in comparison with the iPhone 15 Pro Max which is sort of immediate.

The Pixel 8 Pro identical to the Pixel 7 Pro runs a bit sizzling outdoor when linked to 5G networks

For a telephone that is extra targeted and identified for its images options, it is unhappy to see that the newest Tensor G3 SoC is not able to dealing with the fundamentals. Google actually has to work on the Tensor G3’s imaging pipeline or go along with a separate imaging chip solely for dealing with all of its digicam necessities as the present Tensor G3 processor clearly is not up for the job.

Even with every day utilization, one thing so simple as scrolling by means of internet pages and social media apps (even YouTube) can get jittery at instances. Scrolling is jittery when utilizing each native and third-party apps and that is one thing many customers have complained about on Reddit as properly. Google took its personal candy time to try to resolve its Pixel 7 Pro’s scrolling points, however these have but to be resolved efficiently.

The telephone nonetheless will get sizzling when utilizing the digicam app, particularly when taking pictures extra difficult digicam modes like Portrait and Night mode. The telephone additionally will get fairly sizzling outdoor when linked to 5G networks. Google nonetheless doesn’t supply any cooling resolution (aside from CPU throttling) with its Pixel telephones, which retains them working heat more often than not when used outdoor. Many Chinese smartphone manufacturers have adopted vapour chamber cooling to keep up efficiency ranges whereas performing power-intensive duties. This 12 months’s Samsung Galaxy S23 additionally utilised the identical, making it run quite a bit cooler in comparison with its predecessor. So, it is actually a thriller why Google refuses to incorporate the identical in its flagship Pixel smartphones.

The new and safe Face Unlock function works as rapidly as Apple’s Face ID authentication, nevertheless, it solely works properly (or rapidly) in good lighting. Dimly lit settings will see the digicam struggling to recognise faces, which is once I needed to revert to the nice outdated fingerprint scanner, which fortunately labored as anticipated.

Google Pixel 8 Pro Review: Cameras

This 12 months’s Pixel 8 Pro comes with a number of enhancements within the digicam division as properly. Key amongst these is the brand new 48-megapixel ultra-wide-angle digicam which replaces the 12-megapixel digicam on the earlier mannequin. There’s a brand new brighter 50-megapixel main digicam as properly however I anticipate minor enhancements (if any) with this one. Everything else aside from the brand new Tensor G3 stays the identical, which isn’t a foul deal because the earlier Pixel 7 Pro was not unhealthy at imaging to start with.

The digicam modes have been revamped on the Pixel 8 Pro. The Pixel 8 Pro particularly this 12 months will get a particular professional mode known as Pro Controls, which brings superior digicam controls for smartphone digicam fans preferring to tweak issues a bit earlier than taking pictures or whereas recording.

Pro Controls is splendidly designed with practicality and ease in thoughts, making it straightforward to make use of and perceive

To be clear, the Pixel 8 Pro’s Pro Controls mode isn’t as superior because the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra’s digicam app which additionally provides numerous controls for video. The Pixel 8 Pro’s Pro controls appear much more user-friendly (designed for the typical Joe), and fairly sensible on the identical time, simply making it quite a bit higher by way of functionality and management when taking pictures video, even when in comparison with an iPhone 15 Pro Max, I reviewed earlier.

Unlike the Pixel 7 Pro the place one will get entry to brightness, shadow and white stability sliders within the viewfinder when taking pictures, the Pixel 8 Pro hides all of its Pro controls beneath a settings button positioned on the high proper nook. Tapping on it offers one entry to superior controls like Night Sight period, brightness, shadow, white stability, focus, shutter velocity and ISO as properly. I notably appreciated the main target management because it highlights the presently targeted space in pink due to a spotlight peaking function like on an actual digicam.

Tapping on the same old gear icon on the backside now opens a complete menu with a particular Pro tab wherein one can choose the decision (binned or full body), output kind (RAW/JPEG) and a really useful Lens Selection selector, which helps you to select between Auto or Manual. Choosing Auto mainly will get you your entire zoom vary which additionally contains the digital ranges between the native focal lengths (0.5X, 1X and 5X).

The guide will get you entry to simply the native focal lengths, which switches off the digicam’s automated lens choice. This is helpful to keep away from utilizing the mistaken digicam (which the smartphone mechanically selects relying on the space of the item/topic from the lens. This typically results in digitally cropped and scaled pictures. So, in case your topic is simply too shut for the 5X telephoto digicam, it simply will not focus, letting you already know that you should preserve a better distance to get the proper shot.

Pixel 8 Pro additionally lets one shoot in RAW utilizing all three cameras which implies you may get high-resolution (50 or 48-megapixel) RAW pictures which might be tweaked later within the put up. As for the video, Pro Controls solely allows you to tweak white stability and publicity on this mode.

The Pixel 8 Pro and Pixel 7 Pro digicam samples have been captured in daylight and low mild utilizing their main cameras (faucet picture to increase)

As for picture high quality, I discovered the pictures from the first digicam to be nearly similar to final 12 months’s mannequin. The minor variations are primarily all the way down to the tone the place the Pixel 8 Pro chooses cooler tones in comparison with the Pixel 7 Pro’s hotter hues. The degree of element is second to none, however I typically observed that colors aren’t as correct regardless that the pictures regarded good. Low-light imagery is unbelievable, however I observed that the first digicam tends to crush the blacks in settings with contrasted lighting.

Google Pixel 8 Pro captures some high quality 5X telephoto pictures (high) and macro pictures (backside) (faucet pictures to increase)

Photos from the ultra-wide digicam, which has seen essentially the most adjustments this 12 months, pack in additional element and dynamic vary when taking pictures in daylight. Colours are fairly correct as properly. Macro pictures additionally got here out nice and the brand new digicam allows you to get even nearer (as much as 2cm) to your topic.

Google Pixel 8 Pro and Pixel 7 Pro daylight and low-light digicam samples captured utilizing their ultra-wide-angle cameras (faucet picture to increase)

In phrases of zoom, the telephoto digicam shoots actually spectacular pictures with good element. I used the 5X telephoto to seize some crisp portraits and close-ups and properly and so they all regarded attractive with a pure bokeh. Going past its optical limits, Google’s Super Res Zoom manages high quality pictures as much as 10X (hybrid zoom) however the high quality begins to dither thereafter.

Google Pixel 8 Pro telephoto zoom digicam samples captured in daylight (faucet picture to increase)

While it manages good picture high quality, the Pixel 8 Pro identical to the Pixel 7 Pro struggles with edge detection when in Portrait mode (faucet picture to increase)

After managing common video high quality final 12 months, it is good to see that Google has lastly upped its online game. 4K 30fps video recorded from the first digicam seems sharp, has a superb bitrate and provides a gentle body price. Stabilisation can also be spectacular, making it a stable improve over the Pixel 7 Pro’s video recording capabilities. Low mild footage additionally has good element with low noise. HDR footage shot on the identical decision appeared a bit saturated however showcased good distinction and element even in low mild.

Google Pixel 8 Pro Review: Verdict

What units the Pixel 8 Pro aside from each different Pixel of the previous, is its AI capabilities. It’s a course that Google has charted for its Pixel smartphones, and the Pixel 8 Pro certainly shines on this space with the power to course of plenty of requests and use a number of instruments with out the necessity to hook up with the web or the cloud for processing. The very succesful and well-designed built-in Pro Controls can also be an space which cellular images fans will get pleasure from.

But the worth hike might persuade many upgraders to stay with their Pixel 7 Pro fashions this 12 months as the entire above-mentioned options (aside from a 7-year dedication for software program updates) do not actually look like must-haves on anybody’s checklist.

To make issues worse, the Pixel 7 Pro as we speak retails for as little as Rs. 63,999, which is not a foul deal, relying on what one is in search of in a brand new smartphone buy. Its nonetheless digicam efficiency is much like the Pixel 8 Pro however falls behind in terms of video recording. The new Pixel 8 Pro might not warmth up as a lot because the Pixel 7 Pro however its battery life solely provides minor enhancements over the older mannequin.

If you’re keen to spend upwards of Rs. 1,00,000 in India, Samsung’s Galaxy S23 Ultra (Review) (out there at Rs. 1,24,999 for the 256GB variant) certainly provides higher worth, with spectacular zoom functionality, a greater and bigger show, glorious battery life, and to an extent even Samsung’s Galaxy ecosystem of units which incorporates, smartwatches, audio equipment, tablets and laptops.