GOOGLE PIXEL 8 & PIXEL 8 PRO: Camera is a big focus for these phones
Google dominates our online lives, but its mobile phones do not enjoy the same status in the hotly contested handset space. Reasons for that are varied, but the Google Pixels — 40 million sold so far since 2016, 10 million handsets just last year, as per IDC estimates — are appreciated by many. The Pixel phones are the first to get new features and versions of Android before other devices, chipset and cameras are top-notch, the user interface is seamless and there are plenty of upgrades in hardware and software features in every new generation.
The all-new Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro have arrived, bringing more AI smarts and camera improvements to Google’s flagship phones. My first impressions: These are rock-solid devices, expensive – yes, but smooth and speedy performers with nice design & display, great cameras and strong battery life.
Design & display: Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro are elegantly designed with softer silhouettes, nice metal finishes and 100% recycled aluminum housing. Both phones have brighter screens this time around. Pixel 8 has a 6.2-inch Actua display, which gives very good clarity and is 42% brighter than Pixel 7’s display. Pixel 8 features satin metal finishes, a polished glass back and comes in Rose, Hazel and Obsidian colours.
Pixel 8 Pro’s 6.7-inch Super Actua display features Google’s brightest display yet. It also has a matte glass back with a polished aluminum frame and comes in two colours: Bay and Obsidian. And on the back of the Pixel 8 Pro, a new temperature sensor lets you quickly scan an object to get its temperature. For instance, you can check out how hot a cup of coffee is before taking a sip, or measure the surface temperature before walking your dog.
Camera: Consistent with previous Pixels, the camera is a big area of focus. Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro feature powerful, upgraded camera systems for great imaging, plus nifty editing tools. One of the biggest new features is a photo editing tool called Best Take, which alters the expression on someone’s face in a group picture. The idea is to help you capture an image where everyone is smiling and looking at the camera.
Google has packed both phones with a new, 50MP main camera, with 21% more light sensitivity than Pixel 7. Pixel 8 has an updated ultra-wide camera with autofocus that enables Macro Focus. Every camera on the Pixel 8 Pro has been upgraded, starting with the main camera that captures better photos and videos in low-light settings. The bigger ultrawide lens delivers even better Macro Focus, the telephoto lens captures 56% more light than Pixel 7 Pro and takes 10x photos at optical quality, and the front-facing camera now has autofocus for the best selfies on a Pixel phone.
Magic Editor in Google Photos is a new experimental editing experience that uses generative AI to help you bring your photos in line with the essence of the moment you were trying to capture. Another striking feature is Audio Magic Eraser; this lets you easily reduce distracting sounds in your video, like howling winds or noisy crowds. This computational audio capability uses advanced machine learning models to sort sounds into distinct layers so you can control their levels.
Performance: The Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro run on Google’s new Tensor G3 processor. With Tensor G3 and the Titan M2 security chip, both phones are built with multiple layers of security to help keep your personal information safe. You can also use Face Unlock for more things, like app sign-ins and payments, thanks to Tensor’s advanced machine learning.
Overall, this year’s Pixels pack some impressive specs and big new features for users to play with. Highly recommended.
GOOGLE PIXEL 8
Display: 6.2 inch Full HD+ display
Processor: Tensor G3 processor
Operating system: Android 14
Memory & storage: 8GB memory, 128GB storage
Camera: 50MP + 12MP (rear), 10.5MP front camera
Battery: 4575mAh
Estimated street price: Rs 75,999
GOOGLE PIXEL 8 PRO
Display: 6.7-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display
Processor: Tensor G3 processor
Operating system: Android 14
Memory & storage: 12GB RAM, 128GB storage
Camera: 50MP + 48MP + 48MP (rear), 10.5MP front camera
Battery: 5050mAh battery
Estimated street price: Rs 1,06,999