Google Pixel 8 Pro Review: The Best Google Flagship Yet?

My Pixel 8 Pro’s first impressions were nothing but a bucket of awesomeness! It was, in fact, “a bliss.” It came in a sleek body and felt so comfy in the palm. Google Pixel 8 Pro is the latest flagship smartphone from the American tech giant, and it’s easily their best Pixel model yet. Off the box, the device makes a positive first impression but doesn’t come with a crucial item inside the box – a charger (only the type-c cable is shipped with it).

The phone’s aesthetics didn’t stay different from what the other Pixel models offer; it comes in an aluminum frame with Gorilla Glass Victus 2 used for the front and back. You’re getting one Nano Sim slot and an eSIM – Android 14 OS, under-display fingerprint, and a 5050mAh battery that supports reverse wireless charging. Enough said, let’s get into the full review.

Google Pixel 8 Pro Unboxing

Inside the box are these items:

• The Google Pixel 8 Pro
• USB Type-C charging cable
• A transparent pouch (silicon case)
• Sim ejector
• User guide
• USB-C to Type-C adapter

Google Pixel 8 Pro Overview

As a flagship device, one will expect the Google Pixel 8 Pro to come with a ton of cutting-edge features and technologies available with Android 14 OS. Well, the Pixel 8 Pro did come with a plethora of features, including AI tools for image editing and creating wallpapers. It flaunts slightly rounded corners – offering a wide 6.7-inch screen with LTPO OLED, 120Hz refresh rate.

Inside the hood lies a Google chipset – the Google Tensor G3 (4nm) which is paired with a nona-core CPU and a G715s MC10 GPU (Immortalis). There is no SD card slot available; you could get up to 1TB of primary storage space depending on the variant you buy. The Pixel 8 Pro flaunts a tri-camera setup at the rear: a 50MP wide shutter, a 48MP telephoto sensor with 5x optical zoom, and a 48MP ultrawide sensor, dual pixel PDAF.

Sitting on the front screen is a 10.5MP ultrawide sensor with PDAF and auto-HDR. Both the front and rear cameras is able to shoot 4k videos at 24/30/60fps. There’s no 3.5mm jack to connect your wired earphones or headphones; obviously, you will use this device with wireless headphones or earbuds if you need to listen alone. More so, the material used is rated IP68 dust/water resistant – you can have this device 1.5m underwater for up to 30 minutes.

Where To Buy

The Pixel 8 Pro is available on Google’s official store for a $200 discount. You can also find the phone on official stores such as Amazon and eBay.

Full Specs

What Does The Google Pixel 8 Pro Have To Offer?

Of course, the Google Pixel 8 Pro offers everything a smartphone should – but there are some noteworthy offerings you need to know about.

Camera and Video

The camera setup doesn’t look indifferent from what we’ve seen on other Pixel devices. Altogether, the rear cameras make up 146MP and deliver outstanding clear shots. The 5X optical zoom is able to capture clear visuals of objects up to 100m afar. Coming to the video aspect, both the front and rear cameras deliver crisp footage and try to maintain stability while you zoom.

Battery and Performance

One of the main things modern smartphone users look out for is “battery life.” The Pixel 8 Pro does come with a big battery – 5050mAh – but when used for heavy gaming, the battery drains much faster than you can expect. Aside from heavy gaming, you could use the Pixel 8 Pro for long hours of normal usage.

Tensor G3 chip is definitely not the most powerful mobile chipset out there, but it holds up well in benchmark ratings. The Google Tensor G3 (4nm) coupled with the nano-core processor and Android 14 powers the Pixel 8 Pro to perform relatively “fast” and “smooth”  – multitasking on this device is seamless.

Customization Using AI Features

Pixels come with stock Android OS and “Pixel-Exclusive” features. The Pixel 8 Pro includes an all-new AI feature that lets you edit photos using AI tools or create customized wallpapers using prompts. Also, with the Pixel 8 Pro and Android 14 OS, you can now customize your lock screens in many exciting ways. Google also added AI features to the image and video editing workspaces.

Room Temperature Detection

Beside the tri-cameras on the rear side of this device sits a small oval sensor – it is a brand-new feature, a temperature sensor. This sensor can detect the temperature of objects or surfaces.

You just open the Temperature app and point the phone to the object you want to detect the temperature – stand about 5 centimeters away from the object – then tap the screen to see the object’s temperature. This all-new feature could be handy for a lot of people in different ways.

Gaming and Multitasking

The Pixel 8 Pro can play any game; whether it’s cloud-based gaming or regular mobile games. Thanks to the efficient 12GB of RAM, gameplay on this device is smooth and seamless. But then, heaving gaming on the Pixel 8 Pro will have a toll on your battery – you will notice significant drainage within a short while.

Seven Years of Support

Pixel 8 Pro comes with seven years of software upgrade support; this is the highest of any mobile device ever made, including the newest iPhone 15. The 7 years of software support means you will receive OTA updates on the Pixel 8 Pro for up to seven years (2023 – 2030).

Google Pixel 8 Pro Review

I have been using this smartphone since December 2023, which is over 5 months already. The AI features are mind-blowing – so are the night-time photo feature, video editing, and smart charging capability.

The battery life is fine as well as the design handling. I would easily recommend the device for business and personal uses alike. It’s indeed a powerful smartphone that can increase your productivity in several ways.

The 2,400 nits peak brightness is another interesting one to note. I comfortably use the device outdoors without struggling with texts. It is indeed a good buy for the price it’s sold.

What More?

Google Pixel 8 Pro is a worthy flagship to own, and it’s the best from Google so far. The debut features such as the AI tools and temperature sensor come in handy in many ways. Shooting videos and capturing moments with the Pixel 8 Pro is classic – you get super clear photos and videos.

Lastly, the Pixel 8 Pro comes with a big battery; except if you’re using it for heavy gaming, the battery does last pretty long. One sad thing about this device is that it doesn’t come with a charger inside the box.