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With the release of the Google Pixel 8 Pro, Google has once again raised the bar for Android smartphones. Known for its exceptional photography capabilities, clean software experience, and AI-powered features, the Pixel series has earned a loyal following over the years. The Pixel 8 Pro builds on this foundation with more advanced hardware, better display quality, and impressive software enhancements. In this review, we’ll break down the Pixel 8 Pro’s design, performance, camera capabilities, and more to determine if it’s truly the new flagship to beat in 2024.
Design and Display: Sleek, Premium, and Impressive
Premium Build Quality
Google has always prioritized clean, minimalist design in its Pixel devices, and the Pixel 8 Pro is no exception. The device features a polished aluminum frame and Gorilla Glass Victus on both the front and back, offering robust durability while maintaining a premium feel. The phone is available in three stunning colors: Obsidian (black), Porcelain (white), and Bay Blue, with each color reflecting a subtle elegance that matches the high-end specs.
Stunning 6.7-inch LTPO OLED Display
The Pixel 8 Pro boasts a 6.7-inch LTPO OLED display with QHD+ resolution (3120 x 1440), delivering sharp visuals and vibrant colors. The 120Hz refresh rate ensures smooth scrolling and fluid animations, whether you’re browsing through apps, playing games, or watching videos. The LTPO (Low-Temperature Polycrystalline Oxide) technology allows the display to dynamically adjust the refresh rate based on your usage, helping save battery life while maintaining smooth performance when needed.
Google has also included HDR10+ support and 1,600 nits peak brightness, making this display ideal for media consumption, whether you’re watching HDR content or browsing in bright sunlight. Overall, the display on the Pixel 8 Pro is stunning, offering excellent color accuracy and a crisp, vibrant viewing experience.
Performance: Smooth and Efficient
Powered by Google Tensor G3
The Pixel 8 Pro is powered by the Google Tensor G3 chip, the latest iteration of Google's custom-built processors. The Tensor G3 chip is optimized for AI and machine learning tasks, offering an incredibly smooth performance across the board. Whether you’re multitasking, gaming, or using demanding applications, the Pixel 8 Pro handles it all with ease.
In terms of RAM, the Pixel 8 Pro comes with 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM, ensuring smooth app switching and efficient multitasking. The Tensor G3 chip is paired with a Mali-G710 GPU, making gaming, video editing, and other graphics-intensive tasks more enjoyable than ever.
While the Pixel 8 Pro might not have the raw power of devices like the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra or iPhone 15 Pro Max, it excels in real-world performance. Apps load quickly, animations are smooth, and there is minimal lag during heavy use.
Storage Options and Battery Life
The Pixel 8 Pro is available in 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB storage configurations, providing plenty of room for apps, photos, videos, and other files. However, it’s worth noting that there’s no option for expandable storage via SD cards, which could be a dealbreaker for some.
When it comes to battery life, the Pixel 8 Pro is equipped with a 5000mAh battery, providing all-day usage even with heavy screen time. Google has made optimizations in Android 14 and its custom chip to ensure that the battery lasts longer while maintaining performance. The phone also supports 30W fast charging, allowing for a quick top-up when you’re running low on power. Wireless charging (up to 23W) and reverse wireless charging are also supported, making it versatile for powering up other devices.
Camera System: Google’s Photography Magic
AI-Driven Photography
One of the standout features of any Pixel device is its camera system, and the Pixel 8 Pro continues this legacy. It comes with a 50MP main sensor, a 48MP ultra-wide camera, and a 48MP telephoto lens that offers 5x optical zoom. The camera system is co-engineered with Samsung, ensuring that you get the best image quality across a wide range of conditions.
The main camera excels in various lighting conditions, capturing vibrant colors, accurate skin tones, and remarkable detail even in low light. The ultra-wide camera offers excellent sharpness and clarity, while the telephoto camera with 5x optical zoom enables clear, detailed zoom shots without losing quality.
Software Enhancements and Features
Google’s computational photography is one of the reasons why its phones consistently produce some of the best photos in the industry. With features like Magic Eraser, Night Sight, and Super Res Zoom, the Pixel 8 Pro is capable of producing stunning photos in almost any environment.
Magic Eraser allows you to remove unwanted objects from your photos with just a tap, while Night Sight enhances low-light photography, ensuring that even in pitch-black environments, your photos remain sharp and bright. Super Res Zoom helps with zoomed-in shots, ensuring that detail is preserved without a loss in quality. With Real Tone, Google has also made significant strides in improving skin tone accuracy for a more natural look in photos, especially for people of color.
Video Capabilities
For video enthusiasts, the Pixel 8 Pro offers 4K video recording at 60fps, ensuring smooth, high-quality footage. The addition of Cinematic Blur gives your videos a professional touch by adding a blurred background effect, making it perfect for capturing moving subjects with sharp detail. Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS) also ensures stable, shake-free video, even when on the move.
Software: Android 14 with Google’s AI Integration
The Pixel 8 Pro runs on Android 14, Google’s latest mobile operating system. Android 14 offers a clean, bloat-free experience with enhanced customization options and optimizations. Google’s AI-powered features are deeply integrated into the software, providing functionalities like real-time language translation, voice commands, and personalized recommendations across apps.
One of the standout software features is Assistant Voice Typing, which allows for seamless voice-to-text functionality. The Now Playing feature also automatically identifies music playing nearby, while Call Screen helps you avoid spam calls by letting Google Assistant answer calls on your behalf and screen them for you.
As with previous Pixel devices, the Pixel 8 Pro will receive Android updates and security patches for at least three years, ensuring that your device stays up-to-date with the latest features and security enhancements.
Verdict: Is the Google Pixel 8 Pro the New Flagship to Beat?
The Google Pixel 8 Pro is undoubtedly one of the best smartphones of 2024, offering a combination of powerful performance, outstanding photography, and clean, AI-driven software. Its design is premium, and the 6.7-inch LTPO OLED display is a joy to use. The Tensor G3 chip ensures that the Pixel 8 Pro can handle any task with ease, while the camera system remains one of the best in the industry, thanks to Google’s computational photography and AI features.
While the iPhone 15 Pro Max and Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra may still be the top competitors in the flagship space, the Pixel 8 Pro offers a unique experience with its focus on AI, photography, and Android purity. For those who prioritize photography, AI integration, and a clean software experience, the Google Pixel 8 Pro is certainly one of the best smartphones in 2024 and could very well be the new flagship to beat.
Whether you're an Android enthusiast, a creative professional, or someone who just loves a great smartphone, the Pixel 8 Pro is a device worth considering.