Google Pixel 8 Review: The Android Flagship for the Masses!

Last year, Google released the flagship Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro in India after a long hiatus. And while the Pixel 7 Pro was impressive in its own rank, the Pixel 7 was my pick for the best smartphone of the year.

So expectations were at an all-time high when Google released the latest Pixel 8 series in the country. I have yet to get my hands on the Pixel 8 Pro, but I've been using the vanilla Pixel 8 model for a month now and here's what I think:

Google Pixel 8 Price in India

Starting things off with pricing! The Google Pixel 8 price in India starts from Rs 75,999 for the base 8GB/128GB, while the 8GB/256GB variant will set you back Rs 82,999. So far as pricing is concerned, the Pixel 8 falls on the steeper side. However, Google has made quite a few upgrades here but are they worth the price hike. It is worth noting that the Pixel 7 series got several discounts and price cuts throughout 2023.

Design

While the Pixel 8 follows the same design formula as the Pixel 7, the former is more compact and feels more comfortable in the hand thanks to the more rounded corners. Google has also trimmed down the bezels on the Pixel 8. The vison-style camera bar that stretches across the back of the phone and thankfully, is here to stay.

The Pixel 8 comes in three colors in India - Rose, Obsidian, and Hazel. Our model arrived in the Hazel shade. The glossy back panel on the Pixel 8 was quite resilient to fingerprints and smudges, although the smooth matte frame makes it easier to grip as compared to the glossy frame on the Pixel 7 Pro.

Another noticeable difference on the Pixel 8 is the camera bar, which protrudes a little more than that of the Pixel 7 series. Google has secured the Pixel 8 with Gorilla Glass Victus on both the front and back, while the frame is made from aluminum. To complete the flagship build, the Pixel 8 is equipped with an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance. Lastly, the Pixel 8 measures 8.9mm thick and weighs 187 grams.

The Pixel 8 features the standard button placements with the power and volume buttons on the right and the USB Type-C port and speaker grille on the bottom. Additionally, there's a SIM tray on the left. Anyone with small-to-medium sized hands will find the buttons very conveniently placed.

Display

A noteworthy update to the Pixel 8 is the new display. Google have opted for a 6.2-inch Full HD+ (1080 x 2400 pixels) OLED display with a 20:9 aspect ratio. However, the two biggest upgrades are the 120Hz refresh rate and the impressive 2,000 nits peak brightness. The Pixel 8's screen can refresh anywhere between 60Hz to 120Hz for a smooth navigation and gaming experience.

On the flip side, this isn't an LTPO panel, so switching it up to 120Hz will take a toll on the battery. However, there's no downside in terms of brightness, with the Pixel 8 achieving a peak brightness of 2,000 nits and an average brightness of 1,400 nits.

The Pixel 8's screen is easily visible even under direct sunlight. The panel also supports HDR10+ content. Other advantages of the screen include excellent viewing angles and accurate color reproduction. The updates to the display on the Pixel 8 make it a significant upgrade over its predecessor.

Performance

The Google Pixel 8 is equipped with the new Tensor G3 SoC, which features a 9-core CPU with a main Cortex-X3 core, four Cortex-A715 cores, and four Cortex-A510 cores. Additionally, the Pixel 8 also opts for a new Immoralis-G715s MC10 GPU, a Titan M2 security chip, and a new NPU for improvements in AI performance.

Our model of the Pixel 8 arrived with 8GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 128GB of UFS 3.1 storage, although you can also get it with 256GB of storage in India. Before we look at gaming performance and benchmarks, these are the Pixel 8's wireless connectivity options - Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.3.

We did a few benchmarking tests, where the Pixel 8 managed an overall AnTuTu score of 930,303 points, falling short of the million mark achieved by nearly all Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 smartphones. In Geekbench 6, the Pixel 8 managed a single-core score of 1604 points and a multi-core score of 4520 points.

Apart from the benchmarks, the Pixel 8 offers smooth multitasking performance. It also ran every titled we tested smoothly on high graphics. These included Call of Duty: Mobile, Asphalt 9: Legends, and Injustice: Gods Among Us on maximum settings with the frame rates bumped up to the max. Unfortunately, some of the heating issues from its predecessor still persist while recording videos.

Cameras

For optics, the Google Pixel 8 gets the same camera setup as its predecessor, although there's an upgraded 50 MP Samsung GN2 primary camera sensor with an f/1.7 aperture, and OIS support. The downside is that the ultrawide lens is still the same 12 MP Sony IMX386 sensor with 125.8-degree FoV. There's also an LDAF sensor. Up front, there's a new 10.5 MP selfie camera with an f/2.2 aperture. Now, let's look at some real-world results.

In daylight, the Pixel 8's main camera shines, capturing images with a ton of detail and virtually no noise. Some shots did tend to look a bit on the sharp side, although overall image quality was excellent. White balance was consistent in shots and Google got saturation on point, while keeping colors punchy.

The sensor also handles the 2x zoom well without lowering quality too much. However, the same cannot be said of the 5x zoom and 8x Super Res zoom, although Google's software prowess does make these photos usable. The Pixel 8's laser AF was on point, allowing the camera system to quickly focus on subjects.

The Pixel 8 has an upgraded ultrawide sensor, which is the same as on last year's Pixel 7 Pro. When compared with the iPhone 14 Pro and the Galaxy S23, the Pixel 8 managed more detailed shots with the ultrawide shooter. Moreover, the ultrawide also managed to retain the same color tones as the main camera.

The ultrawide camera on the Pixel 8 also comes with Autofocus and offers a 'Macro' mode, which are two noteworthy upgrades. To its credit, Google has made some solid upgrades to the ultrawide camera on the Pixel 8, although it doesn't quite match up to the primary 50 MP shooter in terms of detail. Additionally, images on the ultrawide were also visibly softer.

In low light, the Pixel 8's main camera captures shots with balanced exposure, while retaining highlights to ensure shadows are not blown out. Night mode also increases the level of brightness in the scene, while maintaining a realistic look and improving overall detail. The camera also captures fast moving subjects with visibly less blur than its predecessor.

Night mode also takes care of noise, although the noise reduction algorithm is not too aggressive. The ultrawide camera also captures reliable shots in low light with night mode turned on. Scenes look well exposed, while dynamic range was good in scenarios with sufficient ambient light. Unfortunately, night mode doesn't really help with softness and software can only do so much.

The Pixel 8 also incorporates a new selfie camera that captures images at the original 0.7x or a cropped 1x FoV. Selfies taken in daylight retain a ton of detail, while skin colors are captured accurately. However, selfies taken indoors, in dimly lit scenes can appear softer. Another downside is that there's no Autofocus like on the Pixel 8 Pro. The Pixel 8 also takes well exposed portrait shots with accurate edge detection and good background blur.

In terms of video recording, the Pixel 8 can capture 4K video at 60fps on both the front and rear cameras. The Pixel 8 can also record 10-bit HDR video. The video quality on the main camera was excellent with sharp, stable, and detailed output. Dynamic range was good, while color reproduction and saturation were on point.

Battery

One of my biggest gripes with the Pixel 7 was battery life, so it relieving to see a larger 4575 mAh battery on the Pixel 8. Under regular usage, it was near-impossible to drain out the Pixel 8's battery in a full day. And even when you introduce a fair bit (30 - 45 minutes) of gaming into the mix, you'll still have a good 10% or more of juice left to take into the next day.

You should see around 6 to 7 hours of screen time on a full charge. This is a solid bump from the Pixel 7 that usually gave way around the five-and-a-half-hour mark. Unfortunately, Google doesn't include an adapter in the box, although you can get one separately to access the phone's meagre 27W fast charging support.

Additionally, the Pixel 8 also supports 18W wireless charging with Google's second-gen Pixel Stand and 12W using a Qi adapter. You do get a USB Type-C cable in the box that can charge the phone in around an hour and 50 minutes via a laptop or PC. Overall, I wouldn't call the battery life on the Pixel 8 impressive, but it does make the phone a whole lot more reliable than its predecessor.

Software

On the software side, the Pixel 8 runs stock Android 14 out of the box. Google has also upped the ante on the support side, now offering 7 years of software updates and 7 years of security updates. So if the Pixel 8 can stand the test of time, you will receive updates all the way till Android 21.

The lengthier software support will also increase the phone's value in the used market as second-hand buyers won't receive a device with outdated software. One of the key highlights of the Pixel 8 is its AI integration. Google is introducing a ton of useful editing features to the Pixel 8 using AI - Audio Eraser, Best Take, and Magic Editor.

Google's Bard will now be integrated into Google Assistant to deliver smarter and richer results. This also allows Google's voice assistant to respond to calls, read webpages out loud, and much more. Google's new custom AI wallpaper also enables endless customizations, allowing you to create awesome wallpapers.
Additionally, there's a Now Playing feature that automatically detects songs playing in the background, while Google also offers several

Lock Screen customizations. Google has made improvements to Face Unlock on the Pixel 8, although the fingerprint reader isn't quite as snappy as some of the competition. The overall navigation experience also feels smooth and fluid on the Pixel 8 and I have yet to experience any bugs or slowdowns.

Verdict

Don't let appearances fool you, despite the Pixel 8's relatively small size, it does have a lot of character. While the Pixel 8 does demand a heftier asking price than its predecessor, it also brings a considerable set of upgrades. These include a super-smooth and much brighter display, new and improved camera sensors, better battery life, and now, the best-in-class software support.

Additionally, the Pixel 8 also gets a faster and smarter chip that has addressed some of the heating issues of its predecessor, although some of those issues are still persistent. And while the hardware upgrades to the new Pixel 8 are noteworthy, software is where the real magic happens. The improvements to AI make the Pixel 8 the smartest smartphone yet.

Lastly, the Pixel 8 is lighter, more compact, better looking, and tougher than its predecessor. All these improvements make the Pixel 8 a worthy successor over the Pixel 7 and does justify the price bump in India. However, the latest Pixel is not without some flaws. The Tensor G3 chip lags behind the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and A16 Bionic SoCs.

Moreover, a lot of Google's competitors offer a telephoto lens as well as an adapter in the box. However, the Pixel 8 is still one of the best smartphones in the segment. If I had to choose between the Pixel 8, iPhone 15, and Samsung Galaxy S23, I'd comfortably go the Google route.

Given its price, specifications, and software prowess, the Pixel 7 was my pick for best overall smartphone of 2022. And while the same cannot be said about the Pixel 8, it gets pretty damn close. After little under a month of daily driving the Pixel 8, I'd easily recommend it for those seeking a compact flagship without the ultra-premium price tag. But stay tuned to Gizbot to see if the Pixel 8 takes the crown for best flagship smartphone of 2023.