Google Pixel 8 Pro – The Google Pixel 8 Pro raises the bar on the competition

The Google Pixel 8 Pro raises the bar on competitors

Sometimes it is better to have a mobile phone that is the smartest rather than just the fastest.

2023-10-11 – 19:00

After years of anticipation for Google handsets that were only released overseas, it finally came our turn last year. Then came the Google Pixel 7 Pro, Pixel 7 and Pixel 7a, which achieved very good results in our tests. Additionally, we get the Pixel Buds Pro, but not the Pixel Watch. However, in this year’s launch, nothing was missing. We’ve got the Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, as well as the Pixel Watch 2. The budget model, the Pixel 8a, will launch this spring.

Appearance and construction

It would be a shame to say that the Pixel 8 Pro has got a radically new design. The three cameras on the raised camera panel are now hidden behind shared glass. Last year’s upgrade was that it went metallic instead of matte, and we’d like them to keep that as it makes the phone stand out from the crowd. The flash had to move a bit to accommodate the new temperature sensor. Available in black (obsidian), off-white (porcelain), and light blue (gulf), the phone is a bit more vibrant than last year’s muted colors. In addition, the back is made of matte glass (Gorilla Glass Victus), which makes it less slippery. The screen has a Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection layer.

a screen

We get a screen as large as last year’s, but surprisingly it has a slightly lower resolution. The screen technology is the same as the premium LTPO OLED panel. But the brightness has been raised to 1600 nits High lightingsituation and with a Peak brightness At an amazing speed of 2400 nits. It’s 60 percent brighter than last year’s model and 15-20 percent brighter than the regular Pixel 8. In addition to the screen being able to push the refresh rate up to 120Hz for smooth gameplay, it can also go down to just 1Hz to save. Energy when you have a static image.

camera

The cameras have also been upgraded. Some are smaller, like the main camera which is only 21 percent more sensitive to light, but they are also said to have higher image quality. Or the telephoto camera, which has become 56 percent more sensitive to light. Instead, the powder was burned at an ultra-wide angle, which was wise since it was the weak point of the previous model. It has been upgraded from 12 to 48 megapixels and is noticeably more light sensitive, with improved autofocus. It also has better macro focus.

Image quality didn’t improve significantly, except that thanks to the brighter optics, we got slightly better dark images. But it is of a very high standard from the beginning as we have maintained the image quality among the best mobile phones. However, with the ultra-wide angle it’s much better and with such a wealth of detail and sharpness, it’s hard to find anything to complain about, unless you’re a pedant.

But as usual, Google Camera shines on the software side. The 8 Pro has been given professional controls, allowing you to shoot at the full 50-megapixel resolution, save images in RAW format to preserve image information, and have full manual control over focus, white balance, ISO, shutter speed, and aperture.

But above all, the editing tools are amazing. Since before, we have Magic Eraser where we can remove unwanted details from photos. It was supplemented with magical editing that could move objects and change the sky. And also the best photo where you can replace the head of a person who closes his eyes with a head that does not close them. For video, there is now a video audio eraser where you can remove annoying background noise. Videoboost will soon come, which provides HDR+ technology and color grading for video, in addition to dark mode for video as well.

Uses

Most of the Pixel 8 Pro’s usability improvements are due to the new Android 14 operating system. There is a health data center, a smart assistant that learns the user’s habits and preferences, and adaptive charging that will conserve battery. But it concerns more manufacturers’ own phones, so it wouldn’t be right to assert that it’s a feature of the Pixel 8 Pro.

Something we’ve long complained about is the face unlock standard on Android mobiles, which lags far behind Apple’s FaceID. Google now says its Face Lock feature is so secure that it can be used to log in to banks and payments. Hello! It may seem faster and more accurate, but it still doesn’t work in the dark.

However, what is quite unique is that the Pixel 8 Pro has received a temperature sensor. It works simply like infrared thermometers, so all you have to do is point it at the surface and press the button. However, these thermometers are as large as guns and cost hundreds of kroner, so it’s impressive that Google has integrated this functionality into a mobile phone. As far as we can see, it works. However, it should not be known if you have a fever, as only skin temperature is measured.

Something that has been talked about in recent years is products that have to be phased out prematurely because they no longer receive support. We’re looking at you, Chromebook. Most mobile phone manufacturers only offer 3 years of updates, which is not a long period at all. So, we applaud Google for delivering 7 years of Android upgrades, security updates, and new features. Allowing you to keep your Pixel 8 until 2030!

performance

Under the hood is Google’s own Tensor G3, and need we say that according to Google it’s the fastest Pixel chipset ever? The interesting thing about the circuit made by Samsung is that it is not designed to beat the performance records of Snapdragon or Apple. It’s designed to provide good AI and machine learning performance to support all the features that Google has squeezed into mobile.

Compared to the previous model, the raw performance, as measured by Geekbench, increased by 15-20 percent, which is similar to previous performance increases. Graphics performance has increased by a staggering 37 percent, but it’s from a low level so we can say it’s starting to catch up with the competition. Overall performance, measured using Antutu 10, tells us that performance has increased by up to 29 percent. But that puts it on par with last year’s Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra. Compared to the best models of the year, it lags behind, but as I said, it’s not meant to be the fastest either. However, according to Geekbench ML, machine learning performance increased by a whopping 41 percent, which is what Google said it was looking for.

The Pixel 8 Pro has a slightly larger battery, but on the other hand, it has faster charging. We measured 70 minutes from 10 to 90 percent charge. The PCMark battery test gave us 12 hours and 47 minutes, which is among the best results but without standing out in any way.

Conclusion

It is clear that with the Pixel mobile phones, Google wants to signal the trend for Android mobile phones. The future is not an arms race. Our mobile phones are now as fast as computers, but is this really necessary? Instead, it makes everything a little smarter. The camera takes better photos for us, the microphone eliminates noise for us, and the Assistant understands what we want and charges smarter than us. This does not mean that it lacks news, because the performance has already increased, the screen has become very bright – and the phone is equipped with a thermometer! Sure, there are occasional drawbacks, but you just have to give in to greed.