Google Pixel 8 Pro Review: AI Powerhouse with Ups & Downs

Overall, the Google Pixel 7 Pro was a decent smartphone. It included all of the features that the average smartphone user would anticipate from an Android device, such as the regular software updates that are now standard. However, it fell short in a few areas, including charging and battery life, and it also had a fair amount of heating problems and camera-related faults. The new Pixel 8 Pro has a new processor, an abundance of AI-enabled capabilities, and an entirely new design. Given this, it makes sense to assume that Google has addressed some, if not all, of the flaws in its predecessor. However, with Google’s most recent Pixel flagship, that isn’t quite the case.

Design Review of Google Pixel 8 Pro

Compared to the regular Pixel 8 (Review), Google’s Pixel 8 Pro has undergone more modifications this year. In essence, Google’s engineers improved the design of the Pixel 7 Pro and removed some superfluous elements. It meets the criteria for being a novel design because of its flat display and generally flatter shape. However, the new Pixel 8 Pro still has a decidedly Pixel look, so it is a type of overhaul. This is mostly because of is thicker than last year’s model, the sharper camera module located at the back resembles a visor.

Unlike the model from last year, the corners of the camera module are quite sharp, but I’m glad Google kept it that way because it makes it easier to hang on to the phone’s somewhat slippery matte-finished body by placing my index finger below it for support.

The rear glass screen with a matte finish is unique to Google’s Pixel lineup, and the device’s general rounded design and curves bring to mind the original Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones. Even though the back panel is slick, it does a great job of keeping fingerprints off of it. The phone is neither too light nor too heavy at 213g. This gives the smartphone an upscale and opulent vibe, especially when paired with the soft-finished glass back.

The IP68 rating that Google provides is the same as that of the model from the previous year. The build quality is pretty good, and I’m happy that Google finally removed the curved edge display from Pixel devices. It felt unnecessary, especially because Pixels never came with any additional software capabilities as Samsung’s smartphones did.

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Specification and Software Review of Google Pixel 8 Pro

Tensor G3, a new chipset, is included in this year’s Pixel 8 Pro. It is constructed with a 4nm manufacturing process, which could theoretically result in improved performance and efficiency along with its revolutionary nona-core architecture. But Google is anticipated to excel here since it is concentrating more on its AI capabilities. This year, the phone has 256GB of storage with up to 12GB of RAM as standard. There is no additional SIM card slot or expanded storage available. On the other hand, using two numbers on the same handset is possible thanks to the eSIM feature.

About connectivity, the Pixel 8 Pro provides enhanced WiFi 7 capabilities, Bluetooth 5.3 compatibility, NFC, a USB-C port, support for multiple global positioning systems, and ultra-wideband (UWB) technology.

To check the surface temperature of different materials, there is a new thermometer in addition to the standard array of cameras. If it proves to be correct, it will be useful because Google is planning to add support for taking body temperatures soon.

In addition to supporting both 30W cable and 23W wireless charging, the phone sports a 5,050mAh battery. Unfortunately, a compatible charging adapter isn’t included in the box.

Google has unveiled a new AI wallpaper feature that is limited to the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro models for this year, following the trend in artificial intelligence. With its AI components, it creates some incredibly original and captivating backgrounds, but it requires an online connection to function. The rest of Android 14 has a similar look and feel to the Pixel 7 Pro.

The Photos app on the Pixel 8 Pro has incredible AI editing tools that are truly remarkable in their capabilities. The recently promoted tools still require further refinement in terms of performance, even though the older Magic Eraser has improved significantly over time.

With the new Magic Editor tool, you can move items and people about in a picture (but the image must first be uploaded to the cloud). The AI models are very remarkable! Sometimes it’s really difficult to determine whether an image has been altered at all. But pixel-peeping through these pictures generally yields some hints. 

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Battery Performance Review of  Google Pixel 8 Pro

Regarding the 6.7-inch QHD+ OLED display of the Pixel 8 Pro, it performs admirably in direct sunlight and, when in Natural color mode, displays rather accurate colors. Furthermore operating as anticipated is its dynamic refresh rate of 120 Hz, which can be lowered to 1 Hz when not in use.

As with previous years, my battery numbers aren’t too good. After unplugging the phone at roughly 8:00 AM, I frequently found myself reaching for the charger at the end of the workday with about 20 percent remaining, around 7:00 PM. Anticipate the battery levels to discharge even more quickly if you use the camera and edit multiple pictures. The Pixel 8 Pro did not perform as well as most smartphones in this category, but it did manage to endure for 14 hours and 15 minutes in battery test. This is a minor improvement over the Pixel 7 Pro’s performance. The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, which presently costs an extra Rs. 20,000, completed the same test with a lifespan of 21 hours and 7 minutes.

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Camera Review of Google Pixel 8 Pro in India

The Pixel 8 Pro of this year also has several camera-related enhancements. The 48-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera, which takes the place of the previous model’s 12-megapixel sensor, is the most important of these. There’s also a new, brighter 50-megapixel primary camera, but I anticipate very slight (if any) improvements with this one. Except for the new Tensor G3, nothing has changed, which is fortunate because the Pixel 7 Pro wasn’t very poor at imaging in the first place.

The Pixel 8 Pro features updated camera modes. This year, the Pixel 8 Pro in particular has a unique pro mode called Pro options that offers sophisticated camera options for smartphone photographers who want to adjust things a bit.

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Price of Google Pixel 8 Pro in India

In contrast to previous years, the Pixel 8 Pro from Google now provides a larger storage option in India. Google ultimately decided to create a new storage tier in India with the launch of a 256GB variation, following years of complaints about providing a pitiful 128GB of storage with its base devices. The 128GB storage version that I was given for evaluation costs Rs. 1,06,999 in India, while the 256GB version costs Rs. 1,13,999.

The most costly Pixel smartphones that Google has released in India are the Pixel 8 and the Pixel 8 Pro. In other words, a price increase of Rs. 22,000 has put the new, high-end Pixel 8 Pro outside the grasp of many prospective customers. Furthermore, you must remember that at Rs. 1,06,999, you are still just getting 128GB of internal storage and no free cloud storage access.