We have been using the new “made by Google” phone, the Pixel 8, for about a week now. So, here’s a preview of how things have been so far as we test the phone over the coming weeks to come with our final thoughts.
“We’ve come to far to give up who we are”
Being aesthetically similar and having the same old visor, the Pixel 8 looks the same as its last two predecessors. Though it looks the same as the Pixel 7 or Pixel 6, there are refinements that do serve well. The sides now have a broader curve, and it is a tad smaller than the Pixel 7, making the phone easier to grip and more comfortable to hold.
Spoiler alert, the display on Pixel 8 is a delight to look at. The 6.2-inch FHD+ OLED panel, or as Google prefers to call it, the “Actua Display,” has a 20:9 aspect ratio and a refresh rate of 120Hz, which has been upped from 90Hz on its predecessor. The display looks sharp and vibrant. It can get quite bright, too, up to 1400 nits in HDR mode and 2000 nits outdoors.
The AI effect
The Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro come with Android 14, and with that comes a suite of AI features exclusive to Pixel 8 (and Pixel 8 Pro). Sorry to disappoint you, but there is not much new about the Android 14. But there are a whole lot of new AI features that may not come to older Pixels, at least anytime soon.
Google Photos has new AI-assisted tricks, including Audio Magic Eraser to remove background noise and Magic Editor to remove distractions, change lighting, and swap backgrounds. And Best Take lets you have the best facial expression in group photos.
Google Assistant is becoming smarter with the Bard integration, though that is not coming anytime soon. Now, you can also summarise webpages, read them aloud, and translate them. Call Screen is gaining some smarts too, so it will be much better at blocking spam calls and suggesting contextual replies, though it does not work here in India.
Google has announced a seven-year update cycle for the Pixel 8 series, which includes the Android updates, security patches, and even the feature drops. If we go by Google’s word, the Pixel 8 should be good to go until 2030. However, it is to be seen what will come earlier, the seventh-year update or the end of Pixel.
Powering the Pixel 8 and its slew of AI features is Google’s third-generation in-house chip, the Tensor G3. The history has not been kind to Tensor. it has been known for its sub-par performance, heating issues, and whatnot. Well, for now, we did not face any of this with the Pixel 8. It has been working smoothly in day-to-day tasks, though gaming is not its forte. The battery life has been fine, better than what we had experienced on the Pixel 7. But, we reserve the last word for our review as we test it thoroughly.
Bread and butter
The dual-camera setup on Pixel 8 has a new and improved 50 MP sensor with an f/1.68 aperture, the laser detect autofocus, and to keep the footage as stable as possible, there is both optician and electronic stabilisation at work. The ultrawide here is upgraded, too, with a 12MP sensor with a f/2.2 aperture.
The main camera captures the dynamic range and a good amount of detail, and the large aperture lets in more light, so the camera does a pretty good job even in low-light situations. The Pixel ultra-wide camera is wider than before, and still, the images do not look much distorted. The 2x zoom here is digitally cropped, though it does look plenty sharp.
While photos have been the bread and butter of Pixel phones, videos have not been that good. But that is not the case anymore. The videos come out quite good from the Pixel 8, it does not matter if it is day or night.
The Pixel 8 is comfortable to hold, with an impressive display, and has been performing fine until now. The camera is great for taking stills, as always, and there are many AI tricks to top things up. Though for a starting price of Rs 75,999, the Pixel 8 is sure an expensive buy, but if you love the magic of Pixels, then ain’t no other way. However, we are still in the process of testing the Pixel 8, so stay tuned for the complete review.
