What if you do not want to buy an iPhone and instead are looking for a complete Android phone? And you don’t really care that much about the price. Well, in that you should look at the Pixel 8 Pro, one of the two official Android phones from Google. The other one is Pixel 8. We are giving finishing touches to our full Pixel 8 Pro review, but for now let’s take a quick but closer look at the device.
Do note that the Pixel 8 Pro is going on open sale in India from October 12 at a price of Rs 106,999. Only one variant with 12GB RAM and 128GB storage is available in India. Users will be able to pick from two colours — Obsidian (black) and Bay (sorta blue).
That out, let’s talk about the phone. I have been using the Pixel 8 Pro since last week. Here is a quick summary of my experience with it. Or in other words, the Pixel 8 Pro review in 5 points.
1- Distinct, well-designed and slippery like a fish
For the last few years, we have seen that Pixel phones carry a distinct design, marked by the horizontal camera module that runs across the rear cover. The Pixel 8 Pro is the same, although the camera module in it has grown a wee bit thicker, possibly because it now houses three cameras including the periscope lens. Although the Pixel 8 Pro is well built in a welcome change from shabbier Pixels from a few years ago, I wish Google had changed the design. In terms of craftsmanship, the Pixel 8 Pro is closer to top Android phones and not something like the iPhone 15 Pro, which just feels ultra-premium. I also would have liked to see a bit more playful design, similar to what Google has given its other products such as Nest speakers and Pixel Watch 2.
My other gripe is just how slippery the phone is with its shiny aluminium frame and the polished glass. But once the phone is inside a case, this would not be an issue for users.
Like all top-end phones, the Pixel 8 Pro gets a USB-C port — a full-speed 3.2 port — and IP68 rating against water and dust.
2- Brightest displays of them all
The Pixel 8 Pro has a 6.7-inch display that can go to a brightness of up to 2400 nits. This is blindingly bright, and a good thing. As I used to phone, I appreciated the display brightness, particularly outdoors under the strong Delhi sun. Despite sunlight, the Pixel 8 Pro display remained legible and was able to show photos and videos in vivid colours. The display is also fairly colour accurate, vibrant and smooth with its 120Hz refresh rate. The thin, almost even bezels, add to the experience. But one thing I wish was better here was the auto brightness. I found it a wee bit aggressive, forcing me to often adjust the slider to make the phone brighter.
3- Killer cameras and with some cool AI features
Pixel phones are known for their great camera performance. The Pixel 8 Pro doesn’t disappoint. There are four cameras in the phone: a main 50-megapixel camera, a 50-megapixel ultra-wide camera, a 48-megapixel zoom camera with up to 5X optical zoom and a 10.5-megapixel front camera. The zoom camera is good enough, with its performance in good light matching the Pixel standard, but in low light falling short. The other three cameras offer stellar performance in both good light and bad. The video recording happens in 4K at up to 60FPS. The quality of the recording is good, but just like the Pixel remains the king of snapping photos, the iPhone remains the best at capturing videos.
In addition to good camera performance, the Pixel 8 Pro offers some nifty AI features for photo and video editing. These are genuinely useful features, such as Magic Eraser, Magic Editor, Best Take and Video Boost (available later).
4- It records temperature
Okay, this deserves an entire point to itself. The Pixel 8 Pro — but not the Pixel 8 — comes with a unique temperature sensor. This is placed near the camera and using the Pixel Thermometer app it can record the temperature of any surface. It can also record skin temperature, in other words fever, but Google doesn’t recommend relying on it. The feature works well, so well that I wish other phones — hear this, iPhone — will copy it.
5- Fast but can run hot
The Pixel 8 Pro, in a way, is a complete Android phone. It is fast, with its Tensor G3 chipset capable enough to keep the phone chugging effortlessly whether you are doing doom scrolling on Twitter or playing some games on the phone. The rest of the phone too works well enough. Its stereo speakers are excellent — loud and meaty sounding. The fingerprint sensor under the display is fast. I consistently pulled in Wi-Fi speed of 100mbps to 400mbps when I connected the phone to a Wi-Fi router. It has tons of customisation options in Android 14, which is clean and fast and without the kind of bloatware that we see in other Android phones.
One aspect that could have been better, though, is how the phone manages heat generated by the Tensor G3. The premium phones nowadays run hot, including the iPhone 15 Pro, and the Pixel 8 Pro is no exception. In certain use cases — such as using the camera outdoors in the sun or playing games for prolonged duration — heats up the phone.
The charging is also on the slower side with support for only a 30W charger. But the battery life is fairly good, with the phone’s 5050 mAh battery easily lasting a day of use.
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