Pixel 8 Pro review: ‘Okay Google’ – The flagship smartphone ticks almost all boxes

• The Google Pixel 8 Pro is the latest flagship offering from Google.
• The device is priced starting at ₹1,06,999 and is available in two variants.
• Here’s my review of the Pixel 8 Pro that will help you decide if it fits your needs.

Google launched the Pixel 8 series, consisting of the Pixel 8 and the Pixel 8 Pro, the company’s flagship smartphones a few months ago. The Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro are the successors of the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro that were launched in 2022.

The Pixel 8 Pro is the flagship offering of the Pixel 8 series and like each year, has received a lot of hardware and software upgrades. One of the biggest upgrades is the Tensor G3 chipset and Google’s promise of seven years of Android updates.

I have been using the Pixel 8 Pro for a few weeks now, and here’s my detailed review of the latest smartphone from Google.

Google Pixel 8 Pro price and availability

The Pixel 8 Pro has been priced at ₹1,06,999 for the 128GB variant and ₹1,13,999 for the 256GB variant. It comes in Blue, Beige and Obsidian colour options and is available from Flipkart.

In the box

• Pixel 8 Pro smartphone
• USB Type-C cable
• USB Type-A to Type-C dongle
• SIM ejector tool
• Documentation

Pixel 8 Pro specifications

Pixel 8 Pro pros and cons

Pros

• Seven years of software updates
• Camera performance

Cons

• Price
• Device heats up during gaming

Design and display

Starting with the design, the Pixel 8 Pro retains a similar design as its predecessor, the Pixel 7 Pro, with some minor changes. The device comes in Obsidian and Bay colours in India. I received the Bay colour variant.


The smartphone continues to offer a glass back, but the protection has been upgraded to Gorilla Glass Victus 2. The device comes with an aluminium frame on the sides. It comes with curved edges that make it easier to hold the smartphone. You don’t have to worry about fingerprint smudges thanks to the matte-finish glass back.


The device features a minimalistic design. It comes with a large camera module that houses the triple camera setup, a temperature sensor and the Led flash. Apart from the camera module, the device comes with Google’s logo at the back.


The power button and the volume rockers are placed on the right side. Unlike most smartphones that place the power button below the volume rockers, Google has done the opposite. It takes a little while to get used to this, but it is not a big thing.


You get the SIM tray on the left side bottom. It features a microphone on top.


At the bottom, you get the dual speaker grilles and the USB Type-C port.


Coming to the display, the Pixel 8 Pro comes equipped with a large 6.7-inch Quad HD+ LTPO AMOLED display with a 1-120Hz refresh rate, up to 2,400 nits brightness and Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection. Unlike last year’s Pixel 7 Pro which had a curved AMOLED display, Google has opted for a flat display this time around.

The Pixel 8 Pro features a good display, which offers accurate colours and offers good visibility, even in direct sunlight.

Software and performance

The Pixel 8 Pro runs on Android 14 out of the box and is promised to get seven years of Android updates and security patches. The software is the highlight of the Pixel lineup and the Pixel 8 Pro is no different.

Like all its predecessors in the Pixel lineup, the Pixel 8 Pro offers an Android experience as imagined by Google, the operating system maker.

While Google offered three years of Android updates and five years of security updates with the Pixel 7 Pro, the Pixel 8 Pro is promised to get seven years of software and security updates. This means that the device will continue to get updates till 2030.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is the talk of the town and the Pixel 8 Pro gets a fair share of AI features. One of these is the AI wallpaper creator, which allows you to create wallpapers using prompts, adding a personal touch to your device. While the feature worked well, there is some room for improvement.

Other AI features include the ability to summarise content, screen calls and edit images – more on that below. Overall, the Pixel 8 Pro offers an excellent software experience, but does lack some of the customisation offered by other smartphone makers.

Coming to performance, the Pixel 8 Pro is powered by the company’s new Tensor G3 chipset, which is based on Samsung's 4nm manufacturing process. It comes with 12GB of RAM and offers up to 256GB of internal storage.

While the Tensor G3 is definitely more powerful than the Tensor G2 on the Pixel 7 series, it does lack when compared to its rivals from Qualcomm.

While you will not have any performance issues in day-to-day usage, if you are a gamer who likes to play regularly, you may notice a slight difference in performance during extended gaming sessions. I tried playing Call of Duty: Mobile at ultra settings and while the device had no issues in the beginning, the device does heat up a little after a while.

The Pixel 8 Pro is powered by a bigger 5,050mAh battery with 30W wired and 27W wireless charging support. The device offers a day’s battery life with normal usage. Google should have offered faster charging on the device.

Camera

Camera is the strongest selling point of Pixel smartphones, and unsurprisingly, the Pixel 8 Pro excels in this regard.

Before we talk about the camera, let’s talk about the AI features that the device offers. The Pixel 8 Pro comes with an AI editor that allows you to change the sky, people and even objects in images, allowing you to change their size, remove them or do what you want.


Google has also introduced Best Take, which captures multiple images and then automatically blends them into a single image, capturing the best shots.


Coming to the camera department, the Pixel 8 Pro features a triple camera setup at the back, consisting of a 50MP primary camera with OIS, a 48MP Quad-Phase detection autofocus ultra-wide-angle sensor and a 48MP 5X Zoom camera with up to 30x super-res digital zoom. Google has replaced the 12MP ultra-wide-angle camera on the Pixel 7 Pro with a 48MP sensor.


The cameras on the Pixel 8 Pro are solid, and there are no issues with them. The smartphone supports zero shutter lag, which means it captures photos at the same moment you tap on the shutter button. This is very handy when trying to capture moving subjects, especially kids and pets.


In my experience, the Pixel 8 Pro’s daylight camera performance was excellent, with accurate colour reproduction, dynamic range, and well-defined details. The Portrait mode is excellent in both daylight and indoor conditions.


The Pixel 8 Pro also does well in low-light and night conditions, capturing well-detailed, colour-accurate photos despite the challenging lighting conditions. The images turned out to be sharp and clear, with adequate details.

On the front, the Pixel 8 Pro features a 10.5MP selfie camera. The device is able to capture decent selfies in both daylight and low-light conditions.

Verdict

Overall, the Pixel 8 Pro is an excellent smartphone that offers a good display, excellent software and camera and decent performance. Google’s increased software support is another good addition to the device. You do need to note that the device commands a hefty price tag, starting at ₹1,06,999 and while enthusiasts may like the stock Android experience, the lack of customization may not be everyone’s cup of tea.

At the end of the day, the Pixel 8 Pro is an excellent device and the best Pixel smartphone yet. If you are a fan of stock Android and are okay with the price tag, the Pixel 8 Pro is one of the best smartphones in the market for you.

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