It may not carry the “Pro” label, but it doesn’t need that to be tempting. The Pixel 8 Pro has surpassed the Rs 1,00,000 price point for the first time, making it a tough sell for many people. Meanwhile, priced at Rs 75,999 and boasting some significant improvements over its predecessor, the Pixel 8 emerges as the more attractive option, at least in my opinion. Here’s my review after using it for a week.
Things I immediately noticed
In an era where 6.7-inch screens have become the norm, the Google Pixel 8 feels like a step backwards – and I love it. The handset distinguishes itself with its more manageable 6.2-inch screen, offering a refreshing return to sanity in a world of massive phablets. As someone who has grappled with 6.7-inch devices for years, this downsizing felt like a relief. It essentially convinced me that my next phone won’t be any larger than 6.3 inches.
The handset distinguishes itself with its more manageable 6.2-inch screen. (Image: Zohaib Ahmed/The Indian Express)
Google’s design language also shines through in the Pixel 8. The company introduced a distinctive quirky look with elongated camera bars since the Pixel 6, making it easily recognisable from a distance. I’m glad this design hasn’t changed. However, this year, you get curved corners that no longer poke into your palms, and they beautifully complement the round aesthetics of stock Android 14.
The extended camera bar has become the Google Pixel’s identity. (Image: Zohaib Ahmed/The Indian Express)
The display is as bright as you’d expect from a flagship, reaching 2,000 nits. Even when I was out in the sun, snapping photos and videos, I faced no legibility issues. The phone also packs a punch in the audio department. The stereo speakers deliver impressive volume and crispness that can fill a room, and I found it cute that this came out of such a tiny device.
You get curved corners that no longer poke into your palms, a departure from the boxiness of the Pixel 7. (Image: Zohaib Ahmed/The Indian Express)
Haptic feedback might not be a top concern for everyone, but for me, it’s a must-have for a premium phone experience. I was pleased to discover that the Pixel 8 features incredibly crisp haptics, ranking among the best I’ve ever used. Even simple gestures like swiping the notification panel or opening the app drawer deliver a tactile delight. If you’re someone who values these details, rest assured that the haptic experience is among the best.
Things I noticed after a week of use
Performance & battery
The Pixel 8 runs on the Tensor G3 chip, a series known for its overheating woes and sub-par gaming performance. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that it handled most games at the highest settings without a sweat whether it’s BGMI or the extremely-demanding Wreckfest. The previous iterations may have struggled, but Google has clearly levelled up in the graphics department.
The phone handles Wreckfest like a champ. (Image: Zohaib Ahmed/The Indian Express)
As for concerns about heating issues, I can put those to rest. While the Pixel 8 does warm up during intense activities like gaming or video recording, it’s well within the acceptable range. This is at par for the course with Snapdragon-powered phones, so Google seems to have made noticeable improvements in thermal management – although I may have hit the silicon lottery because other people have continued to report overheating issues.
What did disappoint me a bit was the Google Pixel 8’s charging speed and battery life. The phone supports 27W PD charging, but it takes forever to fill up the 4,575 mAh battery. If you use the phone while charging, the speed almost seems to come to a halt. The only saving grace is that the first 50% of the battery charges fairly quickly, so you can get some juice in a pinch. But don’t expect the battery to last too long, because the Pixel 8 offers only around 5-6 hours of screen-on time.
AI Features
One of the things that sets the Pixel apart from other phones is its AI prowess. For instance, I was blown away by how good the voice typing was on this device. It didn’t matter if I was texting on WhatsApp, tweeting my hot takes, or recording my thoughts on the Recorder app. The Pixel just got me, and I actually used voice typing for the first time, at least when I was in the privacy of my own room. (I’m not ready to be that guy who talks to his phone in public).
Another AI trick that the Pixel has up its sleeve is the Magic Editor on Google Photos. You can use it to apply different styles to your images or to tweak them in ways. You can use it to move subjects around, resize them, or erase them. It does take some time to process, but the results are usually worth the wait.
Magic Editor smartly suggests enhancements that can be made to an image. (Express image)
The Pixel also has a Magic Eraser for videos, but this one works on sound. Audio Magic Eraser uses AI and machine learning to identify and remove unwanted noises from your clips. It’s surprisingly accurate and useful, especially if you’re into vlogging and want to get rid of background noise.
And if you’re bored with the same old wallpapers, the Pixel has a solution for that too: AI wallpaper. This feature lets you generate unique wallpapers from various categories, in case you find the built-in ones too bland. The quality is not always great, but with some trial and error, you can get some stunning wallpapers that no one else has.
A clean wallpaper for a clean Android experience. (Express image)
Camera
The camera app is where Google goes against the grain. Instead of burying video as just another camera mode, it sits ready with a toggle at the bottom, always accessible for quick switching. The app opts for a clean, swipe-gesture-driven interface that keeps things uncluttered.
Is this the best designed camera app on any smartphone? (Image: Zohaib Ahmed/The Indian Express)
Google’s computational photography prowess is most evident in features like Action Pan, which I found to be one of my favourites. It’s a user-friendly tool for capturing fast-moving subjects with blur effects that genuinely convey the sense of speed.
Action Pan was stupid fun to use. (Image: Zohaib Ahmed/The Indian Express)
Yet despite its simplicity and social-media-ready results in various lighting conditions, the Pixel 8’s images tend to have an overprocessed HDR look. While the details are fantastic, the colours are not exactly true to life. Night shots, too, can exhibit some noise in darker areas, although the level of detail remains impressive.
Rather than keeping shadows natural, the Pixel artificially brightens them with overdone HDR processing. (Image: Zohaib Ahmed/The Indian Express)
That HDR processing can be useful in certain scenarios though, like this one with the sun facing towards me. (Image: Zohaib Ahmed/The Indian Express)
An indoor shot in a tricky lighting condition. (Image: Zohaib Ahmed/The Indian Express)
Details are well-preserved but darker areas like the sky has some noise. (Image: Zohaib Ahmed/The Indian Express)
An indoor shot with artificial lighting handled well. (Image: Zohaib Ahmed/The Indian Express)
I also hated the fact that the Pixel 8 lacks the telephoto lens the Pro model boasts. But Google attempts to make up for its lack by providing what they call “optical quality” zoom through the main camera. Surprisingly, it does an excellent job and it’s actually nearly impossible to distinguish between 1x and 2x zoom.
The 2x digital zoom feels optical. (Image: Zohaib Ahmed/The Indian Express)
The Google Pixel 8 maxes out at 8x zoom, and it’s actually usable. (Image: Zohaib Ahmed/The Indian Express)
The ultrawide camera performance isn’t too far behind the primary camera’s. (Image: Zohaib Ahmed/The Indian Express)
Selfies have that over-processed look once again. (Image: Zohaib Ahmed/The Indian Express)
Should you buy the Google Pixel 8?
The Google Pixel 8 is one of the most interesting devices I’ve used in a while. It finally addresses the flaws of its predecessors, such as the mediocre graphics performance and the tendency to run hot. It’s also one of the few Android phones in the market that are compact and still pack a punch, although the lack of a telephoto lens still bothers me.
This phone is just the perfect size – I wouldn’t have it any larger or smaller. (Image: Zohaib Ahmed/The Indian Express)
But where this device really excels is its software. Pixel UI may not be the most feature-packed Android skin out there, but it has some unique tricks up its sleeve that you won’t find anywhere else. The camera, for instance, is a mixed bag in my opinion, but is compensated by the plethora of AI-powered editing options on Google Photos that can make your shots look amazing. Not to mention the phone is promised 7 years of software support – a new record that will keep your Pixel fresh for an eternity.
Android 14 brings lock screen customisation. (Image: Zohaib Ahmed/The Indian Express)
The price, however, is a bit of a bummer. Rs 75,999 is a steep ask for a brand that still needs to establish itself in India. Perhaps things will change when the locally manufactured units hit the stores.
The Google Pixel 8 in 'Rose.' (Image: Zohaib Ahmed/The Indian Express) 
The handset distinguishes itself with its more manageable 6.2-inch screen. (Image: Zohaib Ahmed/The Indian Express)
The extended camera bar has become the Google Pixel’s identity. (Image: Zohaib Ahmed/The Indian Express)
You get curved corners that no longer poke into your palms, a departure from the boxiness of the Pixel 7. (Image: Zohaib Ahmed/The Indian Express)
The phone handles Wreckfest like a champ. (Image: Zohaib Ahmed/The Indian Express)
Magic Editor smartly suggests enhancements that can be made to an image. (Express image)
A clean wallpaper for a clean Android experience. (Express image)
Is this the best designed camera app on any smartphone? (Image: Zohaib Ahmed/The Indian Express)
Action Pan was stupid fun to use. (Image: Zohaib Ahmed/The Indian Express)
Rather than keeping shadows natural, the Pixel artificially brightens them with overdone HDR processing. (Image: Zohaib Ahmed/The Indian Express)
That HDR processing can be useful in certain scenarios though, like this one with the sun facing towards me. (Image: Zohaib Ahmed/The Indian Express)
An indoor shot in a tricky lighting condition. (Image: Zohaib Ahmed/The Indian Express)
Details are well-preserved but darker areas like the sky has some noise. (Image: Zohaib Ahmed/The Indian Express)
An indoor shot with artificial lighting handled well. (Image: Zohaib Ahmed/The Indian Express)
The 2x digital zoom feels optical. (Image: Zohaib Ahmed/The Indian Express)
The Google Pixel 8 maxes out at 8x zoom, and it’s actually usable. (Image: Zohaib Ahmed/The Indian Express)
The ultrawide camera performance isn’t too far behind the primary camera’s. (Image: Zohaib Ahmed/The Indian Express)
Selfies have that over-processed look once again. (Image: Zohaib Ahmed/The Indian Express)
This phone is just the perfect size – I wouldn’t have it any larger or smaller. (Image: Zohaib Ahmed/The Indian Express)
Android 14 brings lock screen customisation. (Image: Zohaib Ahmed/The Indian Express)
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