Google Pixel 8 Pro review

The Google Pixel 8 Professional seems to be to be the smartphone of the longer term, in search of to leverage the ability of synthetic intelligence to push the standard of its software program additional than ever earlier than. It’s additionally set to obtain an unprecedented stage of software program and safety help, seven years value to be precise. Whereas all of this sounds thrilling within the quick current, there are some issues AI merely can’t repair that depart the Pixel 8 Professional feeling behind the curve in some areas.

To make one factor clear, the Pixel 8 Professional tops one of the best Google Pixel telephones chart with out query, a lot accurately contemplating its close to $1,000 asking worth. It’s additionally maybe the boldest from the model, hoping to pioneer a future with AI on the helm of smartphones. It largely succeeds on this, at instances to an eerie diploma, however this focus leaves you wanting on the subject of gaming and creates uncomfortable questions regarding the Pixel 8 Professional’s worth as a chunk of {hardware}.

Execs

• Brilliantly vivid LTPO OLED show
• Wonderful images and video capabilities
• Seven years of software program and safety updates

Cons

• Some software program options aren’t out there but
• Tensor G3 chipset nonetheless lags behind Apple and Qualcomm
• Temperature sensor fails to justify itself

Worth and availability

The Pixel 8 Professional is on the market from $999 / £999 for 128GB of storage, with 256GB and 512GB coming in at $1,059 / £1,059 and $1,179 / £1,179, respectively. There’s additionally a 1TB possibility out there for $1,399, however it’s solely out there with the Obsidian colorway. This new beginning worth makes the Pixel 8 Professional not less than $100 costlier than the Pixel 7 Professional and Pixel 6 Professional had been at launch, matching the Apple iPhone 15 Professional and Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus.

In some ways, Google’s flagship feels appropriately priced given its generational enhancements, most notably to the digital camera array and show, admirably holding its personal in opposition to equally priced competitors in virtually each means besides gaming efficiency.

Nevertheless, in comparison with its cheaper sibling, the Pixel 8, the added worth that the Pixel 8 Professional affords turns into much less apparent over time. This drawback stems extra from how stable a base Google crafted with the bottom mannequin slightly than questionable selections made within the design of the Professional (apart from the built-in thermometer). To be clear, there are benefits to choosing the flagship, however they undoubtedly attraction most to fanatic photographers slightly than extra typical smartphone customers.

In case you’re the sort of one who spends the vast majority of the time in your smartphone taking pictures or capturing movies, the Pixel 8 Professional is the clear alternative between the 2. The ability of its high-end and versatile array of digital camera lenses is just superior, whether or not you’re utilizing the out-of-the-box digital camera settings or tweaking its ‘Professional’ settings. For everybody else, the smart transfer is to avoid wasting $300 / £300 and go for the Pixel 8.

Specs

The internals of the Pixel 8 Professional aren’t an enormous departure from the Pixel 7 Professional, with the arrival of the Google Tensor G3 chipset serving as the largest distinction between the 2 smartphones. A lot as there are modifications to the CPU, GPU, and different components of the {hardware}, they’re extra in service of enhancing AI options than they’re pushing uncooked efficiency.

These enhancements are most obvious in options like Magic Editor, Magic Audio Eraser, and others, however Google is eager to focus on that Tensor G3 offers a collection of refined enhancements, too. These embrace higher video recording, with increased ranges of element, extra correct colours, dynamic vary, and distinction, all whereas requiring much less energy. None of this, nonetheless, is unique to the Pixel 8 Professional, with the Pixel 8 having fun with all of those perks too.

RAM receives a technical bump, shifting from LPDDR5 to LPDDR5X, although capability stays the identical because it has been because the Pixel 6 Professional at 12GB. This leaves the Pixel 8 Professional with 4GB extra reminiscence than the Pixel 8, and equally priced rivals, however is extra of a pleasant to have than an simply discernible benefit.

Options

Earlier than concerning the brand new software program options out there within the Pixel 8 Professional, let’s speak about its temperature sensor. It’s exhausting to consider many normal use instances the place it advantages all potential patrons of this smartphone, apart from particular examples like checking the heat of child components. Sadly, this looks like a miss, and it’s uncertain that many will suppose twice if it doesn’t make a reappearance in future Pixels.

As ever, the main target with the Pixel 8 Professional is the software program, and there’s a lot to speak about with Google going all-in on pushing the ability of AI into each function it will possibly. Essentially the most compelling are at the moment ‘Magic Editor’ and ‘Finest Take’. At the moment is a vital distinction right here, as a number of the options marketed as a part of the Pixel 8 Professional package deal, particularly ‘Video Increase’ and ‘Evening Sight Video’, aren’t truly out there but and are as a result of arrive later in 2023.

Returning to what’s out there at the moment, Finest Take is an eerily highly effective instrument that eternally transforms the way you view group photographs. Analyzing related footage in your Google Pictures, the function permits you to select and transplant expressions from totally different pictures into a wholly new one. In a constructive mild, this removes the fear of an unlucky blink spoiling an in any other case excellent picture but additionally, extra worryingly, creates a second that by no means truly existed.

These identical considerations are all of the stronger with Magic Editor, which basically offers one of the highly effective picture enhancing suites out there on a smartphone. With it, you’ll be able to erase, resize, and remodel the final look of objects and other people to your coronary heart’s content material by means of the ability of deep studying. In a metaphorical and literal sense, it will possibly transfer mountains for you.

Earlier than getting too carried away with how spectacular Magic Editor is, it’s not at all faultless. Its largest drawback is that it requires an lively web connection, which is sort of actually partially to manage how you employ the function. This turns into clear when prompted with a pop-up informing you which you could’t make a selected edit as it could violate Google’s GenAI phrases. Then there’s the period of time every change can take, maintaining you ready round for round 10-15 seconds.

The standard of the edits can fluctuate significantly, too, with Magic Editor solely in a position to take action a lot to avoid wasting poorly taken pictures. The overall rule of thumb is which you could solely anticipate outcomes of an identical high quality to what you feed the function within the first place.

This sentiment additionally applies to Audio Magic Eraser, which is surprisingly efficient at figuring out and eradicating rogue sounds out of your movies. It has some tough edges, which Google can little question easy out over time, nonetheless, it’s succesful sufficient in its present type for a fast cleanup as a substitute of utilizing skilled software program or experience to realize the identical impact.

Suffice to say, the Pixel 8 Professional is positively brimming with software program options that no different smartphone can match proper now. It’s not fairly all-encompassing sufficient to outright exchange desktop options like Photoshop, however there’s no denying how highly effective it’s, given its ease of use.

If the Pixel 8 Professional is lacking one function, it’s an ultra-sonic fingerprint scanner. The identical optical resolution that seems on the Pixel 7 Professional returns right here, and it’s at finest serviceable and at worst an annoyance. Google missed a trick right here, because it has in earlier years, by not swapping it out for a sooner, extra trendy possibility, which might have improved the worth of the smartphone extra considerably than the temperature sensor.

Digital camera

As you may anticipate, the cameras on the Pixel 8 Professional are glorious, with every lens receiving an improve or a number of versus the Pixel 7 Professional. The ultrawide module has undoubtedly obtained the largest glow-up of the array, leaping from a 12MP to a 48MP lens with a wider ƒ/1.95 aperture besides. Wider apertures additionally seem on the primary and telephoto lenses, clocked at a respective ƒ/2.80 and ƒ/1.68. The previous will get multi-zone laser autofocus, too, however there seems to be little distinction in its focussing skills and pace versus even the Pixel 7.

Naturally, with such a stacked setup, the Pixel 8 Professional captures wonderful pictures and video. Google has continued to refine its post-processing wizardry right here, providing a top-tier out-of-the-box expertise for many who need to seize moments of their finest mild with minimal fuss. That is true for portraits, landscapes, astrophotography, and extra, with outcomes which are vibrant, wealthy in distinction, and filled with element.

As the first sensors on each the Pixel 8 Professional and Pixel 8 are the identical, the standard of photographs taken on that lens on each telephones is similar. It isn’t till the ultrawide and telephoto lenses come into play that variations emerge, with way more element retained in 5x, 10x, and even 30x photographs on the Pixel 8 Professional. Some great benefits of its ultrawide’s increased megapixel depend are much less pronounced, and solely probably the most keen-eyed ought to discover something.

Unique to the Pixel 8 Professional are the aptly named ‘Professional’ controls, which let you tinker with settings equivalent to ISO, shutter pace, white steadiness, and extra. It additionally opens up choices equivalent to native 50MP captures versus 12MP binning, in addition to the flexibility to avoid wasting pictures within the RAW format along with JPG. These choices are welcome, although, barely area of interest of their attraction given how stable the default expertise is, with the elevated megapixel depend proving probably the most helpful, even when it comes with elevated delay within the digital camera viewport between photographs.

Curiously, there’s no cause these controls are solely out there on the Pixel 8 Professional, with the Pixel 8 sharing the identical chipset and foremost lens. Whereas this does assist to distinguish the 2, it does depart you questioning the worth of the Pixel 8 Professional previous Google’s arbitrary software program locks. In spite of everything, the producer has already ported the digital camera software program to different, older Tensor-based smartphones.

It’s unclear whether or not Google plans to launch this function on different Pixel telephones finally. In our opinion, we’d slightly see the tech model addressing a number of the tough edges within the Pixel 8 Professional’s digital camera software program. Essentially the most egregious is undoubtedly the frankly horrible lens transition that’s something however easy. This oversight is much less of an issue for images however makes switching between the cameras whereas capturing video an disagreeable time. Then there are oddities just like the pressured 1.5x zoom and arbitrary 3.0x zoom cap for Portrait Mode, inexplicably shutting out the telephoto lens. These are all gripes that Google can repair with software program updates, however that is the unlucky state of issues on the time of writing.

Touching briefly on the selfie digital camera, it’s had some minor spec modifications however now options Part Detection Auto Focus, so your selfies ought to hit their mark extra usually. It’s now safe sufficient to make use of as an unlocking technique for banking apps and the like, too, due to some behind-the-scenes software program tinkering from Google. Lastly, we have now to say video efficiency. Issues are a lot the identical as they had been on the Pixel 7 Professional, save for the addition of 24fps recording in each 1080p and 4K resolutions.

Design

Holding the Pixel 8 Professional in your hand, it rapidly turns into clear that Google has made various small however welcome modifications to its design language that assist elevate the smartphone effectively above its predecessor. An instance of this rethink is the one cutout for the digital camera array, instead of the 2 on the Pixel 7 Professional, offering a a lot cleaner look.

The place this turns into most clear, nonetheless, is within the ergonomics of the Pixel 8 Professional. Gone are the sharp edges of the predecessor, changed with a lot gentler, elegant rounded corners. Most pleasing, although, is the texture of its Gorilla Glass Victus 2 again, with a silky easy texture that’s so nice to the contact that it makes you would like all telephones felt like this. Sturdy because it is perhaps, many will understandably put a case on it, dampening the attract of an in any other case nice a part of the Pixel 8 Professional.

The Pixel 8 Professional is the best-looking telephone Google has ever made, save for one flaw: its shiny aluminum body. It pales compared to the smarter matte end on the Pixel 8, particularly given how extra inclined it’s to each fingerprint smudges and scratches.

You will discover the Pixel 8 Professional in three colorways: Bay, Obsidian, and Porcelain. Every is interesting in its personal means, with Bay proving to be a welcome splash of vibrancy in comparison with the muted tones of the opposite two choices.

Show

Serving because the debut of Google’s ‘Tremendous Actua’ show, the Pixel 8 Professional actually shines brighter than most smartphones. It’s a far cry from the dim days of the Pixel 6 Professional, with a full-screen brightness of 1,600 nits in HDR and a whopping 2,400 nits peak brightness. These specs are as spectacular as they sound, with photographs, movies, and the rest you possibly can need to view on a display wanting positively stellar.

The dimensions of the show hasn’t modified from the Pixel 7 Professional, at 6.7-inches, however Google has opted to chop decision down from 1440p to 1344p. Whereas it’s unclear why it’s accomplished this, it makes little distinction in apply, on condition that the Pixel 8 Professional nonetheless clocks in at 489 pixels per inch regardless. That stated, it does output at 1080p by default, but it’s nonetheless a lot sharp, and you may barely discover a lot of a distinction between the total decision.

That includes an improved LTPO OLED panel, the Pixel 8 Professional now has a refresh fee of 1-120Hz versus the 10-120Hz vary of the Pixel 7 Professional. This small change helps enhance battery life, significantly for those who’re somebody who likes to go away the ‘All the time On Show’ enabled.

Followers of the curved show discovered on the earlier two Pixel Professional fashions could discover it disheartening to be taught that Google has given the Pixel 8 Professional a flat display. A lot as this can be much less immersive for some, it does enhance the resilience of the telephone and mitigates potential glare attributable to mild reflecting on the curved edge.

Battery

You possibly can anticipate to see wherever from six to eight hours of display time with the Pixel 8 Professional, with extended durations of standby states naturally pushing this additional. Battery capability has elevated, generationally talking, however solely by a meager 50mAh, for a complete of 5,050mAh.

With regards to charging the Pixel 8 Professional, wired charging has seen an improve as much as 30W, reducing cost time to round 90 minutes from empty to full. Wi-fi charging speeds stay unchanged at a most of 23W, but that is solely doable utilizing the Pixel Stand 2, as Google has regretfully determined to not help the Qi2 customary right here. As such, the Pixel 8 Professional can solely pull as much as 12W on each different wi-fi charger.

This disappointment apart, the Pixel 8 Professional offers greater than sufficient juice to get you thru the day after which some. Even in eventualities the place you’re unable to recharge it in a single day, the telephone dutifully retains what cost it has, sipping slightly than guzzling energy to maintain background duties working effectively.

Efficiency

The Pixel sequence isn’t precisely the chief of the smartphone pack by way of gaming efficiency prowess, and the identical is true for the Pixel 8 Professional. A lot because the Google Tensor G3 chipset boats enhancements over its predecessor, it nonetheless falls effectively in need of what Apple and Qualcomm can obtain with their silicon.

That stated, the Pixel 8 Professional is not at all a cellular gaming slouch. Each Name of Obligation: Cell and PUBG Cell run nice at most settings, with the 120Hz display offering a buttery easy expertise.

Nevertheless, whereas not an issue distinctive to the Pixel 8 Professional, the goalposts are starting to shift, with Apple now packing sufficient energy into its telephones to run present technology console experiences. If Google and different Android producers want to sustain, they should make severe enhancements to future chipsets, and Tensor G3 is a methods off that aim.

Fortunately, the heating points from the Pixel 7 sequence don’t return on the Pixel 8 Professional. Whereas the chassis can nonetheless get heat, it’s not practically to the identical diploma (no pun supposed), and there’s no threat of thermal throttling.

Do you have to purchase the Google Pixel 8 Professional?

• Sure: If you need one of the best digital camera setup on an Android.
• Sure: In case you watch numerous video content material in your telephone.
• Sure: If prolonged software program and safety updates are precious to you.
• No: In case you will need to have the very best gaming efficiency.
• No: In case you don’t want a telephoto lens.

The Pixel 8 Professional is completely value shopping for, significantly for those who’re somebody for whom images is a excessive precedence. Its digital camera array is without doubt one of the finest out there at the moment, strengthened by the diploma of customization supplied by its ‘Professional’ controls and the ability of Magic Editor to boost and remodel your photographs. It ought to, theoretically, solely get higher with time, too, because the machine studying utilized in these purposes steadily improves, along with when options like Video Increase and Evening Sight Video arrive.

Nevertheless, it’s necessary to notice that a lot of what makes the Pixel 8 Professional particular is all the way down to software program that appears arbitrarily unique when the Pixel 8 has the identical Tensor G3 chipset. It’s not exhausting to think about a future wherein most of the options that differentiate the 2 units find yourself with help for each, leaving the Pixel 8 Professional with its few however welcome {hardware} benefits (not together with the temperature sensor, in fact).

Whereas Google guarantees to help the Pixel 8 Professional for the subsequent eight years, there’s no means of realizing whether or not it’ll observe by means of, and customers are proper to be cautious, given the corporate’s tendency to close down tasks. Simply take a look at the seemingly ever-growing Google Graveyard. That stated, we have now to commend the tech large for not less than making an attempt to make our smartphones last more and scale back pointless e-waste.

In abstract, the Pixel 8 Professional is spectacular now and will hopefully age effectively, with its software program suite solely changing into extra sturdy because the years move. The character of that help, nonetheless, we’re but to see.

Options

If, in any case, you determine the Google Pixel 8 Professional isn’t the smartphone for you, listed here are a few ideas for alternate options under.

Apple iPhone 15 Professional

At $999 / £999, the Apple iPhone 15 Professional begins on the identical worth because the Pixel 8 Professional and offers a images expertise that’s comparable in high quality. Whereas Android customers could have some issue adjusting to the variations and limitations of iOS, it does have distinctive strengths, like the flexibility to play video games usually outdoors the reaches of smartphones, like Resident Evil 4 and Murderer’s Creed Mirage.

Google Pixel 8

Packing the identical Google Tensor 3 chipset, the Google Pixel 8 is sort of as highly effective because the Pixel 8 Professional in some ways. Whereas it lacks a number of the niceties of its extra premium sibling, it doesn’t skimp on all of the areas that matter most and is, in some ways, the smarter buy for most individuals, particularly contemplating it’s $300 / £300 cheaper.