Although still rolling out, the Google Pixel 8 Pro is redefining how smartphone users think of Android and Google is right with the tagline “Android at its best. Only on Pixel”. Because the 8 series takes the game to another level.
The smartphones with other gears were launched and made available for pre-order on October 4, 2023, and are expected to start circulating from October 12. But before they got circulated, we saw the specifications and read a couple of reviews by those who have gotten the Pixel 8 Pro.
If you are contemplating on getting a device soon, the Google Pixel 8 Pro might be the ideal smartphone that checks all the boxes for you. Wait, hear us out.
There are advanced features we have noticed that make the phone stand out among the rest of Android phones, even with the newly released iPhone 15 Pro Max. But before we dive into it, you may need to check its review and specification here.
Disclaimer: This is not sponsored content and all the information here is fact-checked from the official product page of all the devices mentioned here.
Why the Google Pixel 8 Pro is Worth Buying
Let’s talk about 5 features: AI, Camera, Software, Design, and Price.
Google Pixel 8 Pro is powered by AI
Artificial intelligence (AI) has been around for a long time and Google is one of the top companies that has been making use of it, before ChatGPT started taking the world by storm in November 2022. For instance, the Google Assistance that was released in May 2016 has been on every Android device and we all know how helpful the virtual assistant is.
Well, Google is now bringing more AI features to the Pixel ecosystem, and the Pixel 8 Pro happened to be the first beneficiary. According to Google, the phone has its own built-in generative AI model. That is, instead of waiting for cloud-based AI like ChatGPT or even Google’s Bard, you can generate texts and images directly from your phone.
Oh, what if you are not a fan of generating texts or images, does that mean the AI thing is a fluff? No! The AI model of Pixel 8 Pro can do a lot such as:
- Gboard’s smart replies: The new upgraded Google keyboard on the phone will help with “higher-quality” suggestions and responses that are more conversational rather than autocomplete features.
- Magic Eraser: The in-built AI model can help you make your photography better by touching up your photos with its post-processing tool, removing any object, and filling the space up with newly generated pixels.
- Audio recording: The model can help you summarize that long audio record
- Zoom Enhancer: Zooming now gets better. Not just the fact that you can zoom, smartphones like the Samsung S23 ultra can zoom up to 10X of the focus. But the more you zoom in, the less the quality of that image or video. But the AI model on the Google Pixel 8 Pro will help you maintain and even improve the quality if you zoom.
You may be thinking that at the expense of the battery and performance, but that’s not the case. The phone is running on Google’s Tensor G3 and according to Rick Osterloh who is the SVP of devices at Google, the chip is optimized for AI tasks.
“We’ve worked closely with our research teams across Google to take advantage of their most advanced foundation models and distill them into a version efficient enough to run on our flagship Pixel” Osterloh.
If you need a more powerful AI like the ChatGPT model or Midjourney that runs natively on the smartphone, then think of no other than the Pixel 8 Pro.
Best Smartphone for Photography
Taking great photos is one of the top reasons people spend a lot on premium smartphones like iPhones or the Samsung Galaxy and Ultra series. But since the launch of the Pixel 7 Pro, the focus has been shifted to Google.
Before now, the Google Pixel 7 Pro has the best smartphone camera for photography. The Pixel team partners 3 football teams which include the England team, Arsenal FC, and Liverpool FC to help capture the moments with the incredible camera and its features.
The Google Pixel 8 Pro is packed with more advanced features powered by AI to ensure your photos and videos come out great without needing to hire an editor. The 50MP main camera can take better pictures even when there are low-light settings, the phone also has a Macro lens that makes small objects bigger and clearer alongside its telephoto which captures 56% more light.
You can also use AI to edit your photos by moving objects, erasing objects and even changing facial expressions.
There is currently no smartphone as smart as the Google Pixel 8 Pro when it comes to photography. And if good photos or video is one of your criteria for choosing a phone to buy, this is one that checks all the boxes.
Best in Smartphone’s Software Lifespan
Most smartphones have a short software lifespan. For most Android phones, it ranges from 2-4 years while iPhones used to have the highest “ever” of 5 years.
In case you don’t understand:
If you buy the Samsung Note 20 ultra that came with Android 10 and was released in August 2020, the phone is probably by now *(October 2023) has stopped receiving updates. Because the phone came with 3 years of software updates.
As opposed to the iPhones that receive up to 5 years of updates. An example is the iPhone XR that came with iOS 12 but received the latest iOS 17 which is really a deal breaker. It simply means that the phone may be old, but the software that runs on it is still the latest.
Well, Google generously put 7 years of software updates on the Pixel 8 series. Meaning if you buy the phone today, it will be updated until 2030 – which is currently the highest software update on smartphones.
Oh, Google is not updating the operating system, but you will get the latest update on all features that are pushed to the smartphone.
If you need a phone that you can buy now and will last long till 2030, the Google Pixel 8 Pro is the only device available up for the challenge.
Sleek Design and Build
How a smartphone is designed is another thing you should look out for before putting your money on it. Thankfully, the Google Pixel 8 Pro comes with a very nice design and build.
The phone takes after its predecessor – the Pixel 7 Pro’s design. According to Gizmochina, it’s one of the best-designed smartphones in 2023 and yeah, the grace is still spread on the 8 series. It has a nice 6.7-inch display, with a polished aluminum frame and glass back which make the phone appealing to the eyes and very comfortable to hold.
With all the great features and 5020 mAh battery, you might have guessed that it will be heavy but it is not. In fact, it is 213 grammes which is lighter than the iPhone 15 Pro Max which is 221g, and Samsung S23 Ultra which is 234 grammes.
Cost Friendly
Currently, the Pixel 8 Pro is one of the top 3 flagship smartphones but it is the cheapest among them. Its price starts from $1,000 while the Samsung S23 ultra starts from $1,500 and the iPhone 15 Pro max costs $1,200.
Kindly note that the price of these may change with respect to your location, ongoing promo deal, and local exchange rate.
Comparing the features of the premium smartphones, you will realize that the Pixel 8 Pro has the best price. Remember that it has the highest software update of up to 7 years, the best camera for photography, the best in-built tools for photo editing, and the only phone that is powered by an in-built AI model.
If you are looking for a smartphone that checks all the boxes for you but is the most affordable, then think of the Google Pixel 8 Pro.
