Google Pixel 8 Review: No Longer a No-Brainer

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If 2023 is the year of AI, the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro showcase it more than any other phones. 

Artificial intelligence is used to optimise performance, take and edit photos, summarise webpages, screen calls and even create personalised wallpapers. 

The regular Pixel 8 gets all those features, but plenty more are exclusive to the more expensive Pixel 8 Pro. It’s no surprise to see the 5x telephoto lens missing and an inferior ultrawide camera, but you’ll also have to make do with a worse display, glossy finish, no temperature sensor and some missing software features. 

Are those compromises worth it in order to save $300/£300? Ultimately, that depends on what you’re looking for in a phone. 

Design & Build 

• Compact yet premium design 
• Glass back attracts dirt 
• Lightweight, but still durable 

After years of experimenting with the design of its phones, Google handsets now have a very clear identity. And aside from more rounded corners, not much has changed on the Pixel 8. 

It means the striking camera visor still extends all the way across the top of the phone. I’m not a huge fan of the way it looks, and but you can’t argue it’s not distinctive. Camera modules continue to be one of the main ways a phone stands out from the competition, though you will have to put up with dirt accumulating above and below the visor. 

While both the Pixel 8 phones have glass backs, the regular model has a glossy finish rather than the matte on the 8 Pro. Even on the Hazel model I tested, it began showing fingerprint smudges and other dirt within a couple of minutes of use. I’d expect the situation to be even worse on the Obsidian (black) and Rose (pink) versions, your only other choices. 

As a result, I’d recommend a case. The official Google version adds plenty of grip and a nice splash of colour, but costs an extra $34.99/£34.99. As usual, there are plenty of third-party alternatives. 

However, even without it, I wouldn’t be too concerned on the durability front. Both the front and back of the phone are equipped with Gorilla Glass Victus, which has been tested to survive drops of up to 2m and be resistant to scratches (though our Pixel 7 did crack a little on the corner when falling out of a car). 

Maintaining great durability in such a lightweight, compact phone is impressive

And the Pixel 8’s IP68 rating is in line with most flagship phones. It means the device is fully protected against dust and can handle submersion in up to 1.5m of water for 30 minutes. 

Maintaining great durability in such a lightweight, compact phone is impressive. The Pixel 8 weighs just 187g – a refreshing change compared to the huge Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra (234g) that I usually use. It’s still not quite a one-handed phone, but very few smartphones are these days and it’s more compact than the Pixel 7. 

The premium look and feel extends to the aluminium sides, but it took me a couple of days to get used to the placement of the physical buttons. On the Pixel 8, the power button is above the volume controls, the opposite of what we see on most Android phones.

It means the power button is awkwardly high on the right side, but you need to press and hold both it and volume up to turn the phone off anyway. When you do, you’ll notice just how good the vibration motor is, enabling great haptic feedback in a variety of scenarios – including while typing. 

Screen & Speakers 

• Excellent 6.2in, 120Hz OLED 
• Upgraded face unlock 
• Decent stereo speakers 

The Pixel 8 can’t be considered a small phone, but it is relatively compact by modern standards. Google has actually shrunk the display slightly to 6.2in (from 6.3in), making the difference between it and the 6.7in Pixel 8 Pro more clearly defined. 

On paper, the screen itself doesn’t sound remarkable. We’ve seen 1080×2400 OLED panels many times before, but it still looks great on the Pixel 8, delivering rich, vibrant colours in the default ‘Adaptive’ mode. You can easily swap this for the ‘Natural’ setting that’s easier on the eyes, though – both look good. 

Whichever you choose, the excellent deep blacks we’ve come to associate with OLED are evident, especially with a systemwide dark mode applied by default. A higher resolution could be nice, but I didn’t miss it; the Pixel 8’s screen offers plenty of detail, with all content looking clear and crisp. 

The 120Hz refresh rate is the main display upgrade compared to the Pixel 7 at 90Hz, bringing it in line with most flagship phones. It’s a relatively subtle change in the grand scheme of things, but makes everything feel that bit more fluid and responsive. 

However, you miss out on the Pixel 8 Pro’s LTPO tech, which allows the refresh rate to dynamically adjust down to 1Hz depending on what you’re doing and helps to conserve battery life. 

The Pixel 8’s screen offers plenty of detail, with all content looking clear and crisp

Instead, the ‘Smooth display’ toggle on the Pixel 8 only switches between 60- and 120Hz, with the only manual option 60Hz. As nice as it is to have a 120Hz display, Google could’ve done a better job with its implementation here. 

But one thing I can have no complaints about is brightness. I recorded a maximum of 950 nits using a SpyderX calibration tool, and visibility is great in all environments including direct sunlight. And as someone who’s not a fan of curved displays, I’m really glad Google went for a flat version here. 

Within the display is an optical fingerprint sensor, which is simple to set up but annoyingly temperamental. I enrolled the same finger four times to improve the chances of a fast unlock, but it still often took several tries. 

I’d recommend using the upgraded face unlock instead. For the first time in a Pixel phone, it’s secure enough to be used for the likes of Google Wallet and mobile banking apps, with the Tensor G3 chip supposedly the driving force. 

While not quite as seamless as Apple’s Face ID, a key benefit is that you don’t need a notch or big pill-shaped cutout, just the usual punch-hole selfie camera. AI and ML (machine learning) are doing a lot of the work in the background, and the extra second or two it takes is well worth it for the extra security.  

The Pixel 8 supports stereo audio, with sound emitted from two downward-firing speakers and the earpiece. It’s surprisingly punchy for such a small phone, with a decent amount of detail and solid mid-range frequencies.  

But as expected, bass and treble are both lacking, so you’ll need to connect headphones for anything more than casual listening. 

Specs & Performance

• Google Tensor G3 and 8GB RAM 
• Very good performance 
• Only 128- or 256GB of storage 

Google’s Tensor G3 chip is one of the main upgrades on the Pixel 8 line, and it’s available on both phones. New AI capabilities are its main selling point, but performance is also crucial.  

Before testing the Pixel 8, I was concerned that only 8GB of RAM might make it feel sluggish, especially when the 8 Pro has 12GB, but I needn’t have worried.  

Performance isn’t quite class-leading, but the Pixel 8 still offers more than enough power for the vast majority of people. My typical day involves lots of messaging, web browsing, navigation, taking photos and watching the occasional video. The Pixel 8 handled all that without even getting noticeably warm, even when quickly switching between them. 

The Pixel 8 still offers more than enough power for the vast majority of people

I was also surprised by how well it handled demanding mobile games, with the likes of Asphalt 9 and Call of Duty: Mobile running without any noticeable stuttering or dropped frames. However, I’d still recommend a dedicated gaming phone if you’re really serious about it.  

Combining the Tensor G3 with that 120Hz refresh rate means everything feels very slick and responsive, albeit not quite as rapid as Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 phones. That’s reflected in the benchmarks below, but it’s not a cause for concern.  

Google Pixel 8 benchmarks

Disappointingly, there are only two options for internal storage: 128- or 256GB. With no option for microSD expansion and around 18GB taken up with system files, it’s worth paying the $60/£60 premium for 256GB if you’re at all unsure. It’s a shame the 512GB and 1TB options from the 8 Pro aren’t available in the UK, and just in the US.  

There are some small upgrades to connectivity, though, and Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.3 are more about futureproofing than use in 2023. And, of course, there’s 5G support. 

Cameras & Video 

• Superb main and selfie cameras 
• Decent 12Mp ultrawide 
• No telephoto 
• Various AI editing features 

Cameras have always been the main reason to buy a Pixel phone, and that’s even more true on the Pixel 8. 

The 50Mp main sensor is the primary reason for this – it’s identical to the Pixel 8 Pro, and a slightly tweaked version of 50Mp found on the Pixel 7. Alongside Google’s superb (arguably unmatched) software processing, the Pixel 8 can’t be beaten when it comes to point-and-shoot smartphone photography. 

I tested the camera in a variety of scenarios, and there were no weaknesses. Detail, dynamic range and exposure are all consistently excellent, whether you’re capturing an expansive landscape or building up close. 

The image processing isn’t true to life, but I think the subtle boosts to saturation and contrast match how most people would want to edit them. And if you don’t like what Google is doing here, you can always shoot in RAW and make manual changes yourself. 

Unfortunately, the 12Mp ultrawide lens is a significant downgrade compared to the equivalent 48Mp sensor on the Pixel 8 Pro. Images are noticeably less detailed as a result, but the powerful software processing means they’re still very usable unless you zoom in. Colours and exposure are still very impressive.

The Pixel 8 can’t be beaten when it comes to point-and-shoot smartphone photography

Night Sight is available on both the main and ultrawide lenses, and it does a very good job of brightening low-light shots while still maintaining key details. It’s one of the most impressive night modes I’ve used. 

But with the 48Mp telephoto lens totally missing here, there’s no optical zoom at all, so you’ll have to rely on the digital version instead. Of course, this isn’t quite as good, but it does a remarkable job of preserving details, even at the maximum 8x. 

There are no downgrades when it comes to the front camera, though. Despite a seemingly low res 10.5Mp sensor, the Pixel 8 is capable of taking excellent regular and ultrawide shots. Detail and dynamic range are also excellent here, and it handles exposure very well. 

The software also enables excellent portrait shots, both from the main and selfie cameras. Subjects are crisp and well-lit, while edge detection is the best I’ve seen on any smartphone. The image of the dog in the gallery below was a real ‘wow’ moment. 

But there are also a host of powerful editing features for after you’ve taken a photo or video. The most noteworthy addition is Best take, which lets you swap people’s actual faces in a group shot for one from another image taken around the same time. I agree with my colleague Hannah that it feels dystopian, but can’t deny how well it actually works and could be a book if you struggle to get family shots where everyone is smiling at the same time. 

Then there’s Magic Editor, which allows you to seamlessly change the size and position of some subjects in a photo, or get rid of them entirely. This is more hit-and-miss, with the new…