The Google Pixel 8 Pro is here to put all other Android phones to shame. This thing has it all, excluding the kitchen sink, and it seems like the tradition of Google software meets Google hardware equals powerful device isn’t ending with this year’s iteration.
The phone has the same incremental year-on-year improvements we’ve seen in other handsets from Apple and Samsung this year, but it’s also had a pretty big overhaul with how it looks. Like the Pixel 8, the 8 Pro is this year more rounded, still keeping a Pixel vibe, just without the waterfall edges and this time boasting a flat screen.
Google Pixel 8 Pro
The Pixel 8 Pro has a soft touch matte back glass and the camera bar’s polished enclosure neatly contrasts with that to give the phone a more ‘pro’ feel than last year’s. The colour choices this year also align more with what you’d expect from a pro phone: Obsidian (black), porcelain, and a bright blue colour that I wouldn’t usually consider synonymous with luxury, but it’s for those pro users who still want fun, I guess.
The screen is still 6.7-inches and Google reckons the Pixel 8 Pro boasts the brightest screen on any Pixel phone. It’s also got a variable refresh rate that intelligently adjusts from 1-to-120 Hz.
Google has packed a new flagship-level 50MP main camera, with 21 per cent more light sensitivity than in the 7 Pro, into the Pixel 8 Pro. Actually, every camera has been upgraded, including the 48MP ultra-wide lens, which allows for improved macro shots – Google reckons you can now get as close as 2cms with autofocus. Telephoto also lets in far more light this year, autofocus now also captures 56 per cent more light compared to last year’s Pro. Selfie cam (still 10.5MP) gets autofocus, too.
The Google Tensor G3 powering the Pixel 8 Pro is touted as being “built to push the boundaries of on-device machine learning”. For G3, every major subsystem has been upgraded, which includes the latest generation of ARM CPUs and a more performant GPU. Put it this way – Google said that compared to the largest machine learning model it ran last year on the Pixel 7, some of these new models require up to 150 times more computation power. The Pixel 8 Pro is a powerhouse.
Pixel 8 Pro specs at a glance
- Screen: 6.7-inch Actua display (42 per cent brighter year-on-year), built with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus
- Refresh rate: 120Hz
- Size: 162.6 mm x 76.5 mm x 8.8 mm
- Weight: 213 grams
- Battery: all day (24 hours+), up to 72-hour battery life with Extreme Battery Saver
- Storage: 128GB, 256GB, 512 GB
- Processor: Google Tensor G3
- Camera: 50MP wide, 12MP ultrawide, and 10.5MP selfie cam
- Authentication: fingerprint, face unlock, PIN/pattern/password
- Network: 5G
- Water resistance: IP68
- Colours: Porcelain, obsidian (black), and bay (blue).
What else?
The Google Pixel 8 Pro gets a temperature sensor. Yes. Point it and shoot and you get the temp of the thing, up to 200-degrees C. While not in place yet, Google has submitted an application to the U.S. FDA to enable you to use the thermometer app to take your own temperature and save it to Fitbit.
Other features include Audio Magic Eraser for video (where you can scrub out audio like you scrub out things in photos with standard Magic Eraser) and Magic Editor (coming soon) will let you pick the right shot for everyone and blend it together. This was a bizarre demo, with an example being a shot of three people, and three different photos that each individual has chosen for themselves can now be blended into one photo.
Assistant voice typing lets you write messages twice as fast with your voice and it also now lets you type, edit, and send messages in multiple languages. The new feature At a Glance is touted as showing more useful info on your screen, like travel updates or event tickets.
With the Pixel 8, Google has also upped its software support and security upgrades to seven years. You also get VPN by Google One built in. Actually, the Assistant can do a whole bucketload of new cool things, such as selfie assistant, which now works on the front camera and better recognises pets, food, and documents, not just spaces.
Google Pixel 8 Pro Australian pricing
- The 128GB Pixel 8 Pro will cost RRP $1,699
- The 256GB Pixel 8 Pro will cost RRP $1,799
- The 512GB Pixel 8 Pro will cost RRP $1,999
Google Pixel 8 Pro Australian availability
The Pixel 8 Pro will be available for pre-sale from October 5 at the Google Store, Telstra, JB HI-FI, Optus, Vodafone, Officeworks, and Harvey Norman. Availability in Australia is October 12.
At its Made By Google event, Google announced the Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro, Pixel Watch 2, and two new colour options for the Pixel Buds. While you’re here, why not check out our daily tech deals, our guide to the best value for money NBN plans, and info on the latest phones from Apple and Samsung. Head to our dedicated Mobile tab for more. Stay tuned for our review of the new Google Pixel 8 and 8 Pro.
Image: Asha Barbaschow/Gizmodo Australia