The Google Pixel remains my favourite smartphone range, and since the Pixel 6, I’ve been routinely satisfied with the new phones that Google has released (especially the budget 6a and 7a). This time around though, Google has increased the prices of both the Pixel 8 and the Pixel 8 Pro, bumping them up by $200 and $400 respectively, a shame considering that the Pixel range was previously celebrated for its affordability.
For me, the difficult thing is that the price bump makes sense – an upgraded display, a bunch of camera upgrades, a much better exterior design, and an upgraded Tensor chip are the defining traits that separate the Pixel 8 from the 7, however, at now $450 cheaper, the Google Pixel 7a makes much more sense as a phone for most users.
The Pixel 8 is a nice handset, and you’d likely be satisfied with your purchase were you to pick it up, however, Google’s much cheaper 7a leaves me with a stronger impression, and for the money you save, I don’t think you’d care that much about the features you’re missing out on.
More with less
Just like with the Google Pixel 8 Pro, the Pixel 8’s most noticeable changes are on the outside. A 1080 x 2400 OLED display, upgraded with 120hz (was 90hz, as is the Pixel 7a’s display with the same resolution), 2,000 nits peak brightness (was 1,400 nits, 1,000 on the Pixel 7a) and a much nicer glass panel to the touch, along with a flat panel instead of Google’s ‘waterfall’ display features on the Pixel 7 (where the sides curve in), you might not have noticed that the Pixel 8 is actually smaller than the 7.
While the Pixel 7 was a 155.6 x 73.2 x 7.3mm device, the Pixel 8 is smaller at 150.5 x 70.8 x 8.9mm size, with a 157mm display instead of the Pixel 7’s 160mm screen. This is really a non-issue, and I don’t mind it at all – it’s not hugely different, but it is of note. It’s actually also somehow smaller than the Pixel 7a, which was 152 x 72.9 x 9mm.
The camera bump doesn’t look any different to last year’s model either, and the colours have been refreshed. Additionally, the material on the back feels about the same as that of the Pixel 7 – a fairly nice polished plastic.
I’ve really enjoyed going back to small phones as of late, truth be told. Between this and the ASUS Zenfone 10, I really wish there was a device with the camera performance of the Pixel 8 Pro, but in a device as small as the Pixel 8. One can dream.
Pixel power
Performance was very much in line with my expectations. Doom-scrolling on Twitter, light gaming, watching stuff on Disney+, these were all things the Pixel 8 did without fault.
In our battery test (the battery is 4,575mAh), where we pit the phone against all of Avengers Endgame, the phone dropped to 92 per cent in the first hour, 80 per cent in the second, then 68 per cent in the third, outperforming the Pixel 8 Pro (likely due to the lower resolution), but not outperforming the Pixel 7a (75 per cent).
A day of moderate use, where I’d be using this phone now and again to check Facebook Messenger and Twitter, along with some photos in the middle of the day, resulted in a battery drop down to about 70 per cent.
In terms of available specifications, the Pixel 8 can be purchased with either 128GB or 256GB storage options, with 8GB RAM backing it up.
Additionally, the phone is powered by an Immortalis-G715s MC10 GPU, and the star of the internal specs show, the Google Tensor G3 chip. For day-to-day use, I didn’t notice any abnormalities, but it definitely keeps up in the ways I needed it to (such as when doing audio recordings and when I had multiple applications open).
Supposedly, the face unlock system has also been upgraded with this device to be more secure than ever, and is now enabled for secure and banking apps, but I’m more of a fingerprint recognition guy. Additionally, as I explored in the Pixel 8 Pro review, there’s only so much a 2D camera can improve, especially when Apple uses a 3D camera for face unlock.
Alright – it’s time for the real test. Camera time.
Still a brilliant smartphone camera
With the introduction of the camera bar, Google really redefined its product offering with the Pixel range and just what users should expect from its devices. Year-on-year since the Pixel 6, improvements have been incremental, and there’s very little to make note of this time around.
With a 50MP wide camera, a 12MP ultrawide camera (upgraded over the Pixel 7 with Auto Focus), and a 10.5MP selfie camera (actually a slight downgrade from the 10.8MP selfie camera on the Pixel 7), and 2x maximum zoom, along with the introduction of features like Macro Focus, Astrophotography, Best Take, Audio Magic Eraser, Ultra HDR, and the Magic Editor, this year was more of a software upgrade than a hardware one. You’ll notice the photos below are taken in exactly the same spots as those in the Pixel 8 Pro review, just to demonstrate potential differences between the cameras.
Let’s start with a wide shot.
Now a close-up macro shot of some thistles.
Now a close-up macro shot of a bird of paradise flower.
Now some selfies, one in the light, and one in a darker environment.
Now some portrait mode snaps of assorted flowers.
Now an ultrawide-angle shot (0.5x).
And now, maximum zoom (2x).
As you might expect, colours are more detailed with the photos featured in the Pixel 8 Pro review (especially in the macro photos), but these are by no measure bad photos. I’m extremely satisfied with the camera quality on offer here.
Just a note on Best Take, the new Google editing feature that allows users to swap out their faces in photos for better faces from other photos, it’s supposed to work on the Pixel 8, however I was unable to make it do so. If you’d like to see what a Best Take edit looks like, you can check one out in our Pixel 8 Pro review – I can imagine results being similar due to it leveraging almost the exact same tech, but I was just unable to make it work.
The Google Pixel 8: A $200 price bump for a device you can skip
I think I’ve written this review mostly begrudgingly because I’m a value snob. I’ve loved that the Pixel series has now, for two generations, offered exceptional performance and camera quality at quite accessible price points, however Google’s price increases with the eighth generation are quite dramatic. The performance is still there, but seeing the value argument weakened is a real shame.
Realistically, I think most prospective phone buyers would probably be satisfied with the Google Pixel 7a – a phone that we loved so much that we reckon it competed head-to-head with the Pixel 7 Pro. Personally, I think the Pixel 7a smashes the Pixel 8 into the ground, and at a much more achievable price point, would be the better decision for most people.
I recommend the Google Pixel 8 if you’re upgrading from a Google Pixel 6 (or older device), but I would also recommend considering the Pixel 7a.
Where to buy the Google Pixel 8?
Outright, via the Google Store website:
- The 128GB Google Pixel 8 will cost RRP $1,199
- The 256GB Google Pixel 8 will cost RRP $1,299
The Hazel and Rose models are available with 128GB, while the Black models are available with either 128GB or 256GB.
Image: Zachariah Kelly/Gizmodo Australia