Although there have been many leaks ahead of the official announcement, Google has still left a few surprises in store for its new Pixel-branded products. The Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro launch alongside the new Pixel Watch 2 and Pixel Buds. While the highlight of the year is obviously the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into many of Google’s native apps and services, we’re also excited to see Google successfully making AI’s usefulness available to ordinary users. I’m sure other Android smartphone brands will follow Google’s lead and build their own features based on AI and machine learning in the coming months.
That being said, the new phone isn’t just about artificial intelligence. Unlike Apple, Google upgraded the look and feel of its devices this year. Gone are the square corners and curved edge displays of past models. Google’s new Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro now have a more rounded look that feels surprisingly comfortable and familiar to hold, as it immediately reminds me of the original Google Pixel and Pixel XL.
The designs have clearly evolved from older models, but the visor-like camera module of the latest Google Pixel smartphones has been retained. The camera modules on both phones are still heavy and prone to collecting dust. Another new design element for the new generation of Pixel owners is the smooth matte finish of the Pixel 8 Pro’s rear glass panel. It’s reminiscent of the beloved Pixel 3XL, which also has a similar (but rough) matte glass back panel.
Both smartphones also retain IP68 dust and water resistance rating.
Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro both come with a charging cable, SIM card eject tool and Type-A adapter in the box
Internally, Google is using the new Tensor G3 SoC, which is built on a 4nm manufacturing process and should offer greater efficiency than the G2 on the Pixel 7 Pro. However, given that the Pixel 7 Pro heats up under stress, I’d be more interested to see how Google handles cooling this year.
Although the raw performance of this new processor is not strong, its artificial intelligence capabilities are very powerful. Google explains that the machine learning models on Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro are 10 times more complex than the older Pixel 6 (with Tensor) models. And it’s going to take all that AI processing power to power down and enable all the fancy new features Google is packing into its new phones.
Google Pixel 8 Pro models come with matte rear glass panels and chrome aluminum frames
These include crystal-clear calls, faster photo retouching, better video recording (something that’s much needed), and even new tools like Magic Audio Eraser that can remove distracting sounds (or loud noises) from video recordings. people). The processor also supports the new Secure Face Unlock feature, which surprisingly uses the regular selfie camera for secure (Level 3) biometric authentication.
Unlike past models, it can also be used to authorize bank transactions. Google still left out the optical fingerprint reader, which leads me to believe it may not work at any time or condition (more on this in the review). But it does appear to be the first step in developing something similar to Apple’s Face ID, minus all the added hardware.
For those of you who are both confused and curious about what you’ll get when you take apart your shiny new Pixel 8 or 8 Pro. Here’s a short list of features currently available and those that haven’t yet appeared on our review device.
Available features:
- magic editor
- Magic Audio Eraser
- Artificial intelligence wallpaper
- face unlock
- Professional camera control
- Object Temperature Sensor (App)
- best choice
coming soon:
- video enhancement
- night vision video
- Body temperature measurement
Google Pixel 8 Pro (right) All rear cameras feature high-resolution sensors this year
Speaking of cameras, Google upgraded the main camera and selfie camera (because of face unlock), but seems to have retained the Pixel 7’s ultra-wide angle. The Pixel 8 Pro gets a bigger share of camera upgrades, with high-resolution sensors for all three rear cameras.
There’s a new 50-megapixel main camera, a new 48-megapixel telephoto camera with 5x optical zoom, and another 48-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera, which replaces the 12-megapixel camera on the Pixel 7 Pro. Like the Pixel 8, the selfie camera has been replaced (for face unlock), although there doesn’t seem to be much of an upgrade in terms of resolution. There’s also a new temperature sensor next to the Pixel 8 Pro camera that can be used to measure the surface temperature of objects.
The battery has also received a minor upgrade. The battery of Pixel 8 Pro is 50mAh larger than that of Pixel 7 Pro, reaching 5,050mAh. The Pixel 8’s battery capacity has been increased from the Pixel 7’s 4,355mAh to a larger 4,575mAh. The charging speed of Pixel 8 has also been increased from 20W to 27W wired charging, and the charging speed of Pixel 8 Pro has been increased from 23W to 30W. Thankfully, Google has retained wireless charging functionality on both devices.
The Google Pixel 8 Pro’s camera setup also includes a temperature sensor, located below the LED flash unit
As you can see from the new AI-related upgrades and hardware performance upgrades, it’s easy to forget that Pixel devices are always the first to receive the latest software updates. The new Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro are no different, both come pre-installed with Android 14 and all of its Pixel customizations. Google also announced that it will provide seven years of operating system, security and rich Pixel Drops, which is a huge commitment from Google. But can the battery last that long?Well, Google seems to have Spare parts status The coverage time is also the same.
While all of the above features and promises seem to have raised the bar for Android and even iOS smartphones, Google has also raised the bar this year when it comes to pricing. Pixel 8 price starts at Rs. The Pixel 8 Pro is priced at Rs 75,999 and the Pixel 8 Pro is priced at Rs. 1,06,999, these are indeed the most expensive smartphones from Google to arrive in India. The Pixel 8 Pro seems to worry me more because that’s the price of the only 128GB version in India.
Stay tuned for our detailed reviews to find out if they’re worth your money, or if you should upgrade to something else this holiday season.
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