Google Pixel 8 Pro

Technical specifications

Google Pixel 8 and 8 Pro are more expensive in Europe than iPhone 15 and 15 Pro. Apple treats the European consumer much more fairly, if one can say that about Apple. After adding VAT, the price is prohibitive, and customers will choose the more well-known Samsung or Apple.

Kostek - Pixel 8 Pro costs [...] 1099 euro, which is 4889 zł. Where is the Iphone 15 Pro available at this price? [...] Iphone 15 Pro starts from 6198 zł.

I do not understand the negative comments. I have had the phone for about 6 months. Perhaps it is a better batch? I am very satisfied, except perhaps for the price.

cons
- image jump when switching lenses, but I was aware of this.
- stock Google apps cannot be removed. However, it must be admitted that they work somewhat better.
- the camera sometimes changes color temperature under similar light depending on the colors appearing in the scene. sometimes it shifts to a warmer tone as dusk falls. photos are more spectacular but less realistic - it depends on personal preference. this is not a major flaw.
- the camera bar looks ugly in my opinion.
- it heats up significantly during wireless charging. but this does not bother me.
- expensive. but not expensive for a good camera.
- it is large; it would be better if such camera parameters were in a smaller phone.

+
+ well-made. ultra slippery - this is both a disadvantage and an advantage. do not apply a screen protector, the glass is perfect. But cover the back because it behaves like water on fabrics; eventually, it will fall.
+ very good speakers (I play instruments)
+ sensational photos and videos. That is why I bought this phone. If you have an eye for framing and a bit of imagination, this camera will make you a master. the telephoto optical zoom was my dream. mechanical and electronic stabilization is incredible; you think it is your steady hand, but the preview reveals how the software works for that view. Video at 5x, a child appears in the frame at a birthday party, the camera focuses on the person, you just roughly follow the person, and the face is perfectly stable and sharp, and the voice is amplified because... after all, you are recording from a distance... shocking, the image is smooth, professional, it happens by itself. The camera knows what you want to do. AI functions are not something I am interested in, but the camera can highlight objects similar to those you just photographed and tell you how to take a photo "you are cutting off the glass. move the camera left and down" and it counts down 3, 2, 1 itself and you get the photo.
If you like Samsung photos, do not buy the Pixel because it is a different aesthetic. Samsung additionally saturates colors. Pixel takes very good natural photos.
And! low-light photos are very good, sharp, and colorful. sometimes something blurs in motion, but I did not expect so much with moving objects.
+ everything works well and efficiently. especially the fingerprint sensor in non-Google applications, which is not obvious
+ there is no forced installation of applications
+ Google Pay (NFC) payments work ultra fast
+ the screen is very bright. at the start, the pink instead of white as in Samsungs terrified me, but the Pixel has such a theme at the start; there are other color menus. white can be white.
+ very efficient. the energy lasts me well over a day (at the end of the day I have 20-40 percent, and if I did not have time to use it, even 60). I do not play games. mainly messengers, YT, internet browser, photos, videos. Every now and then, the Pixel wants to optimize, i.e., it suggests which application you can restrict so you have more energy. Or it withdraws background permission consents on its own with your agreement.
+ There are many good small details here that are thoughtfully and intuitively designed.
+ unusual haptic vibrations. tap but hold a moment longer; when you release, you will hear and feel as if you were plucking a ruler pressed to the edge of a table. interesting.
+ the Google recorder can do a surprisingly/dangerously large amount. in a crowd of mostly Polish speakers 20m away, it will detect the English language and describe what someone said at a given second... and I will only confirm this amazed after listening 3 times...

I switched from the Galaxy S21 Ultra and, after about a month of use, I notice a significant leap in quality in favor of the Pixel. The phone is solidly built, the speakers sound good, and the call quality is at a flagship level. After a few patches, I obtained 4G+ connectivity (it was only 4G/5G), VoLTE, and WiFi calling. The Pixel is lightning fast and very responsive; it does not overheat (it is only slightly warm in the lower part of the screen - it does not interfere with use). Using it, you can feel that a lot of effort was put into making the user experience pleasant.

Pros:
+ Decent battery - approx. 6-7h SoT with intensive use and 24-25h between charges.
+ Fantastic camera for a smartphone, with reliable autofocus, taking nice photos even in difficult conditions, great Ultra HDR. The camera app and photo editor are easy to use, while providing many possibilities. The AI editor is also worth recommending - a very interesting feature, not just as a visual addition, but also truly useful.
+ Video and recorded sound quality is also very good - a big leap compared to the previous Pixel and seems even better than from the S21 Ultra.
+ The screen is in a class of its own. Smoothness of movement, color saturation, sharpness, brightness - everything is top-tier.
+ Good speakers. Maybe not the best I have heard, but definitely among the better ones.
+ Android on a Pixel is simply a different experience. After trying flagships from other manufacturers, I find it most pleasant here. The phone is extremely smooth in operation.
+ Attractive design (a matter of taste) and high-level workmanship.
+ The camera bar is symmetrical, which provides a secure grip and ensures the phone does not wobble when lying on a table.
+ Camera and fingerprint unlocking works well and reliably.
+ Fantastic haptics. You can feel almost every interaction in the system.

Cons:
- Fast charging does not work on some chargers - it must be in the PD standard, it does not support QC (on the S21 Ultra I did not have this problem; whatever I connected to worked).
- Initially, it frequently disconnected from WiFi in favor of data transmission, claiming the connection quality was low - but it seems it finally achieved compatibility with my router ;-)
- Some options like VoLTE, 4G+, WiFi Calling - for some unknown reason were not available by default in the settings; although the issue can be resolved easily and without rooting the device, it is definitely a disadvantage for me.
- Shiny, non-brushed aluminum in the frame is in my opinion a mediocre idea. It looks nice, but collects fingerprints and will likely get scratched - I recommend a case.
- The questionably useful thermometer on the back of the device looks like something forgotten to be removed from the drawing board and just stayed that way.
- The fingerprint reader could be ultrasonic, which would make it slightly faster.
- The processor is somewhat behind the flagship competition - the Pixel works great, but we will see how it holds up in the future and with the promised long support.

In summary, my feelings are very positive and I highly recommend this model.

The phone is average in my opinion.
1. During intensive use it heats up - I do not play games on it, but for example, while simultaneously using Yanosik, listening to music from YT music via BT, and inductive charging, the phone is simply hot. While holding it in hand and using several applications at once, it can also warm up the hand. When cloning an old phone to the Pixel, I thought the Pixel would catch fire...
2. Very few compatible chargers and cables. At home I have many chargers and USB-C cables, unfortunately I had to purchase new ones.... Of course, no charger is included and the included cable is only USB-C - USB-C, perhaps if it were USB-C - USB-A maybe some home charger would work.
3. I have the impression that overlays from other manufacturers add many functions to Android.
Absence of mini mode in Yanosik, absence of Google Discover after swiping the screen to the right, WhatsApp bubbles do not appear despite enabling that applications can show as bubbles, clicking on a Messenger bubble does not maximize the message to full screen but there is a frame around it which, if clicked by accident, exits Messenger... Many, many other trivial but annoying software issues.
4. AI functions work and that is a plus. Magic eraser removes people or objects in photos, it suggests three versions at once, you can ask for more, although if it is supposed to add a word, for example, it results in scribbles. Audio eraser in videos excellently cuts out background noise or, for example, leaves the noise but cuts out the laughter of a bystander.
5. Improved image quality, i.e., sending a video to the Google server to enhance it: it is impossible to send a large video through the whole night, and small ones after enhancement are worse than the original...
6. It takes very nice photos, very nice videos but... comparing it to a phone from 2019! there is no leap in quality, only an improvement (unfortunately I had a P30 pro). Pixel obviously takes better photos but, for example, the optical zoom is smaller.
7. I do not see any significant difference in screen brightness, refresh rate, etc., and so on.
8. Very good stereo speakers, they might not compete with a JBL FLip 5/6 at a party, but if there is no JBL, they will liven up the party.
9. It lasts less than a day, 90 min. a day used very intensively (Yanosik + YT music, screen on all the time), it must be recharged in the late afternoon immediately.

The phone is good, maybe even very good, but as a smartphone user for 15 years starting from Omnia II, through Galaxy S series and finally Huawei P series, it did not impress me, whereas during previous transitions I felt a leap in quality and functionality.

Unfortunately, I get the impression that with each subsequent model, the so-called Pixel magic is fading. The first device from the series I used was the 2 XL model, and I rate it the highest. Everything worked the most smoothly and looked the best, including the screen preview function, which activated with every, even slight movement of the phone (in the 8 Pro, this works very stubbornly, although I admit, it seems to have improved over time - maybe it is just a detail, but every such trifle affects the overall experience with the smartphone), or the "Now Playing" feature. Later, I used the 5 and 6 Pro models. Now I have the 8 Pro, and I use it without any great pleasure - now more joy of use is provided by, for example, the Nothing Phone, which also has essentially clean Android, but the manufacturer did not forget about the small details improving work comfort, such as, for example, turning off the screen with a double tap - in the Pixel, this is still missing!!! Even connecting the Pixel with other Google devices - smartwatch, headphones - works worse than in the Nothing Phone. For example, a notification about the watch being charged is missing (although I get the impression it used to appear...), the battery status widget is mediocre. In Nothing, everything is at the level of the Apple ecosystem, and maybe even higher. There are aesthetic, practical widgets and all information is in one place. Also, navigating through the side edges of the display is troublesome because there is a slight gap between the smartphone frame and the edges of the display, and the frame protrudes slightly upwards and is sharp. From what I remember, the Pixel 2 XL had slightly curved side edges, in the 6 Pro the edges were clearly curved (not everyone accepts this, for me it is an aesthetic and practical value). However, this was best solved in the 5 model, by slightly curving all 4 edges. That was the golden mean. Why give up such good solutions, or why not return to them? To resemble the iPhone even more visually? Because that is unfortunately how it looks. Pixel has lost its originality and increasingly resembles a competitor's model. For me, this is an incomprehensible action. In summary, I am starting to regret the purchase and I am increasingly wondering whether to replace it with a retro model as a spare phone - the 4 XL model.

After a year and a half of using the Pixel 8pro, I can say that I do not know how it is possible that I have been struggling with it for so long. For those wondering whether to buy it, I will say that it is worth it only and exclusively for the camera. For nothing else. I cannot count how many times I wanted to hit it against the wall. Another summer is approaching and the drama with overheating is starting. Especially when navigation is turned on in the car.... The screen is not that bright at all, because I cannot see anything in full sun despite maximum brightness. It often begins to freeze. After a year and a half, the battery in it practically does not exist... 3 hours and it is discharged. You can fry eggs while charging, which I proved on my YouTube channel. I cannot create a new account on Facebook because Google is monitoring me and claims that I am not who I say I am, even though I sent them confirmation of my identity by sending my ID card in the Facebook application. There are truly dozens of shortcomings in this Pixel that can irritate a person to a very high degree, and if it were not for my relatively calm nature, I do not know what would have happened. Finally, I can add that my sister Natalia from Ełk also had a Pixel 8 pro. She lasted three months with it. When she threw it against the wall in the bedroom, it was completely destroyed. On that same day, she immediately bought a flagship from Samsung and says she has not been so happy with a phone change in a long time... I am currently waiting for new flagships and will also be changing. I am observing whether Samsung phones will finally receive a new type of battery, as most Chinese manufacturers already have.

The review should start with the price. I bought mine for 3,000, new, or more precisely, replaced by the manufacturer with a new unit due to a defect. At this price, the phone is absolutely without competition. The speakers are much better than the s24U, the DAC on USB-C is comparable, but worse than in the 15 pro max. The display is sensational; in my opinion, it has a better image than the s24U. Battery and charging are somewhat average, but it lasts a whole day on LTE and 5G. The design and build quality are, in my opinion, among the best on the market, and the camera outclasses the s24U. The Galaxy can only compete in terms of zoom, but only above 10x. In every other possible scenario, the Pixel 8 Pro outperforms the Galaxy. The photo app does not lag, it takes high-resolution photos immediately, unlike the competitor; it has one application instead of the camera app, Expert RAW, and Camera Assistant. It does not create circles or artifacts in the sky during night photos without night mode like the s24u; the photos are suitable for processing in professional programs. Unfortunately, those from the s24u highlight software shortcomings even more during processing. Operation is smooth and pleasant, and the vibrations are excellent everywhere. The phone informs you with vibrations during every action. They are also pleasant, not like in some other smartphones - as if something were vibrating in an empty box. Finally, performance: hmmm, if you do not play games or render, it is excellent, with no lags or stutters. Well, when gaming, it can heat up a small room. Overall, I recommend it.

About a month ago, I switched from a Galaxy S22 to the Pixel 8 Pro in the 12/512 variant. The first thing that struck me was the display—not only much larger than the Samsung (which was obvious), but significantly brighter, smoother, and generally better. I like it more than the S23 Ultra. Another plus is the distinctive design, which cannot be mistaken for any other smartphone brand. The system is excellent, very responsive and intuitive, probably the most pleasant version of Android on the market, plus it has fast updates. The cameras that everyone talks about also make a good impression. AF is fast and accurate, and the images are very detailed and pleasing to the eye. For the first time, I am not afraid to use the wide-angle and telephoto lenses because, in good light, they provide results sufficient to leave a dedicated camera at home. The highlight is the battery, which easily lasts a full day of intensive work; a SoT of 7-8h is actually standard, whereas on the Galaxy S22, it was a miracle to reach 4h. Any downsides? Fast charging could be faster; sometimes I feel like it doesn't work at all. Additionally, the volume buttons are unintuitively placed under the power button (though all three buttons are at a good height), and the fingerprint scanner is not the fastest.

Pros:
+ Brilliant screen
+ Distinctive design
+ Smooth and pleasant operation
+ Great cameras
+ Decent battery life
+ Very good speakers

Cons:
- Can get warm
- Fast charging is inconsistent
- Strange side button layout
- Fingerprint scanner lags behind the competition

After 12 months of using the Pixel, I can confidently write that this phone is a failure. It has its advantages, but there are significantly fewer of them than disadvantages.
Pros:
- design
- display
Neutral:
- camera
At the beginning, the camera was great. After six months, the photo quality deteriorated significantly. I understand that a camera has its lifespan, but six months?
Additionally, the camera often freezes, and you have to wait 3-4 seconds to take the next photo (it does not matter whether the AI option is on or off) even though there is plenty of free memory in the phone.
Cons:
- BATTERY
Unfortunately, it is impossible to use the phone comfortably. When browsing the internet, the phone gets terribly hot (also now while writing this comment in a room at 21°), which makes it impossible to use.
When using navigation in the summer (while driving a car) and charging at the same time, I have the impression that the phone is about to explode.
The battery life itself... I have no words.
- RELIABILITY, SMOOTHNESS OF OPERATION
The phone very often experiences stutters. I have observed this since it was new.

If it were not for the fact that I paid 2450 PLN for the phone in a popular store (stationary), I would not be so angry.
I switched from the Samsung s20 fe. The camera is a plus, the rest, unfortunately, is a minus.
I do not understand the positive comments about this phone. First and last Pixel. It is time to return to Samsung, or possibly an iPhone.