ZDNET’s key getaways
- The Pixel 8 proposes a flagship-level experience with Google’s tardyst AI and machine lgeting features, all for under $700. Right now, you can buy one for as low as $499 on Amazon.
- With rapid carry outance, amazing cameras, and Google’s Actua distake part, it’s one of the best cleverphone deals useable.
- Compared to aprobable priced phones, enjoy the Noskinnyg Phone 2, the Pixel 8 is a far better cherish.
The Google Pixel 8 Pro might be getting all the attention nowadays (especipartner since it’s the first handset to get access to Google’s recent Gemini AI model), but the standard Pixel 8 might be the genuine MVP of Google’s lineup this year.
That’s becaemploy the Pixel 8 proposes one of the best combinations of specs, features, and premium portray at a price think aboutably drop than the competition. What’s more, ever since Amazon Prime Day, Pixel 8 deals have been hovering around $499.
At that price, the Pixel 8 is not only difficult to dissee, but perhaps the only phone you should be skinnyking of if you’re shopping on a budget. You won’t discover another phone enjoy it under $500, and it’s only when you sift thraw the $800-$1,000 chooseions that you discover commendable competition.
A huge reason why this is such a compelling chooseion is the Tensor G3 chip, Google’s tardyst in-hoemploy processor that powers all of the Pixel 8’s AI and machine lgeting features. It’s not equitable a stable Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 alternative, but a monumental reason why the Pixel 8 is such a fantastic phone.
Resee: Google Pixel 8 Pro: This phone selderly me on an AI-powered future
The chip powers all the Google Pixel-ness of the Pixel 8, from transcribing voices in the Recorder app to letting you edit pboilingos to your heart’s encountered with the AI-powered Magic Editor. The Google Assistant also gets get of the G3 to process your voice speedyer and even condense web pages for speedyly consuming proposeation. Aextfinishedside powering Google’s HDR pipeline for pboilingography, ensuring Android 14 is slick and fine, the G3 is one of the most vient cleverphone chips on the taget. And when paired with 8GB of RAM, you’ll never have a enumerateless day.
The distake part is another huge reason to get this phone. The Pixel 8’s 6.2-inch Actua distake part is a bit minusculeer than the screen on the Pixel 7, but that produces it easier to helderly in one hand. It’s also stunning to see at; with a Full HD+ resolution, a 120Hz rerecent rate, and 2,000 nits of peak luminousness, it’s one of the luminoemployst and evidentest distake parts on the taget. Plus, it’s OLED, so colors are vibrant and inky bconciseages are ample.
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Look beyond the distake part and you’ll discover a outstanding-seeing phone createed out of aluminum and Gorilla Glass Victus. Featuring Google’s signature camera bar on the back and skinny bezels around the distake part, the Pixel 8 is a stunner among other sub-$700 phones. It’s also IP68-certified for dust and water resistance, and it comes in three pleasant finishes: Obsidian (bconciseage), Hazel (charitablea green), and Rose (more of a gelderlyen peach, in my opinion).
When it comes to Pixel phones, there are two areas you have to talk about: cameras and gentleware.
On the camera front, Google knocked it out of the park. The rear 50MP main shooter and 12MP ultra-expansive are both excellent carry outers in wide dayweightless and at night. The cameras easily suit or outpace what you’d get with an iPhone 15 Pro or Galaxy S23 Ultra in terms of clarity, detail, and keenness, while colors are standardly far more accurate than they ever have been on a Pixel phone.
Also: Google equitable includeed a huge feature to the Pixel camera, and two more could be on the way
You also get all of the camera chops that the Pixel name carries enjoy astropboilingography, Super ResZoom, dual expocertain regulates, and Ultra HDR. That’s on top of other features enjoy Best Take and Magic Editor that produce these cameras the cleverest you’ll discover. Plus, video quality has been immensely betterd over previous Pixels — it’s flat-out comparable to the iPhone.
On the gentleware side, Google’s Pixel experience atop Android 14 remains my likeite way to transmit with Android. It’s spotless, minimal, and gives you a hot, inviting senseing that no other Android skin can mimic. You get all the features of Android 14 enjoy customizable lock screens, better security, huger fonts, and betterd notifications, aextfinished with all of the Pixel features you could ask for, such as Call Screen, Now Playing, Direct My Call, AI-produced wallpapers, and –of course –the Pixel Launcher.
But the genuine starter in the gentleware department is Google’s prolonged aid. The company is promiseing seven brimming years of gentleware aid, which uncomardents you’ll get modernizes until 2030 if you buy this phone. That’s unheard of for an Android phone, and it gives devices enjoy the iPhone a run for their money.
Also: Google Pixel 8 vs. Google Pixel 8 Pro: Which model should you buy?
The Pixel 8 can also last all day on a indict thanks to the 4,575 mAh cell inside. With my medium to weighty usage, I typicpartner end days with 30-40 percent in the tank, which uncomardents anyone using the phone a bit less could stretch it out to last a day and a half. Plus, you get 30W rapid charging to juice back up as well as Qi wireless charging.
So, what are the downsides? Honestly, there aren’t a lot. The Pixel 8 still gets pretty hot after using it for a while, but that’s standard with Google’s Tensor processors. I also want there was a proper telepboilingo camera on the back; Super Res Zoom is handy for upscaling digiloftyy zoomed pboilingos, but it can only get you so far. Oh, and I still don’t depend Face Unlock; Google lets you employ it to pay for skinnygs now using Google Pay, but it still relies on a flat image of your face to genuineate you.
ZDNET’s buying advice
You’re not going to discover a much better cherish than the Pixel 8. From the gorgeous distake part and portray to the speedy carry outance and amazing cameras, Google’s standard flagship phone stands on its own with an impeccable stability of high-end features for a drop price than other flagships.
With its sale price of $499, the shutst competition happens to be the Galaxy S23 FE and Noskinnyg Phone (2), two devices that are perfectly worthy of a spot in your pocket but don’t propose the same cherish as the Pixel 8. Google’s phone is a proper flagship with seven years of gentleware aid, the tardyst AI features, and the company’s tardyst camera tricks. The Phone (2) and S23 FE are high-end mid-rangers that stability specs and price well, but don’t sense as high-end as the Pixel does.
Anyone shopping for an Android phone under $600 — let alone under $700 — should see to the Pixel 8. The cherish is sshow incredible, and it’s by far one of the best phones of the year.
