Google Pixel 8: The Future Of Android Smartphones
Google Pixel 8: The Future Of Android Smartphones
Google's Pixel 8, a new smartphone in their lineup, succeeds last year's Pixel 7, offering a range of enhancements that prioritize the overall user experience. It's designed to function as a dedicated AI computer with the added capability of making calls, sending texts, and taking photos.
The Pixel 8 closely resembles its larger sibling, the Pixel 8 Pro, sharing features such as the Tensor G3 processor, Android 14 software, and Google's long-term support. Despite its smaller size and the missing of certain elements like a telephoto lens and a thermometer, it offers significant cost savings if those features aren't important to your needs. Moreover, the Pixel 8 stands out with its advanced AI and machine learning capabilities, making it a strong contender in the budget-friendly smartphone category. All in all, the Pixel 8 is a noteworthy option in the world of mid range Android phones.
Google Pixel 8’s Display Technology
Google proudly showcases the Pixel 8's remarkable 6.2-inch OLED display, which they've dubbed the "Actua display," with a primary goal of delivering sharp visual accuracy. This screen highlights a resolution of 2,400 by 1,080 pixels, contributing to an impressive pixel density of 424 pixels per inch (ppi). What sets it apart is the display's dynamic refresh rate, spanning from a smooth 60Hz for static visuals to a rapid 120Hz for seamless and fluid animations.
Where the Pixel 8 truly shines is in the display's vividness. It achieves an average brightness of 1,400 nits, peaking at an astonishing 2,000 nits. This stellar brightness level guarantees excellent visibility, even when you find yourself under the scorching glare of direct sunlight. This enhancement is a significant leap from its predecessor, the Pixel 7, and underscores Google's commitment to providing top-tier visual experiences.
Nonetheless, it's worth noting that at its maximum brightness setting, the Pixel 8's display can be rather intense when used indoors, particularly if your screen predominantly features light color schemes with an abundance of white. This marks the importance of adjusting the brightness settings to suit your environment and preferences.
Furthermore, the Pixel 8's display quality is not limited to its luminance; it also excels in terms of viewing angles. Whether you're viewing content head-on or from an angle, this screen delivers excellent visual consistency and quality, making it a standout feature of the Pixel 8. In sum, the tech-sensation’s display combines accuracy, adaptability, and exceptional brightness to provide a compelling visual experience, ensuring it competes favorably with its contemporaries.
Inside The Pixel 8: Storage, Hardware, and Graphics Performance
The standard model of the Google Pixel 8 comes equipped with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, with the option to upgrade to 256GB for an additional $60. If you intend to use your Pixel 8 for an extended period, it's advisable to opt for the 256GB variant.
The device is powered by Google's latest Tensor G3 processor, which the company hasn't disclosed detailed specifications for yet.
To evaluate performance objectively, we conducted benchmark tests. Starting with Geekbench 5, a test measuring CPU performance, the Pixel 8 achieved a score of 1,229 in the single-core test and 3,140 in the multi-core exam. In the PCMark Web 3.0 benchmark, which assesses web-based activities, the Pixel 8 garnered a score of 9,959.
Turning to graphics, we conducted the 1440p Aztec Ruins GFXBench test in which the Pixel 8 achieved a frame rate of 49 frames per second (fps).
In real-world gaming, the smartphone managed to handle playing Genshin Impact on medium settings at 60fps quite effectively, despite occasional warnings of slowdown. On high settings at 60fps, the phone performed well, with only one instance of slowdown during an extended gaming session. It's worth mentioning that during lengthier play sessions, the back of the Pixel 8 became warm to the touch.
The Pixel 8 exhibited smooth multitasking, handling the use of two apps simultaneously and swift app loading times. Notably, its offline capabilities are a significant asset. The Pixel 8 can perform advanced photo and video editing without an internet connection. Additionally, the translation feature works effectively even without an internet connection, provided you've downloaded the necessary language packs.
In essence, the Pixel 8's performance is solid, though it may not reach the highest benchmarks in all categories. However, it excels in practical use cases, particularly with offline capabilities and smooth multitasking.
Pixel 8 Battery Capacity And Efficient Charging Options
When it comes to the battery, the Pixel 8 is equipped with a 4,575mAh battery that can be charged using various methods. It supports 27W wired charging, 18W wireless charging with the optional second-generation Google Pixel Stand, or 12W using standard Qi wireless charging.
It's important to mention that the Pixel 8 doesn't include a charging brick in the box. If you have the appropriate charger, the Pixel 8 can go from 0% to 100% in approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes. Even a brief 15-minute charge provides a 23% battery boost, and it takes just under 40 minutes to reach a 50% charge from a completely depleted battery. These versatile and efficient charging options make the Pixel 8 quite adaptable to different charging scenarios.
Enhanced Google Assistant Features On Pixel 8
The Pixel 8 offers enhanced Google Assistant features that are exclusive to Pixel phones. With this update, Google Assistant can now generate summaries, read content aloud, and even translate web pages into spoken text when using Google Chrome. To utilize these features, simply visit a web page, activate Assistant, and select from options like "Summarize" or "Read Aloud." It's important to note that these functions may not be compatible with all websites. When it does work, the "Summarize" function condenses the article into bullet points, and "Read Aloud" includes speed controls for a customizable listening experience. The same speed controls apply when "Read Aloud" translates content for you.
However, it's essential to recognize that these features aren't globally applicable across the entire system. For instance, "Read Aloud" won't function within the Amazon Kindle app, and "Summarize" isn't available while using the Brave browser.
The Pixel 8 series also brings improvements to call screening. Moreover, Google Assistant can now prompt callers to provide an explanation before connecting them to you.
The Evolution Of Pixel Camera Technology
The primary camera on the Pixel 8 is a 50MP shooter with optical image stabilization, offering a Super Res Zoom feature that can magnify images up to 8x. You have the flexibility to create well-exposed 12.5MP images by binning pixels together or opt for full-resolution snaps to capture more details, which can be adjusted in the settings. Unlike the Pixel 8 Pro, there isn't a dedicated telephoto lens, and the camera app lacks professional-level controls. The front-facing camera is a 10.5MP selfie shooter with a 95-degree field of view.
Photos taken with any of the Pixel 8's cameras are impressively detailed and handle varying lighting conditions efficiently. Color consistency is maintained across the cameras, although colors may appear somewhat oversaturated when compared to real-life hues. The Super Res Zoom feature, which employs digital cropping and machine learning, generally performs well, but it can sacrifice fine details in the process. The Pixel's strength in low-light photography continues, with the Pixel 8's algorithms preserving more shadow details, resulting in a more natural appearance in images.
When it comes to selfies, the Pixel 8 excels at capturing intricate details, rendering fine hair and wrinkles sharply. Portrait mode produces a very natural look with default settings, effectively distinguishing the subject from the background, even in complex scenarios.
Video recording on the Pixel 8 is quite impressive, although it retains the slight oversaturation seen in still photos. For more accurate colors, enabling HDR is recommended. The captured video is consistently sharp and well-focused, with preserved details, even when capturing subjects in varying lighting conditions. It's possible to digitally zoom up to 7x while recording, but this can lead to detail loss and amplification of any camera movement.
Magic Editor: AI Powered Photo Editing Tool
Google has introduced several AI-enhanced editing features in Google Photos, expanding the Pixel 8's capabilities. One of these features is the Magic Eraser, allowing users to remove objects from images with ease. While it generally works well, there are occasional instances where the resulting image might have an oddly rendered background. Although the background in some images might look a bit strange at times, it's not a big issue because Magic Eraser is very easy to use and user-friendly. Additionally, the tool allows you to camouflage objects to make them less prominent in the image.
The Pixel 8 series introduces the Magic Editor, a more powerful version of Magic Eraser. Magic Editor enables users to select and manipulate objects in photos, such as removing, relocating, or resizing them. However, it faces the same background image generation challenges as Magic Eraser. Notably, the Pixel 8 Pro employs on-device AI for Magic Editor, whereas the Pixel 8 relies on cloud processing.
A completely new feature, Audio Magic Eraser, analyzes the audio in videos and allows users to adjust the levels of music, nature sounds, noise, or speech in the background. This processing is done on-device, so network connectivity isn't required, provided the video clip is stored on the phone.
Using these editing tools for extended periods may cause the back of the Pixel 8 to become warm to the touch, although not uncomfortably so.
Another addition to the Pixel 8 series is "Best Take," designed to solve the common problem of ensuring everyone looks good in a group photo. It does this by analyzing images and offering the option to replace faces with better expressions from other photos. The process is simple, and the results generally look natural, although certain clothing items may appear slightly distorted due to the combination of faces and poses.
5G and Wi-Fi Capabilities of the Pixel 8
The Pixel 8 is equipped with support for both mmWave and sub-6 5G, including the crucial C-band spectrum. Additionally, it features Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.3, which represent upgrades over the Pixel 7. Essentially, the Pixel 8 performs on par with other Android smartphones in terms of mobile network connectivity.
Regarding audio quality, when listening to music, the Pixel 8's stereo speakers offer decent bass response. However, for a more detailed audio experience, it's recommended to use Bluetooth headphones. The speakers on the Pixel 8 reached a maximum volume of 93.6dB without any noticeable distortion.
Call quality on the Pixel 8 is highly rated, with the earpiece speaker reaching 68.1dB and the speakerphone hitting 75.9dB. This ensures that calls remain clear and easy to hear even in noisy environments.
Google Pixel 8 Feature Roundup
The Pixel 8 is preloaded with Android 14, a feature-rich operating system. You can find a detailed review of Android 14 here. What truly distinguishes a Pixel device are the unique software additions by Google, such as Magic Eraser and Magic Edit, which we discussed earlier.
Of great significance, Google commits to providing support for the Pixel 8 for a remarkable seven years. This support includes OS upgrades, security updates, and feature enhancements. Additionally, Google will offer spare parts for potential repairs for the same extended duration. This represents a substantial shift for Google, as their previous support was limited to four years for OS upgrades and five years for security updates, with no promise regarding spare parts.
Google has made the smaller Pixel 8 more compact, making it easier to handle. It measures 5.9 inches in height, 2.8 inches in width, and 0.4 inches in thickness, weighing 6.6 ounces.
The Pixel 8 owns a premium design with a matte aluminum frame and a camera bar adorned with glossy glass. It's available in three colors: Hazel (grayish), Obsidian (black), or Rose (light pink). These colors stand out due to their reflective finish, while the subdued metal frame offers a pleasing contrast. Google has used Corning Gorilla Glass Victus for the front and back. Pixel 8 models are rated IP68, making them dustproof and capable of withstanding shallow water submersion for up to 30 minutes.
The device includes a power button and volume rocker on the right side, a USB-C connector at the bottom, and a SIM tray on the left. The Pixel 8 supports one physical SIM card and one eSIM card but does not allow for expandable storage via memory cards.
The rear camera bar with dual sensors remains a standout design element. Moreover, the Pixel 8 features an updated camera bar with individual cutouts for the sensors, as opposed to one large cutout. Notably, the Pixel 8 does not feature the thermometer found on the Pixel 8 Pro.
For security, Google offers two biometric options, both protected by the Titan M2 co-processor. This year, a secure face unlock tool has been introduced, powered by the selfie camera located in a small cutout at the top of the display. Additionally, the phone includes an under-display fingerprint reader. In testing, both authentication methods were found to be reliable.
Pricing And Availability
The Google Pixel 8 is expected to make its debut in Pakistan during 2023. With an estimated price tag of approximately Rs. 200,000, this eagerly awaited smartphone is projected to be accessible through authorized retailers and online stores. It's more likely that the device will be readily available in major cities like Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad.