Google Pixel 8 review: The best base model flagship of them all

Of the big three flagship phone series, the Google Pixel line enjoys the most parity, meaning the gap between the base model and Pro Pixels isn't too drastic. That's not the case with Apple, which gives Pro iPhones newer silicon and more premium build material. Samsung, too, gives the Ultra better main and zoom cameras as well as a stylus. But the Pixels? There really hasn't been much that separates the Pixel Pro from the standard version other than screen size and a zoom lens. This is great news for Pixel fans who want to save a bit of money because they don't have to feel like they're getting a significantly inferior device.

But as you can expect, the Pixel 8 this year is awesome. All the usual Pixel goodness you can expect is here, like first dibs on new Android updates, a very capable main camera, and intelligent Google Assistant integration. But what truly makes the Pixel 8 special is the Tensor G3, which is also on its more expensive brethren and is the first phone to run on-device generative AI.

About this review: Google provided XDA with a Pixel 8 for review. Google did not have input in this article.

Pricing and availability

The Google Pixel 8 series includes both the Pro model and a smaller standard model. Both phones are available for purchase starting today in 21 markets, including the U.S., Canada, India, the U.K., and Japan. They're also available at every major carrier and retailer that sells electronics. The standard Pixel 8 starts at $699 while the Pixel 8 Pro starts at $999, both with 128GB of storage. There are also plenty of Pixel 8 deals that may include freebies to sweeten your purchase.

Hardware and design

Great looks, even better brain

I already wrote a very long review of the Pixel 8 Pro, and since these two phones have so much in common, I'm going to keep this review a bit shorter. I'm going to start here by going over the differences between the Pixel 8 and its larger Pro sibling.

• The Pixel 8's OLED screen is not as high-end as the Pro's screen. It's not an LTPO panel, has a lower maximum brightness, fewer pixels, and is also smaller at 6.2 inches
• The Pixel 8 doesn't have a dedicated zoom lens; the Pro has a 5x periscope zoom
• The Pixel 8's ultrawide camera uses an older sensor than the Pro model
• The Pixel 8 has 8GB of RAM compared to the Pro's 12GB
• The Pixel 8's battery is smaller at 4,575mAh, and charging maxes out at 24W

That's it! Everything else, from silicon to software to the main camera sensor and haptic engine, is identical.

The Pixel 8 is a very appealing phone to look at. I'm a fan of the camera visor and the rose color here (the phone also comes in black or hazel). The back glass has a glossy, frosted finish, but my rose-colored model doesn't show fingerprints, while the black one does. The display up front is entirely flat, and while I find the edges a bit sharp, the phone is still comfortable to hold, weighing just 187 grams. I know some readers may scoff at me calling a 6.2-inch phone small, but I am so used to 6.7-inch phones that the Pixel 8 feels outright dainty.

The screen looks fine; it's nothing mind-blowing to those who've seen the best smartphone panels out there, like myself. The 1080x2400 resolution is modest, as is the 1,400 nits of maximum brightness. The colors are accurate, and the 120Hz refresh rate makes actions look smooth. There are the expected hardware features, like stereo speakers, an optical in-display fingerprint scanner, and IP67 water and dust resistance. Buttons are clicky, and the aluminum frame is sturdy.

What makes the phone special is the new chip. The Tensor G3 is the first silicon to run on-device generative AI and Google's own native language model. Generative AI has arguably been the biggest trend in tech this year, with software like ChatGPT and Bard able to generate text and software like Midjourney capable of creating artwork. Google is offering us a version of this on the Pixel 8 phones. The most notable use is with the new Magic Editor, which can make edits to photos on the Pixel 8 phones by creating entirely new pixels.

Here's an example: I snapped a photo of a dog, and with a few taps in the native Google Photos app and a 45-second wait, I was able to make several changes. First, I shrunk the dog, and you'll notice the Pixel 8 filled in the background where the dog used to be with original pixels that blended seamlessly into the real shot.

I can even wipe away the background and have Tensor G3 generate an entirely new background. You'll notice that, like most AI-generated images, there are some imperfections, but for the most part, the backgrounds look realistic enough.

That generative AI like this can work on the device without needing to connect to the cloud is surreal. Google says the Tensor G3 can handle machine learning tasks about 150x more complex than the Tensor G2, and this is one marketing claim I don't dismiss. Unfortunately, the Tensor chip still gets hot (to about 90 degrees Fahrenheit) when running generative AI tasks, but for other smartphone tasks, it's much more efficient.

Cameras

Superb main camera

The Pixel 8's main camera is a 50MP shooter that likely uses Samsung's GNV sensor. It has a sensor size of 1/1.3 inches and an aperture of f/1.7. It's a relatively powerful sensor, and when paired with Google's computational photography, I got some very impressive photos during my testing. Do note that some of the samples below were captured by the Pixel 8 Pro, but the two phones have the same main camera, processor, and software, so I think they're interchangeable.

Generally speaking, Pixel 8 main cameras produce shots that are punchy, with balanced exposure. Details aren't the sharpest: if you zoom in to pixel peep, you will see some overprocessing and soft details, at least compared to photos produced by the 1-inch sensors in Chinese phones. But for most people, photos go on social media, and the Pixel 8's color science makes them ideal.

The ultrawide camera is noticeably weaker than the Pixel 8 Pro's, with soft details in low-light conditions, but shots still looked alright when taken during the day. The lack of a zoom lens means the phone has to use digital zoom most of the time. Google is advertising a near lossless 2x zoom, using in-sensor crop of that 50MP sensor, but I'm not too impressed with the image quality. I'd say the Pixel 8 has an excellent main camera and selfie camera, and then an average ultrawide and 2x zoom lens.

Software and performance

Intelligent software makes all the difference

The Pixel 8 Pro ships with Android 14 out of the box. It isn't a major overhaul, but Pixel users will likely note the smarter font scaling, more live wallpapers, and the ability to place widgets on the lockscreen. Most of my usual gripes about the Pixel Launcher are still here, like the fact that the Pixel 8 Pro still can only multitask in split-screen mode and not with a floating window mode. I still dislike that there are two unremovable widgets on the homescreen taking up space, but I need to accept that is just how things are going to be.

The Google Pixel 8 is a polished, capable, beautiful smartphone that does not cost an arm and a leg.

But I'll take it because the Pixel software is very smart. Call Screen, which picks up phone calls on my behalf with a Google Virtual Assistant, helped me realize an incoming call I was ignoring was actually semi-important. I am still a sucker for Now Playing, which identifies music playing in the background. In December, users will get a software update that will allow the Pixel 8 to quickly scan an article and give me a short summary. The software here can be draconian, but it's smart enough that it's worth dealing with.

Overall performance has been great. Battery life on small phones is never going to be amazing, and this phone could not last me a heavy Saturday when I was out for 15 hours. On less busy work days when I'm more stationary, the Pixel 8 can squeak by a full day. Charging is still slow at 27W, but at least the phone supports wireless charging, too.

I have never been a benchmark guy, and I think it's even more pointless on a phone like the Pixel, but the Tensor G3 did score respectably, even if it's clearly still lagging the best Apple or Qualcomm silicon in raw power.

Should you buy the Google Pixel 8?

You should buy the Google Pixel 8 if:

• You want a great Android phone for under $700
• You are interested in the generative AI capabilities of the Tensor G3
• You are a Pixel fan, and it's time to upgrade

You should not buy the Google Pixel 8 if:

• You care about zoom photography and can pay a bit more for the Pro instead
• You're on the Pixel 7 series and don't care about generative AI

The Google Pixel 8 is a polished, capable, beautiful smartphone that does not cost an arm and a leg, and it's the best base model flagship, considering how close it keeps to its Pro counterpart. Generative AI is going to transform, disrupt, and even kill entire industries, and most of us will be affected by it in ways both good and bad. The Pixel 8 phones being the first to jump on board and give us a glimpse of its capabilities make the Pixel 8 series very exciting.

Even if you don't care about generative AI, the rest of the package is still a good offering at the price. For casual users looking for a new Android phone, the Pixel 8 should be at the top of the considerations list.