Google Pixel 8 Pro Review | Promising leap in features, and price

Google Pixel 8 Pro features Tensor G3 processor, 6.7 inch OLED display, a 50MP main camera and a 5,050mAh battery

Up for review today is the Pixel 8 Pro variant of the Google Pixel family. Succeeding over the Pixel 7 Pro, the new entrant offers upgrades in design, display, camera, and processor, and incorporates a new set of AI-enhanced features.

The Pixel 8 Pro maintains its family design elements, with the familiar camera bar prominently featuring on the back. The phone’s frame follows in the eco-friendly footsteps of its Pixel predecessors; it is constructed from recycled aluminium.  The key placement, too, sticks to the design of the Pixel 7 Pro.

While there is no radical design departure from its predecessor, the rear glass panel now boasts a frosted finish similar to the iPhone 15 series, and offers a softer and smudge-resistant grip. The phone is also lighter and feels more comfortable to hold. It also boasts an IP68 rating for water resistance, offering protection against spills and rainy weather, making it a practical choice for daily use.

One intriguing addition to the phone’s design is a small circular feature beside the camera flash—a temperature sensor. This innovative sensor allows the phone to note temperature readings for objects or surfaces, easily accessible through the temperature app.

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‌In contrast with its predecessors, the Pixel 8 Pro opts for a flat panel instead of a curved one. The top glass is constructed from Gorilla Glass Victus 2. The phone display features uniform bezels on all sides, as opposed to the Pixel 8, which has slightly thicker bezels at the bottom; however, the distinction is subtle.

‌The phone sports a 6.7-inch OLED display, dubbed the Super Actua display, with a 1344 x 2992 resolution and a 20:9 aspect ratio. It offers a choice between 60Hz and 120Hz refresh rates, and can drop down to 1Hz when not in use or when there’s no moving content. Right out the box, the Pixel 8 Pro comes with a 120Hz refresh rate but at a 1080p resolution, requiring manual adjustment to access the full native resolution of 1344p. The display supports HDR, boasting a peak brightness of 1,600 nits in HDR mode and an absolute peak brightness of 2,400 nits. It also provides HDR and wide colour support, although it has an 8-bit panel. It would have been nice to have Dolby Vision support, which the phone currently omits.