Google Pixel 8 & 8 Pro hands-on review

13 October 2023


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Anton., 14 Oct 2023Can you put the link to that video here please? Thanks in advanceWhat video are you talking about? I'm referring to the written hands-on reviews by GSMArena and DPReview.

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    • Anonymous
    • 7su
    • 14 Oct 2023

    Hands on review? A bit late to the party aren't we?..
    Strange no other reviews online/ yt seem to mention stuttering UI or weak performance, quite the opposite..they actually mention seemingly good improvements over the g2 and general UI fluidity which you guys were pretty positive about last years reviews.

      Nick Tegrataker, 14 Oct 2023It's good to know that Google walked back on hideous n... moreCan you put the link to that video here please? Thanks in advance

        Anonymous, 14 Oct 2023🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣 Golden Reviewer Genshi Test (max settings) ... moreah but google said that it is not a phone for gaming (lame excuse) that it is a phone for "performance" I never thought it would be against a pixel, as a former user of a 2xl, 4xl pixel 6 pro, 7 pro and I had almost all the Nexus at the time when stock android was really clean!! I hope google uses snapdragon again, I'll settle for 8 gen 2 for next year, they can redesign a tensor with qualcom

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          • Anonymous
          • 0p}
          • 14 Oct 2023

          🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣

          Golden Reviewer Genshi Test (max settings)

          Tensynos 3 : 33.5 fps
          Tensynos 2: 37.2 fps
          8g2: 55-60 fps

            It's good to know that Google walked back on hideous noise reduction and the new camera preserves far more details across the frame compared to the Pixel 7. I also saw some samples on DPReview, and it seems that the new processing no longer aggressively smears low-contrast shadow textures, so that's a good start. Its 12MP 1x shot doesn't quite beat iPhone 15's new 24MP shot but does come pretty come close for having only half the resolution.

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              • Anonymous
              • f{t
              • 14 Oct 2023

              While the Pixels have always had poorer gaming performance, it’s false to say that the iPhone (14 or 15 Pros) can handle Genshin Impact at 120fps, not even for a minute and I’m not even joking. I’ve personally used a 14 Pro Max for a year and it barely maintained 52-55fps average with constant dips to the high 40s in contrast to a lot of “6-10m gameplay benchmarks” (which are usually also in the low demand starter areas of the game).

              Keep in mind this was also tested with ONLY Wi-Fi and not 5G/4G which tanks performance even more. iPhones have always had poor cooling which only works for benchmarks.

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                • Anonymous
                • U}}
                • 14 Oct 2023

                its a dumb phone, because of scamsung soc, performance is so terrible

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                  • Anonymous
                  • 0p}
                  • 14 Oct 2023

                  Reports say , its face ID can be bypassed like iphone X could.

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                    • playForever
                    • McX
                    • 14 Oct 2023

                    Finally, see a relatively honest review. I saw a lot of good reviews, didn't mention to much about the performance issues, probably mostly the review available now come from those who got free Pixel 8 from Google. Looks like Pixel 8/Pixel 8 pro got some improvement, but not enough to justify the price increase. I almost placed an order to buy Pixel 8 pro, but noticed that have to add $60 for 256GB version, then I gave up. I would wait for one more month to see if S23+ or S23 Ultra have good deals in the coming BlackFriday.



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                      • AngryLithuanian
                      • xQI
                      • 13 Oct 2023

                      So far not impressed as well. Will enjoy my Pixel 6 for another year. Regarding the video, both looked sh*t. I expected 15 Pro to do better but both videos look over-saturated and jittery. Looking forward to full review to see how is that battery life.

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                        • Faceman
                        • mYQ
                        • 13 Oct 2023

                        I cant describe how grateful I am to gsmarena and how really great your reviews and opinions are. I really wanted to bux the smaller Pixel 8, but I had too many hardware problems in the past with all my pixels.
                        Thanks for the honest words, I really appriciate it, because half of the youtube videos are just lying or cant admit anything professionally.

                        My last experience with the pixel phones:
                        The last one was a Pixel 7 Pro from the start and I really really got to hate the phone after 8-9 months of usage. The battery life was getting each weak weaker and weaker, the phone was hot half of the day without actively pushing it and it lagged/stuttered pretty often. I just use my phone to chat, send emails, call customers and make photos. No tikytoky, no gaming, no freaking video looking, just purely work and mostly static content.
                        I couldnt tolerate the bad battery life and turned to the dark side 2 months ago.
                        I bought an iPhone 14 Pro, which should be bad in terms of battery according to reviews. The iPhone 14 Pro delivers DOUBLE the screen on time with the same usage and it has at least 3 times the standby time. It is never hot, never stuttering, it is just working as it should.

                        It is of course an iPhone and I just cant grow to love it, it's simplicity is irritating me, I really have to struggle if I need to use it for work. But it is working so nicely and has such a reliable battery that I cant switch back to Pixels on the Tensor chips anymore. I will only buy Pixel again if they get back to the Snapdragon cpus.

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                          • Lccy
                          • pKE
                          • 13 Oct 2023

                          I was hoping to see 50mp samples from the 8 pro.i have seen some on dpreview.

                            Very unfortunate to read about the jittery experience in day to day use. Not using Snapdragon really takes a toll in whatever device the manufacturer chooses not to. It is the most optimized chipset for Android, and it shows. Even Mediatek is more optimized these days than those Tensor chips...

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                              • Nik C
                              • mm}
                              • 13 Oct 2023

                              I've been quite disappointed with the software experience. I expected that the phone would be optimised perfectly for the hardware. I was more than satisfied with my galaxy z fold 4 performance so when it died and needed replaced I got the pixel and assumed with its similar benchmark performance it would be a very smooth experience but it kinda sucks. Just constant little lags and jitters everywhere. Coming from the Samsung it feels like a midrange phone in terms of performance. I had hoped it maybe just needed a software update down the line to fix it but this review doesn't fill me with hope. I'll probably end up trading for the s24 when it comes if Samsung are generous with their trade in deals.

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                                • Anonymous
                                • 0p}
                                • 13 Oct 2023

                                Pixel 9 Pro needs:

                                Tensynos 3 ➡️ Snapdragon 7g3 (underclocked 8g2)
                                Samsung GM1 ➡️ Sony 586
                                Samsung GN1 ➡️ Sony 707
                                SK Hynix UFS3.1 ➡️ Micron UFS4.0
                                Remove thermometer
                                Same cam function for non-pro

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                                  • Anonymous
                                  • gDf
                                  • 13 Oct 2023

                                  "The Pixel 7 Pro came third with a soft image that should be familiar to anyone who's used the phone"
                                  Are you crazy? I have the Pixel 7 Pro and I tested in a store that it outperforms the S23 Ultra at 360mm + Night Sight. It might be the best smartphone tele camera on the market. But note that I have tested multiple Pixel 7 Pro units and the image quality of the periscope camera as well as the image stabilization varies. Furthermore, you should always touch to focus for a focused image.

                                  I compared my 7 Pro with the 8 Pro in a store (the 8 Pro didn't have the latest camera app version) and at 360mm + Night Sight, the image quality was nearly identical when you pixel peep.

                                  Why are there no 15x + Night Sight daylight sample images in this review? On my Pixel 7 Pro, this method gives you the best image quality from distant objects.

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                                    • MayWhee
                                    • at8
                                    • 13 Oct 2023

                                    Please, GSMA, include comparison of G8 modem/call reception compared to the competition. I have owned every Nexus/Pixel except (P4) and am consistently disappointed by the Google phones' chip+modem. I am a professional app developer using Pixel 7 Pro and various iPhones as well. Though I prefer Google cameras and software, I am always frustrated by how my iPhones connect flawlessly to weak networks. Voice matters! Thanks!

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                                      • Shiny Dave
                                      • nxt
                                      • 13 Oct 2023

                                      Even this provisional review has locked in my choice of an S23 Ultra and my recommendation to a friend of the vanilla S23.

                                      Tensynos strikes again, just as I expected but wasn't as sure of with the move to 4nm and newer cores.

                                      The fact it doesn't even provide a subjective "feels smooth even if the benchmarks suck" experience is hilarious, especially with no heavy Android third-party skin to run.

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                                        • Anonymous
                                        • 0p}
                                        • 13 Oct 2023

                                        Anonymous, 13 Oct 2023It's october 13th and the embargo is long gone. I a... moreAccording to ePrice Taiwan, 8 Pro would be able to play video for about 15h, with volume/brightness set 50% and VRR disabled.

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