Google Pixel 8 - A Long Term User Review
Summary
TLDRThe video script reviews Google's Pixel 8, highlighting its compact size and AI capabilities. It notes hardware improvements like a smaller, brighter display and enhanced battery life but criticizes performance issues with the Tensor G3 chip. The camera system receives praise for quality, especially in low light, and new software features are discussed, such as repair mode and Magic Compose. Despite the high price, the Pixel 8 offers a good camera and battery life, making it a compelling option at a reduced cost.
Takeaways
- đ± The Google Pixel 8 is praised for its small form factor, making it convenient to carry and use.
- đ The device has a smaller 6.2-inch display with rounded corners, enhancing ergonomics and comfort.
- đš The design maintains a glass sandwich style with a camera bump that tends to accumulate dirt.
- đ The optical fingerprint sensor is still used but can be blinding at night and less accurate than ultrasonic readers.
- đČ The display has been improved to be brighter with a 42% increase in peak brightness compared to the Pixel 7.
- đ The 120 Hz refresh rate is not set by default and can be inconsistent with third-party apps.
- đ The Tensor G3 chip's performance lags behind competitors, impacting the camera app and other intensive tasks.
- đ Battery life has improved with a larger battery size and the Tensor G3 chip contributes positively to power efficiency.
- đž The camera system delivers high-quality photos with good low-light performance and a wide field of view.
- đ€ł The selfie camera has a wider field of view and captures accurate skin tones.
- đ± The Pixel 8 comes with several software features like Magic Eraser, Magic Compose, and improved lock screen customization.
Q & A
What is the main appeal of small form factor phones for the speaker?
-The speaker is attracted to small form factor phones because they are convenient to carry, easy for one-handed use, and have a discreet profile in their pocket.
What is the speaker's history with Google phones?
-The speaker's first Android smartphone was the Google Play edition HTC1, chosen for its top-notch hardware and pure form of Android without any skins.
How does the speaker describe the design of the Pixel 8?
-The speaker describes the Pixel 8 as having a smaller 6.2-inch display with rounded corners, a familiar glass sandwich design, and a camera bump at the back that tends to accumulate dirt.
What is the speaker's opinion on the Pixel 8's fingerprint sensor?
-The speaker finds the optical fingerprint sensor on the Pixel 8 to be only about 90% effective and prefers an ultrasonic reader for superior accuracy and responsiveness.
What improvements does the Pixel 8 have over the Pixel 7 in terms of display?
-The Pixel 8 has a display upgrade from 90Hz to 120Hz OLED and is significantly brighter, with a peak of 2000 nits compared to 1400 nits on the Pixel 7.
Why does the speaker feel that the Pixel 8's performance is inconsistent?
-The speaker believes the inconsistency in performance is due to compatibility issues with third-party apps on the open-source Android platform.
What is the speaker's view on the Tensor G3 chip's performance?
-The speaker feels that the performance of the Tensor G3 chip lags behind competitors like Samsung and OnePlus, resulting in a sluggish camera app and other performance issues.
How does the speaker rate the Pixel 8's battery life and charging capabilities?
-The speaker praises the Pixel 8 for its improved battery life, achieving close to 6 hours of screen-on time, and for having faster charging speeds.
What are the speaker's thoughts on the Pixel 8's camera capabilities?
-The speaker is impressed with the Pixel 8's camera capabilities, particularly the rear-facing cameras' quality and the front-facing camera's stabilization and speech enhancement features.
What new software features does the Pixel 8 introduce?
-The Pixel 8 introduces features like repair mode, Circle to search, document cleaning using AI, the ability to use the camera as a webcam, and Magic Compose for generating responses in the messenger app.
What is the speaker's final verdict on whether Google has succeeded or fallen short with the Pixel 8?
-The speaker believes that Google has fallen short in terms of performance and pricing, but if the Pixel 8 can be purchased at a lower price, it offers a good value with its camera and battery life.
Outlines
đ± Introduction to the Pixel 8
The speaker expresses their fondness for small smartphones, highlighting the convenience and discreet profile they offer. They recount their history with Google phones, starting with the Google Play edition HTC1, and their preference for pure Android over skinned versions. The introduction of the Pixel series and the speaker's anticipation for the Pixel 8 is discussed, with a focus on its size and AI-powered software enhancements. The speaker plans to scrutinize the Pixel 8's performance post-updates, starting with hardware improvements like a smaller display with rounded corners for better ergonomics and a familiar glass sandwich design. They mention the camera bump's tendency to collect dirt and the variety of color options available. The speaker also points out the inconsistency in design aesthetics between the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, particularly regarding the back texture. The fingerprint sensor's reliability and the preference for an ultrasonic reader are discussed, along with the display's upgrade to a brighter 120 Hz OLED panel. The speaker notes the initial setup at 60 Hz and the smooth experience with native apps, contrasting it with the jittery performance in third-party apps, which they attribute to Android's open-source nature and the challenge of optimizing for a wide range of devices.
đ Deep Dive into Pixel 8's Performance
The speaker discusses the Pixel 8's performance, noting the camera app's sluggishness and the feeling of having to work to keep up with the phone's capabilities. They mention their workflow in Lightroom and the Pixel 8's inability to efficiently keep up. Google Maps' laggy performance during navigation is highlighted, questioning the value for money given the high price tags of the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro. The speaker also expresses a desire for a more powerful processor to justify the cost, suggesting that using Qualcomm's Snapdragon could address performance issues. They discuss the Tensor G3 chip's impact on battery life, which is a positive aspect, and the improved charging speeds. The camera capabilities are tested at the Canadian International Auto Show, with the front-facing camera's stabilization and speech enhancement receiving praise. The rear-facing cameras' video quality is deemed impressive, with good stabilization and support for 10-bit HDI recording, although noise is expected in low light. The speaker also discusses the camera's ability to handle still photography well, despite the app's laggy performance, and the main and ultra-wide sensors' performance in various lighting conditions.
đž Camera and Software Features of Pixel 8
The speaker reviews the camera capabilities of the Pixel 8, noting the main camera's faster lens for better low-light performance and the ultra-wide sensor's excellent dynamic range and field of view. They mention the default photo size being downsized to 12 megapixels for storage efficiency, and the lack of RAW format support in the base model, which is reserved for the Pro version. The speaker also discusses the software features of the Pixel 8, including the new repair mode for protecting data during repairs, the Circle to search feature for quick search results, and the clean feature for scanning documents. They mention the ability to use the phone as a webcam, the Magic Compose feature for generating responses, and the Best Take feature for group photos. The speaker appreciates the lock screen's glanceable information and the customization options, including creating wallpapers with AI. They also note the file management system's superiority over iOS and the commitment to seven years of Android OS updates for the Pixel 8 series. The speaker concludes by questioning whether Google has succeeded in the smartphone market, suggesting that the Pixel 8 needs to improve in performance to compete effectively, but at a lower price, it offers a good value with excellent cameras and battery life.
Mindmap
Keywords
đĄpH Factor
đĄGoogle Pixel 8
đĄAI
đĄHardware Improvements
đĄSoftware Wizardry
đĄTensor G3 Chip
đĄBattery Life
đĄCamera System
đĄAndroid OS Updates
đĄUser Experience
đĄGoogle's AI
Highlights
The Google Pixel 8's compact size and discreet profile make it convenient to carry and use.
The Pixel 8 features a smaller 6.2-inch display with rounded corners for enhanced ergonomics and comfort.
The design maintains a glass sandwich style with a camera bump that tends to accumulate dirt.
The build quality is excellent with tactile buttons and no signs of rattling.
The Pixel 8 comes in various color options, including a new mint green.
The optical fingerprint sensor is still used but can be blinding at night and less accurate than ultrasonic readers.
The display has been upgraded to a 120 Hz OLED, offering a 42% improvement in brightness over the Pixel 7.
The phone's refresh rate is set at 60 Hz out of the box, requiring manual adjustment for the full 120 Hz experience.
Third-party apps may experience performance issues, even with the 120 Hz refresh rate.
The Tensor G3 chip's performance lags behind competitors like Samsung and OnePlus.
The camera app can be sluggish, with prolonged processing times for each shot.
Google Maps navigation can be laggy on the Pixel 8.
The Pixel 8's battery life has improved, with up to 6 hours of screen-on time.
Charging speeds have improved, and the phone supports wireless charging.
The front-facing camera has good stabilization and quality, with speech enhancement to eliminate background noise.
The rear-facing cameras offer impressive video quality, supporting 10-bit HDI recording.
The Pixel 8's camera system replicates the dual camera setup of the Pixel 7 with a 12 MP Ultra wide sensor and a 50 MP standard wide sensor.
The main camera on the Pixel 8 is slightly faster, leading to better low-light performance.
Google has introduced a feature called Super Res Zoom, which enhances digital zoom quality.
Portrait mode is available for artistic focus in photography.
The selfie camera has a wider field of view and captures accurate skin tones.
Google has added new software features like Repair Mode and Circle to search for the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro.
The Pixel 8 and 8 Pro will receive Android OS updates for seven years, ensuring they stay current until 2030.
The Pixel 8's price increase to $700 does not justify the user experience, making it less competitive in the market.
At a lower price point, such as $550, the Pixel 8 becomes more enticing due to its camera quality and battery life.
Transcripts
so here's the thing I'm a sucker for
small pH Factor phones they're
convenient to carry easy for oneand use
and I adore their discret profile in my
pocket so when Google dropped the pixel
8 uh about 4 months ago I was
immediately drawn to its size and some
of its software Wizardry thanks to AI of
course you see I've always been a fan of
Google phones in fact my foray into
Android smartphones was with the Google
Play edition HTC1 not sure if you guys
remember that but I spe specifically
chosea because it had top-notch Hardware
back then and it ran the purest form of
Android I didn't prefer any of those
skins running on top of uh the open
source platform so over time Google
recognized the need to establish its
presence and compete with the big
players leading to the Inception of the
pixel series and it's been eight years
since introduction of the first pixel so
the question
remains has Google succeeded or fallen
short I'm hoping to address that by
closely examining the pixel 8 under the
microscope after the
updates all right so I'm going to
quickly start by going over some of the
minor Hardware improvements that the
pixel 8 brings to the table compared to
the pixel 7 a notable change is the
smaller 6.2 in display featuring rounded
Corners that not only enhance the
phone's ergonomics but it also provides
a more comfortable grip without digging
into my hand the overall design
maintains The Familiar glass sandwich
with the staple camera bump at the back
which unfortunately tends to accumulate
all sorts of dirt even with a case
installed build quality is excellent the
buttons feel nice and tactile with no
signs of rattling I've got the obsidian
black model but you can spice it up with
a few other options like this newly
announced mint green Hazel or Rose I
really wish that Google maintain
consistency in their design Aesthetics
throughout the pixel 8 lineup because
the Frosted texture on the the back of
the pixel 8 Pro feels much more premium
compared to the glossy finish on the
back which is naturally going to be a
huge fingerprint magnet but then again
it's nothing that a case can solve the
Aging Optical fingerprint sensor is
still in use for logging in but it tends
to only work about 90% of the time one
notable downside is how it can be
blinding at night when trying to log
into the phone personally I would have
preferred an ultrasonic reader like
what's found in the Galaxy s23 s24
series it's just known for Superior
accuracy and responsive
but you can always set up face unlock as
a backup the display has received a spec
bump as well from 90 HZ moled to 120 HZ
Oland now this isn't ltpo like the pixel
8 Pro or Samsung's s24 series but what
you will notice is that it's gotten much
brighter this time we're talking close
to 42% Improvement which is pretty wild
so 2,000 nits Peak versus 1400 nits on
the pixel 7 and this results in
exceptional visibility Outdoors content
looks Vivid and sharp with those Inky
blacks that we all love so visually this
is an awesome display and you'd also
think that the 120 HZ refresh rate would
add to a smooth navigating experience
right well firstly when setting up the
phone Google for some reason sets it at
60 HZ out of the box so you'll have to
manually go into the settings tab and
switch it to0 once that's done it's a
pretty it's a pretty smooth experience
with Google's native apps and the OS
gestures are somewhat fluid but sadly
that takes a turn when you venture into
third party apps like Reddit WhatsApp
Microsoft teams even some of my banking
apps heck even Google's own YouTube
studio just feels so jittery and I want
to emphasize that part highly guys
because it's super inconsistent when
you're switching between apps it almost
feels like the display reverted itself
back to 60 HZ despite me forcing it to
run at its peak refresh raate through
the developer settings now I really
wanted to investigate this disparity and
I think I found the problem or the
answer and no this hasn't to do with the
tensor G3 chip although I will get to
that in a moment but rather it's about
compatibility you might be wondering
well isn't this a Google smartphone
running Google's own operating system
yeah but you have to realize that
Android is an open- Source platform
running on a variety of devices out
there this can range from a $100
smartphone to a $2,000 smartphone and so
at the end of the day it's about
ensuring these popular apps run reliably
on these devices worldwide running
different versions of Android you can't
simply optimize an app for one
particular Android smartphone no
developer would remotely go that far
compared to iOS for instance which has a
pretty strict framework which is why
apps tend to run a lot smoother on those
devices and I feel like this complexity
alone is probably one of the main
reasons why you can never expect a
consistent experience on the pixel 8 and
trust me this applies to the pixel 8 Pro
as well to add to that I had high
expectations for tensor G3 on the pixel
8 and the pixel 8 Pro now over the
course of my testing period I still feel
like the performance lags behind that of
even Samsung or even one OnePlus devices
for instance the camera app Still
Remains sluggish in capturing photos
with prolonged processing times for each
shot I felt like I had to constantly
work to keep up with the phone's
performance rather than enjoying a
seamless and intuitive user experience I
like to be creative with my photos in
Lightroom and pixel 8 is just not enough
to keep up with my workflow efficiently
Google Maps was also super laggy during
navigation it it's just disappointing
that despite the $700 and $1,000 price
tags for the pixel 8 and pixel 8 Pro
they just aren't equipped with a
flashship level processor I just feel
like the price doesn't justify the user
experience Google emphasizes that these
devices are optimized for processing
Google AI faster and efficiently but
when it comes to intensive tasks like
hardcore gaming they just simply don't
match to qualcomm's or Apple's offerings
while performance might not be a top
priority for the average consumer I
actually wonder how that would get
affected over a year or two with
software updates I mean I I can't help
but think that maybe switching to
qualcomm's S so which currently not
boasts a built-in npu for faster llm
processing could potentially address
these
issues I don't know what are your
thoughts on that now if we set aside
performance and focus on power
efficiency you're going to love the
pixel 8 especially compared to the pixel
7 because they've increased the battery
size while maintaining a Slimmer and
more compact form factor I was
consistently achieving close to 6 hours
of screen on time which is way better
than my iPhone 15 Pro now granted
battery usage can vary from one user to
the other but for me on my typical work
days where I'm at the studio glued to my
computer I managed to go nearly two days
without needing to recharge so there's
one good thing that came out of tensor
G3 chip it's the positive impact on
battery life which is great news for
anyone looking for a small phone uh the
charging speeds have also improved
thanks to the increased power delivery
you also still get wireless charging and
if you know me I've always appreciated
Mac safe on iPhone so I did miss that
part on the pixel 8 when I switched to
this phone but you can easily get a
compatible case to address
[Music]
that so I'm here at the Canadian
International Auto Show super excited
about this for February cuz you know
it's something exciting for the winter
here in Canada and better way to
actually test the cameras on the pixel 8
so we're going to go shoot some cars and
test out these amazing cameras cuz
they're actually pretty good so the
front-facing camera is a 10.2 megapixel
sensor that can shoot 4K 30 frames per
second and it has really good
stabilization the quality is nice
dynamic range is really nice uh and
Google is also built in speech
enhancement which is their full full
processor that uh essentially eliminates
all the background noise uh and focuses
on your speech so I think it's pretty
awesome uh I mean it was great on the
pixel 7 it's pretty great on the pixel 8
but what I'm really surprised or what I
was surprised was with the rear-facing
cameras because the quality as you guys
are going to see is pretty incredible so
as you can see the video quality from
the rear-facing cameras is truly
impressive this phone supports 10-bit
HDI recording and boasts excellent
built-in stabilization the active mode
ensures a smooth shot especially for
action shots albeit it is limited to
1080p I shot most of these clips in
standard mode which takes care of light
movements and it works in 4k I will say
in low light you can expect some noise
in the footage but honestly for stuff to
share on social media or even if you
want to get into content creation these
cameras are pretty impressive I really
wished if Google included video boost
for the pixel 8 instead of just leaving
that for the pixel 8 Pro since that
would have cleaned up the footage so
well also if you're planning to shoot a
ton of photos and videos on the pixel uh
I did notice that it does tend to get
warmer to the touch nothing to be
worrying but it's just something to be
mindful of now shifting gears to photos
if you're patient with the laggy camera
camera app you can actually end up with
some pretty amazing results but that
shouldn't be surprising considering how
good the pixel 7 was already in the
first place Google has essentially
replicated the same dual camera system
with a 12 mapix Ultra wide sensor and a
50 megap standard wide sensor The Only
Exception is the main camera is now
slightly faster meaning it leads to more
light resulting in good low light
performance the ultrawide results are
some of the best that I've encountered
on a smartphone it has a wider field of
view to fit as many subjects in a tight
space the dynamic range is great and
when you pair that with ois and Google's
AI processing images are well detailed I
will say that just like the pixel 7 the
white balance on the pixel 8 tends to be
a bit on the cooler side but that can
easily be addressed in post the primary
50 megap sensor consistently delivers
clean well-exposed and detailed images
Now by default these photos are
downsized to 12 megapixels for storage
efficiency if you're keen on Raw formats
where you need those massive 50 photos
you'll need to upgrade to the 8 Pro as
Google for some reason decided to
reserve Pro controls exclusively for
that model despite both the 8 and the 8
Pro sharing the same Hardware that being
said the 8 can still take Raw it's just
downside to 12 megapixels but regardless
the details coming out of this phone are
truly incredible Google has also
introduced a feature called super resum
which while not entirely new is actually
noteworthy so when you digitally zoom in
by adx you may notice some degradation
in the viewfinder image quality but
after you captured the photo Google
software and machine learning algorithms
collaborate to reduce noise enhance
Clarity and present you with a
surprisingly decent image now while I
may not use this feature all the time I
can see it coming handy for reading some
signs or tackling anything that's
difficult to decipher portrait mode is
still available if you need that extra
Touch of artistic Focus but personally I
prefer the natural depth of field
shooting in standard mode the selfie
camera is also fantastic it has a wider
field of view which is great for for
group selfies and it actually captures
my skin tones accurately now the
software experience on Pixel devices
have mostly remained consistent for the
past few years they're always known for
amazing software capabilities than
hardware and this year they've added a
few cool tricks up their sleeve
especially with the pixel 8 and A8 Pro a
few nuances that I noticed uh is a new
repair mode with the latest version of
Android it's actually hidden underneath
the system settings but basically this
protects your apps and personal data
from being accessed uh when you give the
phone for repair and the future I just
hope you don't drop it Google has also
recently added Circle to search which
was debuted on the Galaxy s24 and
Samsung was going to town with marketing
that feature though it was just a matter
of time to get it rolled into the pixel
8 and the 8 Pro you basically long press
on the home button which highlights
what's on your screen and all you have
to do is circle highlight or tap
anything which will then bring up search
results instantly and it's fast and
stupid accurate this is great for those
who are glued to Pinterest for design
inspiration ation um I tend to do that a
lot so I love this feature there's also
a clean feature that once again uses AI
to remove any fingerprints smudges or
creases when scanning documents or
receipts you can also use the cameras to
double as a webcam all you have to do is
just plug in the phone to a computer tap
on USB options and then webcam and just
like that you can either use the rear
cameras or the selfie camera over the
potato ones built into your laptop magic
composes also another feature that
utilizes Google's latest LL to generate
and compose responses in different tones
within the messenger app but as of now
it's only available in the state so I
wasn't able to test that out best take
is also a pretty sweet feature that
combines multiple photos by swapping out
faces of those who blinked so everyone
looks their best if you want to get
creative with editing photos magic
editor lets you remove unnecessary
objects in the photo to emphasize a
subject by using generator fill but I
wouldn't rely on it 100% of the time
plus it also takes a while to process
especially when you're editing the
background and just pushing the image to
its limits I appreciate the glanceable
information on the lock screen that
helps me keep track of my schedule the
new lock screen animations and
customization layouts are pretty cool in
fact you can also create your own
wallpapers using AI with just a few
words and prompts customizability is
still the Forefront of Android and I
love that the file management system is
far better than iOS you still get
features like now playing that
identifies the music playing in the
background though keep in mind that you
have to manually enle that after setting
up the phone and finally Google has
committed to providing Android OS
updates for a mopping seven years on the
pixel 8 and the pixel 8 Pro so that
means these phones will stay current
until
2030 however I'm a bit skeptical about
how the underwhelming tensor chip will
manage these advancements but I guess
only time will tell if it's going to
make it or break it personally I did
wish if Google extended these updates to
include the pixel 7 Series
but what can I say it's it's it's a very
Google thing to do so to address my
question at the beginning of this video
has Google succeeded or fallen short in
the smartphone Arena you see from a
hardware standpoint not really since
they've initially made the mistake of
pricing this at $700 which is $100 more
than the pixel 7 and to me that price
increase just doesn't justify the user
experience Google needs to address the
performance inconsistencies with the
tensor chip I plot them for creating
something different but different
doesn't NE necessarily mean better the
pixel 8 just needs to step up in the
game to compete effectively in the
smartphone market that being said if you
can snag this phone for as low as
$550 it becomes an enticing proposition
because you're getting access to one of
the best smartphone cameras on the
market paired with impressive battery
life and Google's AI stuff it's
undeniably a sweet deal for those of us
in Canada and worldwide I would think
twice before paying full price
[Music]
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)