Google Pixel 8

Here, the Pixel 8 boasts the same camera resolutions as last year's model Pixel 7, with a 50MP primary sensor and a 12MP ultra-wide (UW) sensor. However, the 50MP primary sensor aperture size is now wider with f/1.68 as opposed to f/1.85 to let in more light and improve the level of detail whether you capture the images in daylight or low light. Similarly, the 12MP ultra-wide sensor supports a 125.8-degree field-of-view (FoV) instead of 114-degrees. For selfies and video calling, the handset sports a 10.5MP front-facing camera in the punch-hole setup.While the results aren't drastically different, you'll achieve more pleasing results with the Pixel 8. There is a marked reduction in noise across the frame, and the contrast is well-balanced. Additionally, shadows are well preserved, skin tones appear accurate, and the level of detail is exceptionally impressive. The smartphone also seems to be handling colours better than ever before. While they may seem a bit vivid, they still remain close to reality. In essence, you'll truly appreciate the images captured by the Pixel 8's main camera at 1x zoom. However, when you go beyond that, there is a noticeable decline in image quality. The 2x zoom is still acceptable, but anything past that doesn't quite meet the standard.When it comes to ultra-wide shots, there hasn't been much improvement except for the ability to capture more details within the frame. The sharpness around the edges still suffers due to the lower camera resolution. However, the UW sensor now supports auto-focus to capture those beautiful macro shots when the phone is too close to the subject. Moving on to the portraits, the edge detection is spot on and works on almost every subject, whether it is human, animal, or plant. The portrait effect can also be added to images after they are clicked through the Google Photos app.Much like the Pixel 8 Pro, the regular models also come with a bunch of AI editing features such as Best Take, Audio Eraser, and more advanced Magic Eraser. These features are not coming to any of the previous Pixel models. You can read about these features in detail in our Pixel 8 Pro review.In essence, the Pixel 8 series AI features help you make your images and videos better by swapping faces, readjusting subjects in the frame, and cancelling out background noise. They do have a few limitations right now... the images have to backed up to the cloud via Google Photos, for one. Even then, you may encounter situations where Best Take and Magic Eraser features don't work for every photo. I'm hopeful that Google will address this limitation in future software updates.

While not the cameras, the performance and software of Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro are very much alike. They both are powered by Google's latest Tensor G3 chipset and run Android 14 with Pixel launcher out of the box. The handset also gets the longest major software update, up to 7 years.It is difficult to ascertain if the device can make it up that far, but what we can tell you right now is that the Pixel 8 offers decent performance. I didn't face any severe lag or performance issues while using the device for everyday use, but it lacks that flagship-level punch and thermal management. While there are no significant heating issues, the handset's back panel can get a bit warm using the device for an extended duration or gaming. This led to some throttling, and you could see it in the phone's CPU throttle test as well where it performed 59 percent of its peak performance while running 50 threads for half an hour.Coming to the benchmark scores, the handset achieved 10,17,180 on AnTuTu, whereas on Geekbench, it delivered 1,045 in the single-core test and 3,294 in the multi-core test. Although these scores may be considered respectable, they fall more into the mid-range category rather than reaching flagship status.As for the software, it remains largely clean, with minimal pre-installed apps beyond those from Google. The user interface (UI) is user-friendly and offers extensive customization options. Moreover, it includes several useful features. Notably, Google Translate facilitates text translation across apps and web pages, while the 'Read Aloud' feature can read content on the screen in multiple languages, greatly enhancing the device's usability.

Despite its compact size, the Pixel 8 boasts a larger battery compared to its predecessor, the Pixel 7. With a 4,575mAh battery, it provides over 5 hours of screen-on time. This suits users like me who prefer casual usage and don't engage in demanding tasks such as gaming and navigation for extended periods.Whether you're browsing, checking emails, using messaging apps, or playing light games, you won't need to reach for a charger until the end of the day. Even on days with heavy usage, I typically had 20-25 percent battery remaining when going to bed. That's how good Pixel 8's battery life has been for me throughout the usage.When it comes to charging, the Pixel 8 supports speeds up to 27W and 18W charging through Google-certified wired and wireless chargers (sold separately) respectively. I used a third-party wired charger to juice up the device, and it took approximately 1 hour and 23 minutes for a full charge from 0-100 percent.