The Google Pixel series was seen as something of a niche product for years, but that’s changed in the past few years, especially following the release of the Pixel 7. Now with the Pixel 8 series out it remains to be seen if the new models will continue pushing on Google’s upward trajectory.
Spec-sheet-wise, the new Pro model doesn’t sound like much of an upgrade over its predecessor. And with a huge price gap of nearly Rs 40K, you might wonder if you really need the latest and greatest. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.
Design & display
The Pixel 8 Pro has ditched the pill-shaped camera bump of the Pixel 7 Pro. Instead, it has a sleek oval-shaped module that houses the telephoto, wide, and ultrawide cameras. The Pixel 8 Pro is also slightly smaller than the Pixel 7 Pro, thanks to the thinner and more uniform bezels.
The screen size remains the same, but there’s a minor difference in resolution (1440 x 3120 vs 1344 x 2992), which you won’t notice at all. What you will notice is the massive increase in peak brightness from 1,500 nits to a stunning 2,400 nits, as if 1,500 nits wasn’t already bright enough.
Cameras
The Pixel 8 Pro and the Pixel 7 Pro have similar wide cameras, but the Pixel 8 Pro has an edge with a lower aperture, which means more light and better night shots. The biggest upgrade is on the ultrawide camera, which now has a 48MP sensor and a lower aperture.
Meanwhile, the selfie camera has a small drop in megapixels (10.5 MP vs. 10.8 MP), but a lower aperture (ƒ/2.2 vs. ƒ/3.5). You can expect to see some minor improvements in camera quality across the board on the Pixel 8 Pro, especially with the ultrawide lens.
Performance
The Pixel 8 Pro comes with the Tensor G3 chip, which is the latest and greatest from Googlepowering all the AI features that make the Pixel 8 Pro stand out. Google claims that the Pixel 8 Pro can handle calculations that are 10 times more complex than the previous generation of Pixel phones.
The Pixel 7 Pro, on the other hand, has the older Tensor G2 chip. It’s not a slouch by any means, but it doesn’t have the same level of performance as the Pixel 8 Pro. It does have some impressive machine-learning capabilities that enable some of Google’s signature features, like real-time translation. As for battery life, there’s not much difference between the two phones – the Pixel 7 Pro has a 5,000 mAh battery, while the Pixel 8 Pro has a slightly larger 5,050 mAh one.
Most Read
Software
Apart from the usual stuff, the Pixel 8 Pro has a major advantage over the Pixel 7 Pro – built-in generative AI models. These are foundation models that run on the device itself, without relying on cloud computing. They enable features like improved Magic Eraser, Zoom Enhance, and recorder summaries. Google says the Pixel 8 Pro is an “AI in your hand” and it certainly delivers on that promise.
Another thing that makes the Pixel 8 Pro a better choice is the software support. It boots into Android 14 right out of the box and will receive an industry-leading seven years of software updates, both security patches and Android versions. That’s a huge deal if you want to keep your phone for a long time. The Pixel 7 Pro will only get three years of Android updates, which is actually sub-par for flagship Android phones in 2023.
Which way to go?
If money is no object, then the Pixel 8 Pro is the obvious choice. It has everything you could want from a flagship phone in 2023, and more. However, it’s also quite expensive – it costs Rs 106,999, which is a lot more than most flagships. If you’re looking for a more affordable option, then the Pixel 7 Pro is still a great phone. It offers a lot of value for its price (under Rs 65K) and still has most of the features that make Pixel phones unique.
