Google Pixel 8 Pro: Elegant Design and Enhanced Comfort
The Google Pixel 8 Pro stands out with impressive hardware, showcasing a refined design compared to its predecessor, the Pixel 7 Pro. Unlike the glossy glass back of the previous model, the Pixel 8 Pro features a smooth matte finish, offering a comfortable feel. The rounded corners enhance the phone’s grip, and the elimination of dual camera cutouts in favor of a seamless single cutout adds to the overall aesthetic. These subtle changes may seem minor, but when compared side by side with the Pixel 7 Pro, the improvement in design and build quality becomes evident. The phone’s texture, button responsiveness, and overall comfort make it a notable upgrade.
Additionally, the Bay blue color option adds a touch of elegance with its warm and calming baby blue hue, complementing the silver camera bar and black lenses. Although other color choices are more subdued (Obsidian and Porcelain), the Bay blue stands out as a timeless and visually pleasing option.
Pixel 8 Pro Display: Bright, Smooth, and Visually Stunning
Google showcases impressive hardware in the Pixel 8 Pro’s display. The 6.7-inch OLED screen with a 2992 x 1344 pixel resolution boasts upgrades from the Pixel 7 Pro. The 120Hz refresh rate remains, offering smooth scrolling and animations, now scaling down to 1Hz for energy efficiency. The display is notably brighter, reaching up to 1,600 nits for HDR content and 2,400 nits for peak brightness, surpassing the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s 2,000 nits. The Pixel 8 Pro’s display also impresses with its dimness in low-light conditions, providing a darker screen than the iPhone when brightness is minimized.
Overall, the screen excels in sharpness, vibrant colors, and symmetrical bezels, contributing to the Pixel 8 Pro’s remarkable features.
Pixel 8 Pro Cameras: Enhanced Features for Exceptional Photography
Alright, it’s time to delve into the Google Pixel 8 Pro’s cameras. Similar to the Pixel 7 Pro, it features a triple-camera setup, including main, ultrawide, and telephoto sensors, but with notable improvements. The 50-megapixel main camera has a wider f/1.68 aperture for enhanced light sensitivity and offers 2x optical zoom. The upgraded 48MP ultrawide camera boasts a larger f/1.95 aperture with a 105% increase in light sensitivity and an improved macro mode allowing closer shots at 2 centimeters. The 48MP telephoto camera sees a 56% boost in light sensitivity and maintains a 5x optical zoom. For selfie enthusiasts, the 10.5MP front-facing camera now supports autofocus with an f/2.2 aperture.
These technical upgrades translate into exceptional photographs. The primary 50MP camera impresses in various lighting conditions, ensuring great shots effortlessly. While the 5x telephoto camera doesn’t match the 10x optical zoom of some competitors, its quality shines with excellent details and colors, even at 30x digital zoom. The ultrawide and selfie cameras also perform admirably, producing similar colors to the main camera with minimal distortion.
The addition of autofocus to the selfie camera is a welcomed enhancement, though portrait mode may struggle with stray hair strands. A notable addition is the Pro/manual mode in the camera app, providing granular controls for brightness, shadows, ISO, and more, catering to users seeking advanced photography features.
Pixel 8 Pro: Unleashing Creativity with Advanced Photo Editing Tools
The Pixel 8 Pro not only takes great photos but also offers tools for users who like to tweak their pictures. One such tool is Best Take, which lets users choose the best faces from multiple shots to create a perfect photo—no AI recreating faces, just combining them from different photos.
Another handy feature is the Magic Editor, available for Pixel 8 Pro photos and any pictures backed up to Google Photos. It acts like an AI-powered Photoshop, allowing users to erase and move objects, change the sky, add or remove portrait effects, and more. You can even transform the entire look of your photo with the “Stylized” option.
While there might be discussions about the ethical use of AI in photo editing, the Pixel 8 Pro’s capabilities are undeniably impressive. Users can make high-quality edits without needing special skills, and features like Best Take and the Magic Editor are likely to impress many with their convenience and powerful capabilities.
Exploring the Pixel 8 Pro’s Temperature Sensor: Novelty or Future Health Tool?
The Google Pixel 8 Pro has a unique temperature sensor located on the back of the phone, under the camera flash. Users can access it through the Thermometer app, featuring an “Object temperature” function. By holding the phone about two inches away from an object, users can measure its temperature using material presets like Food & organic, Beverages & water, Cast iron, Fabric, Plastic & rubber, etc.
While the feature works fine, its practical use seems limited. Google suggests checking a drink’s temperature or the heat of a pan for cooking, but the writer finds these applications less likely. The sensor aims for FDA approval to enable body temperature tracking for health monitoring through the Fitbit app. However, the timeline for this approval is uncertain, making the current use of the sensor more of a novelty with potential future health applications. Despite its potential, the writer suggests ignoring the temperature sensor for now, considering it an eccentric feature lacking a primary use at the moment.
Enhanced Security: Face Unlock Returns on Google Pixel 8 Pro
The Google Pixel 8 Pro brings back the beloved Face Unlock feature, a favorite among users. While Face Unlock was present in Pixel 7 phones, it was limited to unlocking the lock screen. In contrast, the Pixel 8 Pro extends its functionality, allowing users to employ Face Unlock for various tasks like accessing password managers, authorizing purchases, and logging into apps, providing a seamless experience akin to Face ID on recent iPhones.
Remarkably, Face Unlock on the Pixel 8 Pro achieves this without the need for specialized hardware sensors, unlike iPhones or the earlier Pixel 4. The sole hardware involved is the selfie camera, traditionally considered less secure for facial recognition. However, Google states that AI and machine learning enhancements in the Tensor G3 chip ensure the required security standards without additional hardware.
This achievement is noteworthy, and the Pixel 8 Pro’s convenience is further enhanced by having both Face Unlock and an in-screen fingerprint sensor as biometric security options. Users can switch between the two based on their preference and situation. Face Unlock is quick, reliable, and effortless, making it ideal for home use. When out and about with a face mask, the fingerprint sensor serves as an equally excellent alternative.Considering the challenges Google likely faced in implementing this, the successful return of one of the Pixel 4’s standout features, coupled with a top-notch fingerprint sensor, is a welcome and impressive aspect of the Pixel 8 Pro.
