I’ve had the Google Pixel 8 Pro for over a month. Is it still one of the year’s best Android phones? Have software bugs ruined it? Here’s what I’ve learned.
I’ll come out and say it right now: The Google Pixel 8 Pro is an outstanding smartphone. Actually, I’ll do you one better. It’s easily the best Pixel phone Google has ever released. Hell — the Pixel 8 Pro just may be my favorite Android phone of 2023.
I gave the Pixel 8 Pro a lot of praise in my review of the phone this past October. I went so far as to call it the “best Pixel I’ve ever used.” A bold claim, for sure. But is all of that still true after using the Pixel 8 Pro for well over a month? Is it still the Pixel phone I’ve been waiting for, or has my usual bad luck with Pixel bugs tarnished my experience?Everything I still love about the Pixel 8 Pro
The Pixel 8 Pro’s design really impressed me in my review, and that hasn’t changed one bit after weeks of daily use. A lot of this boils down to the more rounded design this year, which was 100% the right call on Google’s part. Even with all the design improvements Apple made to the iPhone 15 Pro Max this year, I find myself reaching for the Pixel 8 Pro over it, partly because of just how good Google’s in-hand feel is. And, yes, that Bay blue color is still one of the best I’ve seen on a smartphone this year.
The only negative I have to say at this point is that the stainless steel frame surrounding the camera sensors has already picked up a lot of small scratches — something I also noticed on the Pixel 7 Pro last year. They’re only visible in certain lighting, and they appear to be purely cosmetic, but I certainly wouldn’t complain if Google ditched stainless steel next year for something like titanium instead.
I also need to give major props to the Pixel 8 Pro’s camera setup. Google’s Pixel phones are well-known for having excellent cameras, but that hasn’t stopped the Pixel 8 Pro from being any less impressive here. The above gallery shows just a handful of some of my favorite shots I’ve gotten over the month.
And it’s not just still photos where the Pixel 8 Pro impresses. Although I don’t usually take a lot of video on my smartphone, I’ve been making an effort to do so on the Pixel 8 Pro. And whenever I do, I’m thrilled with the results I get. From the buttery smooth stabilization, gorgeous colors, and crisp details, the Pixel 8 Pro takes exceptional-looking video. Take a look for yourself with the clip above.
I’ve taken the Pixel 8 Pro to dimly-lit concert halls, pumpkin patches, nature trails — you name it. No matter the setting and no matter what I want to take a picture of, the Pixel 8 Pro produces incredible results. It’s been so good, in fact, that I decided to move my cloud photo library from Apple Photos to Google Photos so I can keep using the Pixel 8 Pro as my main camera of choice.
