Will smartphone technology evolve so much that the hardware itself would become secondary and the software good enough to fix the flaws of the device as well as its users? This seems to be the question Google is trying to answer now with its Pixel series phones. The Pixel 8 Pro is a signal that Google seems to be moving in the right direction especially given its prowess in the world of AI.
The Google Pixel 8 Pro has a very Google Pixel design. Still, I have to say the Obsidian (a blackish grey) colour device I got for review was stylish and stood out from other models because only Google uses this kind of styling. Compared to older Pixel devices, this one has edges that are softer and curved, making it easier to grip. Another thing that stands out is the camera bump, which is thicker than in most other phones, but not without good reason. The camera module is also distinct with its mix of lenses and sensors and creates a unique branding that identifies this as a Pixel phone.
This is no coincidence because the Pixel 8 Pro is essentially a smart camera that has the characteristics of a phone. Before I tell you what all this smart camera can do, let me also give you the caveat that I have used this phone over a boring week where I have found hardly anything good enough to click. So bear with me for that.
To start with, I like Google’s approach towards the camera app. It is primarily a choice between whether you want to shoot a photo or video and the rest of the options change based on that. So the Timelapse, slow-motion, etc, show up only after you select the video tab. This also makes sense because Google has packed many more preset options in the camera than regular phones. This is a better way to make the camera app than bunch in video as a part of all the other options.
The Pixel camera is all about software magic. And a lot of these are found in the tools section when you edit a photo or video. The most powerful function is of course the ability to remove, or hide, something in a photo. See the photo of a dog and my shadow that I clicked one night in Delhi. There is a self-appointed parking assistant in the photo. I could just remove him from the photo using Magic Erase. Pixel has had it for a while, though now it is much better. Also, it works best when the background is either a single shade like a sky, or dark like in the photo I have shown.
When you click on edit, the phone takes a bit to suggest what can be done with a specific click based on how it was shot. So remember, all edits cannot be performed on all images. One place where you get a lot of options is in portraits where the app suggests enhancements, blur levels, and even the ability to show just the subject in colour. I loved this part, as you can create some very stylish DPs.
Similarly, while editing videos you get the audio erase option which lets you remove layers of ambient sound or even noise from a video. This is a great feature as otherwise, this is not an easy task to do. On one of my late-night walks, I shot a video clip that ended up with a lot of ambient traffic noise, but I could use the feature to make it feel like a video shot during the lockdown.
Sadly, I could not get the best take feature to show up with any of the group photos I clicked during the review period or even from older clicks in Google Photos. However, the Magic Editor option that pops up in the corner of the screen as you are editing a click on Google Photos is something else. It lets you edit old photos in a completely new light, quite literally. For instance, I pulled out an old pic of all of us cousins posing for a photo and removed a switchboard that had no reason to encroach into that frame. I took an old selfie with six of us in it and made it into a super portrait that showed just three in better focus and blurred out the others. Like Canva’s new Magic Editor, this one also gives you multiple options possible with a frame and you can select the best option available.
Beyond these features, I found the camera setup to be among the best I have used. The 50MP main sensor, the 48MP ultrawide sensor, and the 48MP telephoto sensor with 5x optical zoom together give a perfect sense of control to the photographer, which very few smartphone cameras do. This photo of the money plant in my living room looks like it’s been shot with a DSLR. I got this feel by playing around with the settings as I was framing, and not in post.
Is the Google Pixel 8 Pro just about the camera?
The simple answer is no. Because powered by Google’s Tensor G3 processor yoked with 12GB of RAM this smartphone is capable enough to bring in a lot of smart features into whatever you do with it. In the week or so I used the device it was able to handle everything. Additionally, the phone is capable of doing some other stuff leaning on its new processor.
For instance, it can read a webpage for you, accessible via the Assistant button or just by using a Hey Google command. And this worked quite well and with a very good accent. Similarly, when using voice memos, the recorder can now transcribe simultaneously and with a great deal of accuracy. I have been using Otter for this task for many years now, but Otter has limitations in the free version and the Pixel could tap into this use case very well. Across the phone, from messaging to writing a new Google Doc you can use voice as a very effective input mechanism now. Also, the 6.7-inch Super Actua display is pretty bright at over 2400 nits peak brightness and perfect for those who like to take shots even in low light.
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On the flip side, I found the Google Pixel 8 Pro to be a bit heavy at over 210 grams. So if that is an issue for you, check the phone out before buying.
Also, whenever I invoked search or Siri, a lot of suggestions came in Hindi, which is not my preferred language setting. Even though I changed it manually to English, it kept showing some Hindi options.
Who should buy the Google Pixel 8 Pro?
While this is a flagship smartphone in every aspect, I think the Google Pixel 8 Pro is primarily a smart camera that comes with additional phone features. So if you love your photography and don’t mind getting some AI help to make the shots look better, then this is the smartphone for you. But do keep in mind that with a Pixel phone, you will be entering a niche and there could be issues getting support across the country even though Google is all-pervasive. And, yes, this is still an expensive phone at Rs 106,999 and you might not get the brownie points of owning an iPhone or Galaxy flagship with similar pricing when you walk around with a Pixel. But that acceptance will come when you flip the phone out and show the magic its software can perform.
