I’ve been using the Pixel 8 Pro for just under a week. I’m as fascinated by top tier (or flagship) smartphones as many people are by cars. I was gripped by the idea of “a computer in our pocket” before the first smartphones existed; back in the Mobile Jurassic age of personal digital assistants, or PDAs. Of course I’ve become even more hooked over recent years as the power and capabilities of these devices has taken off.
That’s partly a lead-in to saying that it doesn’t take me long at all to get strong feelings about a new phone; sometimes that’s a very quick realization that I’ll be returning the phone, other times it’s a very positive vibe. 6 days with the Pixel 8 Pro has definitely got my positive vibes flowing, but just a tiny bit less than I expected.
If you’ve followed this publication for more than a little while, then you know I’m a big fan of Google’s Pixel line, and especially so since the Pixel 6 series. So a big chunk of my early feelings about the Pixel 8 Pro are familiar ones. This home screen feels like home kinda thing , and home stepped up its game, it’s new shiny home with a bunch of cool new features.
So here’s my very early days, very quick first thoughts on the Pixel 8 Pro:
AI is still one of its killer features. From the little, fun things like Now Playing and Now Playing History to the time and hassle saving features like Call Screen, to the truly great speed and accuracy of voice-to-text in GBoard powered by Google Assistant (with all of it on device!).
The promise / commitment that more AI features are coming soon is also a big deal to me. I’m hugely interested in the latest and coming advances in AI, and I am confident that Google offers, and will likely continue to offer, the most useful AI integrations in the smartphone space.
I like the “Bay Blue” color of the model I chose more than I expected to. I had some thoughts prior to its arrival that I might quickly regret the color choice and return it to swap over to the obsidian model, but this blue feels subtle and smooth and very easy on the eye to me.
The camera is amazing and great, or so I am told by the many expert tech reviewers who know how to get the most out of smartphone cameras. I am more of an expert in getting the least out of them; show me any camera, phone camera or a proper one, and I can take some lousy photos. Despite my lack of skills, I still like what the 8 Pro produces.
One final early impression that does not feel like home at all. I find myself enjoying the Pixel 8 Pro but also missing the Nothing Phone 2 a little. And That’s a very odd feeling for me.
Fun review, Patrick! I like your observation of the "Mobile Jurassic age." That made me smile. 😀