Google Debuts New Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro Smartphones, Pixel Watch 2, and Refreshed Pixel Buds Pro

[Heat_Fan89]

Pixel 8 Pro's Tensor G3 chip is only marginally better than purely Chinese-made Kirin 9000s.

It compares closely to the SD 8 Gen 2, Samsung is using.

Tensor G3 vs Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 vs Apple A17 Pro: Google Bets on Efficiency

Read our detailed comparison between Tensor G3, Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, and Apple A17 Pro to find out which is the most powerful mobile chipset.

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[mike2q]

As someone who regularly uses Apple, Google and Samsung phones here's my take. If you want iOS obviously you get an iPhone. If you want Android then Samsung is the only way to go. I know Samsung wasn't great in dark 2016 times but these days they own high end Android. Samsung's high end phones have world class manufacturing and their current software is top notch. (I haven't used anything outside of the Galaxy line so I can't speak for their cheaper offerings). Google on the other hand doesn't have the economies of scale to come close to what Samsung offers. It seems every Pixel release is using second tier components and all come with at least a few semi-major issues. Despite what people think, Google hardware is not peak Android and their software isn't special.

 

[Havoc035]

Interesting that they’re raising the prices to iPhone levels. I think it will be a tough sell for many if they can also get an iPhone or Samsung device for the money.

 

[iSayuSay]

As someone who regularly uses Apple, Google and Samsung phones here's my take. If you want iOS obviously you get an iPhone. If you want Android then Samsung is the only way to go. I know Samsung wasn't great in dark 2016 times but these days they own high end Android. Samsung's high end phones have world class manufacturing and their current software is top notch. (I haven't used anything outside of the Galaxy line so I can't speak for their cheaper offerings). Google on the other hand doesn't have the economies of scale to come close to what Samsung offers. It seems every Pixel release is using second tier components and all come with at least a few semi-major issues. Despite what people think, Google hardware is not peak Android and their software isn't special.

I think it's all political problems. Google has all the resources to make a truly high end phones and watches. It's just it doesn't want to piss off OEMs like Samsung or Xiaomi. Google doesn't want to compete directly on the market because it may disrupt Android market share.

Remember, some companies like Samsung is always ready to use their own OS for their smartphone. May not be as matured as Android as of today, but it's a nuke missile ready to be launched at Google in case it decides to compete in hardware department? Google only has one big goal, puts Android in as many as smartphones as it can. Hence, the mediocre Pixel lineups.

 

[Heat_Fan89]

I think it's all political problems. Google has all the resources to make a truly high end phones and watches. It's just it doesn't want to piss off OEMs like Samsung or Xiaomi. Google doesn't want to compete directly on the market because it may disrupt Android market share.

Remember, some companies like Samsung is always ready to use their own OS for their smartphone. May not be as matured as Android as of today, but it's a nuke missile ready to be launched at Google in case it decides to compete in hardware department? Google only has one big goal, puts Android in as many as smartphones as it can. Hence, the mediocre Pixel lineups.

I totally agree, well said.

 

[redbeard331]

I think it's all political problems. Google has all the resources to make a truly high end phones and watches. It's just it doesn't want to piss off OEMs like Samsung or Xiaomi. Google doesn't want to compete directly on the market because it may disrupt Android market share.

Remember, some companies like Samsung is always ready to use their own OS for their smartphone. May not be as matured as Android as of today, but it's a nuke missile ready to be launched at Google in case it decides to compete in hardware department? Google only has one big goal, puts Android in as many as smartphones as it can. Hence, the mediocre Pixel lineups.

Mediocre? Like a phone that costs hundreds more, with a 60hz screen?

 

[NetMage]

Just so anyone isn't misled here, I don't know what he's talking about, but the original Pixel got 3 years of software support. It isn't great, kinda par for Android at the time, and even now in some cases honestly, but nowhere near what he's trying to sell here.

It’s simple - Google gives 3 years of support from the day of first sale. They don’t stop selling just because a device has less than a year of support left.

 

[svish]

The blue Pixel 8 Pro looks nice.

 

[Chad Johnson]

6 pages in and no one mentions that the pixel watch when broken cannot be repaired leaving your only option to buy another one at full price.

Google also sucks and collects all your data.

 

[super chimp]

MKHB will no doubt be waxing lyrical about it

He already has.

 

[lewchenko]

I switched to using an iPhone for the first time about a year and a half ago after several inexplicable failures of two subsequent Pixel phones (e.g., the battery would be drained in under an hour for the first device, and the touch screen on the second device simply stopped responding) and absolutely terrible support from Google. While the overall function and experience of using them is great, it will take a long time to ever consider another Pixel phone.

This is a huge downside too for me. Apple makes it so easy to get repairs or replacements thanks to their store network in most countries. - especially if you pony up for Apple Care. If something breaks with your google or Samsung product … it seems to be a painful experience.

 

[hans1972]

oh look, the same phone for years just minor refinements... Google has lost innovation. We want more than slightly faster chips and slightly better cameras /s

And then you'll go ballistic when you find out their base model only has 128Gb of storage.

 

[hans1972]

Oh please... Apple hasn't done much since the iPhone X, and was only recently been forced by the EU to move from lightning aka USB 2 (from 2001) to USB-C THIS YEAR... let me repeat that... Apple used USB 2.0 from 22 years ago...

Secondly, Google has foldables. As a Canadian I would have jumped on the Pixel fold over the iPhone 15 Pro given the choice.

Does it comes wit a 3.5mm jack which dates back to the 19th century?

 

[hans1972]

Google Pixel 8 Pro
128Gb $ 999
256Gb $1,059 +$ 60
512Gb $1,179 +$120

Much more reasonable pricing for storage upgrades as Apple's is $200/each for the upgrades.

But 128Gb is still base, any many people in this forum hates it when the base is 128Gb no matter the price.

 

[Bobdigi76]

oh look, the same phone for years just minor refinements... Google has lost innovation. We want more than slightly faster chips and slightly better cameras /s

😉

 

[mclld]

Has any man (biological or otherwise) ever actually worn the Pixel Watch? Ever?

There is no otherwise

 

[CarAnalogy]

I think it’s worth mentioning that even the standard pixel 8 has a 120Hz display. Come on Apple. Stop calling 120Hz a “Pro” feature. It’s getting to the point where that’s like calling a color display a pro feature. They didn’t do this to retina displays. Now half their displays look broken to me compared to the 120Hz ones.

This is one of the worst instances of Apple branding. They really painted themselves into a corner calling it “ProMotion.”

 

[KevinN206]

This wasn’t a thing before?? 😂 welcome to 2017, Google.

Except now you can use both facial and fingerprint. The downside with this facial is that it requires light and cannot be used in the dark. I honestly like having both facial and fingerprint recognition on one device.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

Can't Apple just buy camera tech from Google? For point and shoot in real life lighting situations, there is no comparison. My family group has a mix of phones, and everyone always sources the keeper photos from parties from the Pixel people.

Could be that the Pixel people have a better eye for photographs? The phone can do a lot but it can’t tell the user how to frame the picture. And that goes a long way towards whether or not folks think the picture is pleasing.

 

[dba415]

Google is copying Apple. Barely talking about any specs but naming every new feature. "Super Actua Display" wtf is that? "Video Boost" "Magic Eraser" etc. reminds me of "Retina display", "magic island" etc.

 

[kjvmartin]

No, because that's Google's AI software that handles that. The camera hardware that Google uses is inferior to that of Apple and Samsung. It's the AI software that does all the computational stuff in the background like magic eraser, unblur and night photos etc.

Could be that the Pixel people have a better eye for photographs? The phone can do a lot but it can’t tell the user how to frame the picture. And that goes a long way towards whether or not folks think the picture is pleasing.

This has been consistent for years. Anything indoors, low light, Apple struggles with clarity. Same with movement. We have a big family full of kids. Biggest example is Christmas morning, opening presents by the light of the tree.

Pixel is on a whole other planet. iPhone, you have to hope the kiddos hold still and you get just the right moment. Pixel seems to adjust on the fly to whatever the conditions are. We noticed this really starting to emerge around the iPhone X and the trend continues.

On the flip side, iPhone does make better videos. I am sort of the designated "Happy Birthday" videographer. The Pixel people take the pictures. My pictures are "just ok" when I do it, theirs are generally perfect. Daylight outdoors everything evens up or the iPhone even surpasses Pixel. Pool parties, no issue. Someone sitting still in any lighting? Probably ok. Bonfire at dusk? Just send me your pics I'll delete mine. Again, mine are passable and decent. Pixel look like a DSLR.

 

[NEPOBABY]

It is always fun when newbie accounts show up on forums and social media to praise Google, Facebook and Microsoft products.

Even more fun when they do it on Apple boards.

Then you find out they are paid by outsourced marketing firms to post praise across the internet.

But they are based in poor countries and paid so little they won't actually be buying the Pixel products they are praising.

 

[KevinN206]

Well, they DID add the “Our hardware can’t handle it locally so please upload the video you take to our cloud and we’ll only do responsible enhancement related stuff, no revenue generating at all!” mode. That’s new

If you believe Google, the new generative AI stuffs are on-device. https://blog.google/products/pixel/google-tensor-g3-pixel-8/

 

[D_J]

How? Temp? Pressing too hard? Bad build quality?

I have no idea. My guess is there was a flaw in it (obviously) and maybe the heat generated from charging it/setting it up caused it. Was very disheartening. Also regret that I didn't get the carrier insurance hours earlier "because I never break my phones."

 

[Black Magic]

I have no idea. My guess is there was a flaw in it (obviously) and maybe the heat generated from charging it/setting it up caused it. Was very disheartening. Also regret that I didn't get the carrier insurance hours earlier "because I never break my phones."

I avoid Android phones. I see them as the Microsoft Windows systems of the world. Cheaply made most of the time and often abandoned experiments if the money isn't coming in.