It's been about three months since I started using the Google 8 eight Pro...
But is this smartphone everything that Google promised it would be?
Let's find out!
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What's up, Internet? I'm Brian MacDuff, AKA "BMAC," and welcome to another video!
So, yes, I've had the Pixel 8 Pro just about 90 days now and, as you might expect,
I've got some things to say. First thing's first, I need to give a huge thank you
and a shout out to Google for sending out this Pixel 8O Pro #GiftFromGoogle for
me to be able to check out. So, Google, thank you!
I appreciate you! But with that having been said, let's just dive right into this baby
and tell you everything you need to know about it, starting things out with the DESIGN...
and how things are looking on the outside of this new Google smartphone.
First thing's first, we do now have a front and back glass that is stronger than it has ever been
in a Pixel device with it being Gorilla Glass Victus 2... but this time,
as you can see, with a matte glass back instead of the shiny glass back you had on the Pixel 7 Pro.
I think it just overall provides a more polished, more professional, more
premium feel when you're holding the Pixel 8 Pro in your hand as opposed to the
somewhat plasticky kind of feeling I got with the Pixel 7 Pro, - despite the back being made of glass.
You're also going to see the return of the full-width camera band here.
Something I'm actually a huge fan of as it relates to symmetry, but also the ability
to use the smartphone when it's face-up on a flat surface
without any kind of wobble. All in all, the Pixel 8Pro is probably the prettiest, most
luxurious, most flagship-feeling Pixel device that I've held in my hand to date,
even though it might feel a little bit large because it is still only available in
one size: that being 6.7 inches. I wouldn't go so far to say that the Pixel 8 Pro is too big.
I mean, we don't have a choice. There's one size only here,
but if it was a little bit smaller, at least if there was a little smaller option, I probably would opt for that one.
Simply because of how much one-handed use I'm doing on a daily basis.
We are still getting IP68 dust and water resistance protection in the Pixel 8 Pro
with it being offered in three different colors: "Bay," "Obsidian," or "Porcelain."
But I know it's not just about looks, it's what's going on on the inside that counts too...
So what kind of power are we talking about being packed in here in the Pixel 8 Pro?
The big difference that we're seeing here with the Pixel 8 Pro,
as it relates to tech specs, is the inclusion of the third-generation "Google Tensor G3" chipset.
Naturally with a newer next-generation processor, we would
expect it to be faster, more powerful, and more efficient.
That's exactly what we're getting here with the G3 chipset in the Pixel 8 Pro
with it still having the same solid 12 GB of RAM that the Pixel 7 Pro has.
Everything I can think of has been fast, smooth, and fluid on the Pixel 8 Pro with no apparent lag whatsoever.
The G3 chipset is actually making a much bigger difference behind the scenes than you may even realize.
For one thing, Google has implemented Class 3 Biometrics now
for its face unlocking feature which means, yes, obviously you
could unlock your Pixel 8 Pro with your face, but also you could use your face unlocking
for different kind of apps that require some level of security identification,
such as with your banking apps. You do, of course still have your pattern unlock
or your pin unlock feature but, if you wanted to, you could also use your under display fingerprint scanner,
which, as you can see, is pretty much seamless.
It's fast, it's responsive, it's consistent. I love the thing. But the real cherry on top for
all of this is a guarantee from Google that you're going to be getting Android updates
delivered to your Pixel 8 Pro until the year 2030 which is actually a little
surprising considering this is five years longer than your guaranteed Pixel updates
on the Pixel 7 Pro, which came out a little more than a year ago.
But we do have to talk about here what is probably one of the most perplexing additions into the Pixel 8 Pro: the temperature sensor.
Simply put, I don't get it. Google's basically just explaining that it's just one additional
smartphone feature that we could learn to use on a day-to-day basis. But do I really
need an object temperature sensor on-the-go? The answer is "no."
To me, it just kind of comes across as a little gimmicky. I wouldn't be surprised to see it quietly removed
from future Pixel devices because I don't see anyone talking about it - like, ever.
But let's talk about something that really shines on the Pixel 8 Pro -
both literally and figuratively - with that being the DISPLAY,...
We are getting the same 6.7-inch display on the Pixel 8 Pro as we got last year in the Pixel 7 Pro
but this time we are getting some symmetrical bezels on top, bottom and sides,
in addition to getting a much less curved front glass,
in addition to also getting a much brighter display. So a lot going on here. Let's unpack it real quick.
One thing I really did not like about the Pixel 7 Pro and, especially the Pixel 6 Pro,
was the curved edges on the front glass, which were basically like waterfall edges.
They refracted light in a very weird way that caused a kind of rainbow effect at the edge of the display.
It just felt to me very janky unpolished and rather just unnecessary.
But with the Pixel 8 Pro, it feels like my prayers have finally been answered
because now the edges are much less rounded and, for all intents and purposes, perfect!
And as it relates to brightness, this thing could boast up to 1600 nits of typical brightness or up to 2,400 nits of peak brightness.
And this is borderline mind blowing. This phone gets super bright even when you're outside in direct sunlight,
even if you're consuming HDR content. But I also do want t0 point out that we are getting an adaptive refresh rate in the Pixel 8 Pro that goes
from 1 Hz to 120 Haz - as opposed to last year's 10 Hz to 120 Hz,
which, I know, doesn't sound like that much of a difference on paper, but actually could
make a pretty substantial difference, especially in the long run as it relates to battery life.
Especially if you're using the always-on display,like I am, and especially
if you're using a lot of static imagery apps like reading an ebook in the Kindle app for example.
That 9 Hz difference in that adaptive refresh rate really can make a
rather substantial difference on your battery making it better in the long run.
I really have nothing bad to say about the display this year in the Pixel 8 Pro,
I'm pretty much in love, but let's talk about another area that is highly anticipated in the Pixel smartphones being the CAMERA...
and how amazing the Pixel 8 Pro photo and video capabilities are this year compared to last year.
And I could hardly believe it, but even just on paper, the entire
Pixel 8 pro camera system has been improved yet again
with the wide lens, the telephoto lens, and the ultra wide lens all coming
with wider apertures that allow in more light and contribute to better photos,
especially in lower light scenarios. We are also getting optical image stabilization built into
the telephoto lens this year, which is especially important for taking those still
crisp photos at those longer focal lengths. And we're also getting a big bump up
from 12 megapixels to 48 megapixels on the ultra wide lens. Those specs alone should
speak for themselves, but I mean just looking at some of the examples of photos from
the Pixel 8 Pro and seeing what this camera system is capable of, let's just
say there's a reason that this thing is always coming with me. Now when I know I'm
going be taking pictures, especially with all the AI features built in, I am absolutely
blown away by the magic editor's ability to use AI and machine learning to basically
completely recreate or edit a photo to whatever it is I want it to be. Now, quick
little note on this selfie camera, even though I'm not usually one taking a whole
lot of selfies, it has largely remained the same as at least as it relates to specs
from last year's Pixel 7 Pro, but it does still take great selfies and it does
now have phase detect auto focus, which arguably is an upgrade and it does still
exist as a whole punch cutout in the front display. So, all in all, way more camera
upgrades than I was expecting or even hoping for in the Pixel 8 Pro.
And Google is literally just completely changing the smartphone photography game as we know it.
But I know with all these improvements, all this talk about AI, all these capabilities
in the Pixel 8 Pro, how long can we actually expect this thing to last for?
What's the battery life looking like on this smartphone? I'm seeing a solid six to seven
hours of screen on time with the Pixel 8 Pro as opposed to around a five hour
screen on time that I was getting in the Pixel 7 Pro. And this basically comes
down to the G3 chipset providing that enhanced efficiency that we were talking
about earlier in this video that is translating over to battery life as well.
This despite the fact, by the way, that I usually have my brightness pretty darn high.
People wonder how I still have retinas left with how bright my screen brightness usually is,
but here we are, six to seven hours of screen on time, retinas in place, we good, we "gucci!"
But with all that having been said, here are my final thoughts on the Pixel 8 Pro
and whether or not I think it's a get it or forget it kind of smartphone.
I mean, let's just quickly break down everything we've already talked about here.
Better design, more power, more efficiency, more intelligence, AI... It's kind of the same thing.
A better display, a brighter display, a better battery. My goodness, I mean - come on!
What more could you possibly want to hear? Simply put, I am in love with this smartphone.
It is most definitely a daily carry-worthy smartphone for me and probably for you as well...
A huge pat in the back for what Google has done this past year with their smartphone lineup. It is just hand clap-worthy,
back pat-worthy praiseworthy. It's just amazing what Google has done.
Should you get the Pixel 8 Pro? Absolutely. I think you're going to love absolutely everything about it.
It's to the point now where I don't even know what Google has in store for
us this upcoming year because of how incredible this thing is as it currently stands.
Like what is Google going to do? How are they going to make this even better? I dunno, it's crazy.
This is where we're at in tech - it's nuts..
But if you guys are interested in seeing the latest deals, prices, promos, and information for the Pixel 8 Pro,
you guys could of course always head to my affiliate link, BMAC.link/Pixel8Pro
or, of course. as always, there's going to be links in the comment section and video description box as well.
So check those out and, with that having been said,
I'm going to go take a photo with the Pixel 8 Pro of my palm and use the "Magic Editor"
to place the Pixel 9 Pro in my hand to see what that's all about.
I don't think it works that way, but we're going to try and I'll see you guys in my next video!
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