News Pixel 8 Pro review—The best Android phone

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Enlarge / Behold, the glorious, flat display. Normal, common-sense phone design is back, finally! (credit: Ron Amadeo)


Google is listening. Reviewing phones means that we usually complain—a lot—about phone designs, about things that could be better, and about decisions that don't make a ton of sense. Usually it feels like talking to a wall; manufacturers ignore us and keep doing whatever they want.

The Pixel 8 is different, though. This phone feels like it's taking some of our long-standing pet peeves into account and is finally doing something about them. Tired of pointless curved screens that distort your image? Fixed. Want an update support timeline that finally rivals iOS? Check. Fixing flaws with the previous model, like face unlock? Double check. Compared to where the Pixel line was just a few years ago, Google Hardware is turning in phones that are polished, practiced, and full of great decisions.

The Pixel design just keeps improving

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  The Pixel 8 Pro display looks great. [credit: Ron Amadeo ]
  

SPECS AT A GLANCE​
Pixel 8	Pixel 8 Pro
SCREEN	6.2-inch, 120 Hz, 2400×1080 OLED	6.7-inch, 120 Hz, 2992×1344 OLED
OS	Android 14
CPU	Google Tensor G3 One 3.0 GHz Cortex-X3 core Four 2.45 GHz Cortex-A715 cores Four 2.15 GHz Cortex-A510 Cores
GPU	ARM Immortalis-G715s MC10
RAM	8GB	12GB
STORAGE	128GB/256GB UFS 3.1	128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB UFS 3.1
BATTERY	4575 mAh	5050 mAh
NETWORKING	Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3, GPS, NFC, 5G mmWave & Sub-6 GHz	Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3, GPS, NFC, 5G mmWave & Sub-6 GHz, UWB
PORTS	USB Type-C 3.1 Gen 1 with 30 W USB-PD 3.0 charging
REAR CAMERA	50 MP Main 12 MP Wide Angle	50 MP Main 48 MP Wide Angle 48 MP 4x Telephoto
FRONT CAMERA	10.8 MP	10.8 MP
SIZE	150.5 x 70.8 x 8.9 mm	162.6 x 76.5 x 8.8 mm
WEIGHT	187 g	213 g
STARTING PRICE	$699	$999
OTHER PERKS	IP68 dust and water resistance, eSIM, wireless charging, in-screen fingerprint reader

Google is still making steady improvements to the design that started with the Pixel 6, and the Pixel 8 Pro feels like one of the best hardware designs out there. First up, Google is finally dumping the years-long failed experiment of curved displays. Samsung started the curved display trend back in 2014 when it figured out how to bend OLED displays. Thanks to the huge influence of Samsung's display division, from then on most flagship Android phones had the long edges of their displays curve into the bodies.


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