Longer battery life, a sharp camera, easy repairs and cheaper than an iPhone, Google’s Pixel 8 Pro smartphone is still only available for pre-order but it is garnering buzz before it hits shelves on October 13.

The premium model starts at $1699, more expensive than the Pixel 7 Pro at launch, and features an improved camera and editing features, faster display and – for the first time – a thermometer capable of scanning objects.

Other Android smartphones are struggling to maintain market share in the face of Apple’s juggernaut, with Samsung and Sony losing ground, but Google has bucked the trend with the Pixel.

In the second quarter of 2023, Pixel sales grew by 48 per cent compared to the previous year, despite not launching any major new products.

Aside from the flagship 8 Pro, the cheaper Pixel 8 is also available at a still steep $1199.

Features

Google is pushing the phone’s integrated AI assistant as a major selling point alongside an ‘all-day battery’, which is benchmarked at 5 per cent more capacity than what the Pixel 7 possessed, and the best camera offered in their smartphones so far.

The corners are more rounded than previous editions and the device is slightly smaller than the 7 Pro, but the 120Hz display monitor is an upgrade on the previous generation of Pixel phones.

The 8 Pro is cheaper than the iPhone Max Pro, which starts at $1849 and features the same refresh rate.

The Pro is available in three colours, which Google calls bay, porcelain and obsidian, but in reality, it’s just blue, white and black. The standard 8 also comes in three colours.

Google touts the Tensor G3 chip as its most powerful yet, and both Pixel 8 models are made with at least 18 per cent recycled materials.

Seven years of updates

Google said the device will receive seven years of operating system and security updates, with new feature drops every few months, and new security features including an inbuilt VPN and face unlock for app sign-ins and payments.

It also launches alongside a line of accessories mirroring Apple’s AirPod and Apple Watches, in an effort to not appear inferior to the market leader.

Like the Pixel 7, the Pixel 8 has launched alongside the Pixel Watch 2 and wireless headphones. Photo: Google

Google is positioning the Pixel 8 Pro’s inbuilt sensor thermometer as a tool for cooks in the kitchen or for people who want to check how hot their coffee is before taking a sip, but it remains to be seen how useful the gimmick is.

The Google Assistant also allows people to type, edit and send messages “in multiple languages seamlessly,” and can screen calls, answer unknown numbers and find out who’s calling and why before you pick up the phone.

Whether people should trust Google with possessing intimate information is up to consumers.

Tearing it apart

PBKreviews on YouTube has already started disassembling a review copy of the Pixel 8, taking it apart piece by piece.

It shows the ease of repairing the device after removing the display, although there is some difficulty removing the battery with the included pull-tab, and the YouTuber had to carefully loosen the adhesive with isopropyl alcohol and use a pry tool to remove it properly.

Inside the phone, there is the 10.5MP selfie camera, the 50MP main sensor and a 12MP ultra-wide camera, as well as a placeholder for an additional antenna to boost wi-fi.

PBKreviews successfully reassembles the phone, a good sign for those who are eager to either repair their own devices or are looking at third parties to do the job for them.