The Google Pixel 8 Pro just became my favorite midrange phone at $650
by Stephen Radochia · Android PoliceIt’s nearly impossible to recommend upgrading your flagship phone yearly. Companies try their hardest to dazzle us with new features, but upgrades have become iterative across almost every smartphone. However, lackluster new models provide us with an opportunity as older hardware goes on sale.
Make no mistake, the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL is an excellent phone, and I love using mine, but the Pixel 8 Pro has many of the same features as well as excellent battery life and performance. So, when I saw it on sale for $650, it quickly became my favorite mid-range phone. It has everything you’d want at that price point, and if you’re comfortable with an older flagship, it’s worth a look.
Read our review
Google Pixel 8 Pro: Living up to its name
If you want to see the future of Google, the Pixel 8 Pro is the phone to buy
What’s still great about the Google Pixel 8 Pro?
Great display and performance
Google addressed a major issue of previous Pixel phones when it changed the Pixel 8 Pro's display. The company’s Super Actua technology turned a weakness into a strength, with Pixel displays becoming bright and vibrant. Google made the Pixel 9 Pro XL’s display a little brighter, but the Pixel 8 Pro is still perfectly readable outdoors and a joy to view. Games and media look great, and you won’t have to settle for a 1080p resolution you’d usually find for $650.
Even though the Tensor G3 will never benchmark well against other flagship chipsets, I really don’t care. If you’re a big mobile gamer, you'll notice a difference, but the Pixel 8 Pro will perform just as well as other mid-range devices; outside of gaming, performance is excellent.
The Pixel 8 Pro was one of the smoothest devices I used last year, and that experience has continued with Android 15. It also features 12GB of RAM, and with the Tensor G3 being designed for AI functionality, I hope we'll continue to see Gemini Nano features in the Pixel 8 Pro.
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Fantastic design and battery life
I’m undecided whether I like the Pixel 8 Pro or Pixel 9 Pro XL design better. The Pixel 9 Pro XL is a premium device, and it’s undoubtedly Google’s most refined design yet. However, something about the Pixel 8 Pro keeps bringing me back; I love how it has a flat display, but still curves against my hand via the back glass. I enjoy its pleasing look while maintaining an unmistakable Pixel design.
Despite being a year old, the Pixel 8 Pro has excellent battery life, too. I can easily get almost nine hours of screen-on time with a single charge, another significant departure from previous Pixel phones. Charging speeds are still anemic, but Google hasn’t impressed many with only 45W (far slower in actual use) on the Pixel 9 Pro XL, so it’s not like you're getting up 100W charging from a newer model.
It’s still a Pixel camera
Whether you love Pixels or hate them, you cannot deny their excellent camera systems, and the Pixel 8 Pro is no exception, sporting a 50MP primary sensor, a 48MP 5x optical periscope telephoto, and a 48MP ultrawide. It has phenomenal camera hardware, and when paired with Google’s computational photography, the images are crisp and vibrant.
Plus, Magic Editor and Best Take allow us extra flexibility after the photo is taken, and Night Sight still produces some of the best low-light photography on smartphones.
If you’re a shutterbug on a budget, it’s difficult to match what the Pixel 8 Pro can do for $650. Cameras on mid-range phones have improved, but they don’t rival what a Pixel flagship from a year ago can produce.
Mid-range competition is fierce, but can’t match
I love the current crop of mid-range phones. The Google Pixel 8a, for example, is an underrated gem for $450 (and dropping), while the OnePlus 12R showcases the best of OnePlus, offering fantastic raw power at incredible value. And let’s not forget the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE. I might disagree with the price Samsung is charging, but it’s still a magnificent phone.
If you don’t need to finance a phone through your carrier, the Pixel 8 Pro is a great choice that provides more value than the others on my list — and it has six years of software support left.
We often buy more than we need
Older flagships are a great way to save money without sacrificing an excellent experience. Even though manufacturers release phones yearly, new models have become more iterative than ever, with most upgrades focusing on software or AI enhancements. I’m all for companies releasing as many phones as they want, as long as I get a fantastic selection of previous models at discount prices.
Google Pixel 8 Pro
$749 $999 Save $250
The Google Pixel 8 Pro still has much to offer in 2024. Its Tensor G3 may no longer be the latest and greatest, but it's still plenty fast with great battery efficiency. Despite it currently being sold at a mid-range price, you still get a premium build, with a Gorilla Glass and aluminum construction. It also features a fantastic camera worthy of the Pixel name.