Google Pixel 8 review: Is it really built to last seven years?

Update, October 2024: Updated to include update news and new alternatives, including Google’s Pixel 9.

Should you buy the Google Pixel 8?

As we’ve come to expect from Google, the Pixel 8 is an undeniably solid smartphone, so let’s cut to the chase. If you’ve seen the Pixel 7 and 6, you’ll know exactly what to expect regarding user experience and target features, and Google has built on this formula just enough to freshen it up. AI-led bespoke software with exclusive Pixel features (see the useful Audio Magic Eraser and Best Take), an even nicer build, and great cameras for the price continue to make the Pixel 8 a compelling flagship purchase with a more affordable price tag than its Pro sibling. If you’re a Pixel fan and that’s what you’re after, this phone won’t disappoint.

However, Google has given us a value headscratcher. On the one hand, at $699, the Pixel 8 is $100 more than its predecessor, positioning it somewhat awkwardly above rival mid-rangers but with hardware that’s not always as robust as entry-level flagships. Google hasn’t dropped the price after launching the Pixel 9 either, making for an even tougher value argument. On the other, Google says it will support the phone with full Android OS upgrades for seven years, taking us right out to 2030. That sounds brilliant, but will the phone’s hardware last that long, or will you be pining for an upgrade before the end of the decade?

Let’s start with the good. Gorilla Glass Victus on the front and back (first-gen, not second like the Pixel 8 Pro) and an IP68 rating provide solid resistance to life’s accidents. You’ll definitely want a case to protect the phone long-term, but the handset offers robust protection out of the box that will help keep the phone in good shape for a while. Likewise, Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi 7, and 5G networking (with mmWave available in the US) ensure blazing-fast connectivity today and in the future.

The Pixel 8 fixes a few previous-gen pain points, too. Google shaves 20-25 minutes off the phone’s full-charge time, provided you have a suitably-spec’d charger on hand. Roughly 77 minutes to full is still sluggish but makes short top-ups more palatable, and Adaptive Charging helps prolong battery health for overnight power-ups. Even so, you’ll still need a battery replacement or two if you’re planning to keep the phone over a seven-year period. In addition, the move to a higher 120Hz variable refresh rate closes the gap with the best displays in the business and ensures scrolling feels even more responsive, though it can’t drop below 60Hz to conserve power as the best flagship phones can.

Google has gone some way to make the Pixel 8 camera as good as can be at this price, too. The improved 50MP primary camera (now with a wider ƒ/1.68 aperture) remains the star of the show. Robust HDR, low light snaps, and a refined color palette continue to make this one of the most consistent camera packages on the market, if not the most creative. Unfortunately, Google has unnecessarily gated its new Pro shooting controls and Video Boost to its more expensive model — which hardly convinces me that Google plans to treat the regular 8 on an equal footing going forward. Still, the addition of Magic Editor and Audio Magic Eraser keeps the camera package feeling somewhat near the cutting edge.

Unfortunately, the 12MP ultrawide isn’t great. The field-of-view (FoV) is a little distorted in the corners, and fine details are too noisy in dim light. On the plus side, the wider 125.8-degree FoV upgrade fits more in, and autofocus (finally) is very helpful for macro and group shots. The ultrawide still benefits from Google’s excellent computational photography capabilities, so I found the results as consistent as ever. The Pixel 8’s cropped 2x images are passable, and you can hit 3x or 4x in a pinch if you don’t mind the upscaling artifacts. Still, what I wouldn’t give for a telephoto lens, even a basic 2x or 3x, instead.

The phone’s core features are as solid as ever, but delve deeper into Google’s hardware choices and you can certainly question whether the Pixel 8 is built to last. UFS 3.1 memory, for instance, is cost-effective and fast enough for large file transfers, but the 2020-era storage option has far from great random I/O (I tested 40MB/s random read with caching, while a UFS 4.0-equipped S23 Ultra boasts around 80MB/s respectively) that may or may not present a bottleneck for future high-end apps, game load times, and advanced machine learning tasks. 8GB RAM is again ample for daily tasks but could also become a limitation as the market pushes toward on-device generative AI. Usually, a future-proof purchase has to be on the cutting edge, but Google obviously can’t cram the very best of everything into a $699 phone.

Google’s Tensor G3 processor is also not best-in-class in many regards. It benchmarks well behind flagship rivals powered by the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and is now well behind cutting-edge chips like Apple’s 18 Pro and Qualcomm’s 8 Elite. It ends up targeting a more mid-range performance point. It’s still more than adequate for my daily tasks and powering through heavier sessions, and it’s unlikely to feel sluggish for several years. However, we have also spotted that the Pixel 8’s processor is a tad slower than the Pro model’s version, compounding our concerns that it’ll feel pretty snail-like to use well before the end of seven years.

Gamers will certainly feel this chip’s limited potential more keenly. You already have to turn some graphics settings down to sustain high frame rates in the most demanding games, and the mid-tier GPU core count leaves us concerned that high-end titles in three or four years could prove too demanding. The absence of ray tracing technology, while still niche, keenly shows that Google hasn’t built the chip with future gaming capabilities in mind.

Still, Tensor G3 is the key that enables Google to offer seven years of support, so perhaps it’s worth the trade-off. However, we can’t be sure how Google’s seven-year update pledge will shape the Pixel 8 experience over the long term. Given the brand’s propensity for killing features without warning and struggle to bring promised features back to older devices (see the cancellation of Clear Calling for the Pixel 6), it’s highly likely that the Pixel 8 won’t track Google’s latest and greatest features. It’s already a step behind the 8 Pro, which has exclusivity over the cloud-AI-powered Video Boost for capturing improved clips, Recorder Summaries, and upgraded Magic Eraser features, and obviously hasn’t gained new features from the 9 Pro either. Thankfully, despite suggesting it wouldn’t happen, Gemini Nano support is available on the Pixel 8.

Google has made it clear: buy its Pro smartphone if you want the best Feature Drops. I would err on the side of caution if you’re considering picking up the Pixel 8 as a gateway to the latest and greatest Google AI tech for years to come. AI is a fast-changing landscape where cloud features can be dropped on a whim, while the requirements for on-device AI are snowballing, such as 12GB RAM on the baseline Pixel 9. While still obviously a win for longevity, remember that Google’s seven-year update pledge doesn’t guarantee anything beyond security, core OS features, and unspecified Feature Drops that won’t always have parity with the latest devices. There’s already a feature gap between the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro that’s only likely to widen.

Bringing this all together, many buyers will certainly still enjoy years of solid use with the Pixel 8. Social use cases, checking email, and the occasional family snap won’t stress this phone even many years later. What the Pixel 8 isn’t is a future-proof purchase for demanding users, gamers, and avid photographers who aren’t looking to trade up before that update window ends. The hardware just isn’t cutting-edge enough to hold up that long.

If you’re compelled to update your phone every five years or so (which is increasingly typical), the Pixel 8 is unlikely to quell that urge. Thankfully, it’s still a great phone for the here and now, even a year down the line.

What are the best Google Pixel 8 alternatives?

While previous generation Pixels have been a slam dunk recommend, Google’s price hikes makes it a much tougher call. Especially as the phone still officially retails for $699 a year after its launch. There are certainly several brilliant Google Pixel 8 alternatives priced just above and below.

• Google Pixel 9 ($799 at Amazon): Google’s latest entry-level flagship, the Pixel 9, features a marginally faster Tensor G4 processor, an upgraded ultrawide camera, more RAM for AI, and an ultrasonic fingerprint scanner, making it a much more complete hardware package. This does come with another $100 price increase, though, keeping the Pixel 8 as the more affordable buy.
• Google Pixel 8a ($499 at Amazon): If you want a phone with the Tensor G3 but want to spend a fair bit less, the Pixel 8a is the ticket. Google’s latest phone is its cheapest newcomer, undercutting the Pixel 8 without skimping on too many features.
• Google Pixel 8 Pro ($999 at Amazon): Perhaps the most obvious alternative, the Pixel 8 Pro ups the ante with more AI-centric features, a telephoto camera, superior charging, and more. Read our Pixel 8 vs Pixel 8 Pro comparison for all the info.
• Samsung Galaxy S24 ($859.99 at Amazon): It’s pricier, but Samsung’s Galaxy S24 is a more impressive hardware proposition. It is a solid investment with a faster processor, extra telephoto camera, 8K video recording, Galaxy AI smarts, and tougher Gorilla Glass Victus 2 front and rear protection. The Galaxy S24 still lags behind the Pixel 8 in battery capacity, but it now matches the Pixel 8’s seven-year update commitment.
• Samsung Galaxy S24 FE ($552.54 at Amazon): If you’re really after a budget purchase, Samsung’s Galaxy S24 FE is a solid alternative with an MSRP that’s a little lower than the Pixel 8’s price tag. Again, it boasts a fast flagship-grade processor, a 3x telephoto zoom camera for additional photography flexibility, and a swanky display, paired with seven years of updates, that make it a very fine alternative even to Google’s more expensive Pixel 9. Personally, I’d buy this one.
• Apple iPhone 16 ($799 at Amazon): While perhaps not a first choice for Pixel fans, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention Apple’s all-around superb iPhone 16. Robust dual cameras, wireless charging, an immaculate build, and long-term upgrade commitment are very compatible. However, we have to hand it to the Pixel 8 for its smoother 120Hz display and bigger battery while costing $130 less too.

Google Pixel 8 specs

Google Pixel 8 review: FAQ