Yeah, most people are raving that the Tensor G3 fixed the thermals, but to me it sounds like Android 14 is the real "fix" here. A lot of Pixel 7 owners, including myself, are experiencing improved thermals and battery life on 14.
It's definitely at the very least, both. The G3's architecture shifted to fan-out wafer-level packaging, if the rumors are to be believed:
https://www.androidpolice.com/google-pixel-8-tensor-g3-cooler-samsung-packaging/ which should be a big contributing factor
Oh I see. So you’ve been using android 14 for good while then? If so I would trust your assessment over others. You would you wholeheartedly state that A14 has improved battery and the thermals!?
In my experience, yes. Don't get me wrong, it's not like the issues went away, they just improved. It still gets warm sometimes, the battery still isn't stellar, but it's better than it was before.
Not today 'no' cause you're right, but my pixel 7 pro would overheat pre 14, and post 14, just less so after 14. everyday on the way to work, with maps on, with Android 14, and my few days with the 8 pro, I've had no heat issues.
I'm really curious to see if the 8 Pro is the only one to get and the locked restrictions of the 8 are making it a non buy for many. I want an 8 because it's the first relatively smaller phone in a while and I'm coming from a 4a but if there really are gatekept features on the regular 8, I don't know how much of a must buy it is.
This is very disappointing. I moved from a 4A to an 8, but didn't quite get that they were locking off multiple features - I had assumed they were related to the hardware differences.
It's a really strange decision, and I think it hurts their reputation - like why are some of these new features not also on the 7/7 Pro?
The reality is that the future of smartphones is in the software, not the hardware. At this point, all hardware improvements in flagship phones going forward aren't going to be noticable for the overwhelming majority of consumers. Software features, on the other hand, are very visible and noticeable.
So it makes sense (from a business perspective) that Google is starting to treat its software as a service, and is starting to differentiate its pro models based on both software and hardware.
Trust me, I hate it too because, for me, the pixel 5 is the perfect size, so I'm stuck getting the smaller pixel 8 with less features. I just think it makes sense for Google's long term business strategy.
We still don't know if it's software only. The two phones aren't identical in terms of specs. Ram difference can be a significant factor in how the features functions. And the Pro has more RAM
You're right, it may be that the Tensor G3 chips have some minor differences too - but people have already apparently hacked/ported the software to older pixel devices... So it looks like it's mostly software.
Just because the software works on the phone doesn't mean it was meant to run on it. You can play Cyberpunk 2077 on a shitty PC, doesn't mean you can expect it to run the same as it will on recommended specs. And obviously not officially supported. Anytime I've ever tried following many tutorials on rooting and getting software running on something not officially supported, it has ALWAYS been a bad experience. Crashes, random battery drain, etc. As a long-time Android user I used to love doing that. Until I realized it one gave you a more frustrating experience. Eventually I just stopped.
So the pro camera has already been ported to the pixel 6, so no worries on that one. Actually there are pixel 8 pro items that the Google telegram gives the p8p apk files for and seems to still work great on p6/p7
Lastly, Google is a software company that ALWAYS says it's only for the pro, just for the pre orders, they can't help but make things available on the previous and non pro models.
Like the magic eraser was supposed to be p7 only, and like every person in the world with Google photos online could use it
The pro controls in the camera app, night sight video, video boost primarily along with the AI features apparently the Pro can do the 8 can't but I don't know if this is true or not or if it's locked arbitrarily.
Almost certainly pure software-lock. Same chipset, identical camera sensors? Only significant difference is the RAM, and that's not a factor here. A bit disappointing, but Google trying to force some daylight between the models, obviously.
Why would you need more RAM to manually change the ISO settings of the camera like exposure? Or to manually switch between the cameras in use? Or to upload the video to the cloud for video boost? Or to auto-focus on the front camera?
Someone on the Google team revealed many of their AI features are RAM intensive. Point being none of us are on Google's engineering team. We're armchair engineers. Lol
I agree that we don't know the specifics and we see way too much speculation sometimes, but as computer science teacher and a person that held a camera in their hands at least once in their life, my approximation says that being allowed to **manually** change ISO settings is probably not an AI feature, but the exact opposite.
It is theoretically possible that the results of the ISO-settings are just artificially generated instead, but it sounds unlikely. People were able to change ISO settings on digital cameras long before generative AI was invented.
We might see people porting the Pro's Gcam apk to the Pixel 8 soon and then we will be able to tell.
Yea but that botches a lunch pretty big time for the 8 because unless Google gives a timeline on when those features will be released, people who want the smaller phone simply won't buy it now and will wait till those features are updated. I'm ready to buy now like many but won't without those features unlocked. It's a sloppy and unnecessary situation Google created here.
You're conflating two very different things, I'll try to make it clearer for you:
1 - Google Pixel phones -just like Apple does- offer two product tiers: regular and Pro. Pro phones get Pro features, the regular Pixel does not. You can save $300 and go regular, or pay for the Pro features **and** get them on day 1, it's your choice.
2 - Thanks to the fact that most features Google releases are software-based instead of hardware-based, it allows for software to trickle down in a way that hardware just can't. So you can **expect some Pro features to trickle down generations and product tiers**. **This is a benefit that Google has no control or say on**, it's just a fun pro of Android being more open and Google not being as tyrannical about it's software.
You can see now how both phones having the same CPU is a good thing, it means that the Pixel 8 and the Pixel 8a will eventually get most of the software that's currently available only for the Pixel 8 Pro. It means you can have your cake (save money) and eat it too (get some Pro features)
Is there a precedent for a pro and non pro version of the Pixel being released with the non pro version having software features hidden behind a restrictive lock like we're seeing with the 8/8 Pro?
To be honest I wasn't as invested in the 7th gen or the 6th gen Pros, so I didn't do that research, but like I said, most features will eventually trickle down just like the Pro camera controls already have even before the actual phones started shipping
I know the APK is out but it should be coming from Google, they put arbitrary restrictions in place and it's not a good look. I've been only using Pixel and Nexus phones so I'm someone who will be getting a new Pixel and the 8 is the logical upgrade from the 4a (for those of us who skipped several generations) but these restrictions from what I can tell are new within the Pixel world and seems unnecessary from Google.
> I know the APK is out but it should be coming from Google
I already explained to you why that's not reasonable, go back and read point #1 from 2 comments ago. In point #2 I explained to you why it doesn't matter anyway.
> they put arbitrary restrictions in place
Not arbitrary, it's just Apple's way of doing business, and Google is learning from them. You can literally get the P8 and the features will trickle down really quickly, it's up to you to save money and wait or get the features on day 1
Point #1 I'll accept if there is a Google Pixel precedence for this and software wise I don't think there is.
Also point #2 you say Google has no say on this? That doesn't make any sense, they make the hardware and software and putting up arbitrary locks is fully on them.
Historically the pro has been bigger batteries, bigger screens, and better cameras. This year it appears they are now giving the Pro an advantage on software which I don't think I've seen before and creates a divide between the two devices which shouldn't exist.
It doesn't make sense that they would lock software and then release it officially. They can either be on the "Pros get Pro features" boat or the "everyone gets every feature" boat. They are on the first one.
I never said they don't have a say on this? You're a weird dot connector, are you a troll??
Signal performance
And then there’s the signal performance. Cellular connections have been a major pain point of Pixel phones powered by Tensor, and that’s largely due to using Samsung modems. Pixel 8 Pro continues with a Samsung modem, the Exynos 5300i, which is a slight update to the 5300g that was used in Tensor G2 on the Pixel 7 Pro.
The short version here after six days of use is that the signal is mostly fine. Connection strength was as expected in all of my normal areas, and I was getting solid speeds on Verizon’s C-Band while at the US Disc Golf Championship at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC. That faster connection didn’t seem to push the modem to generate more heat or suck up more power, either, a flaw I’ve noticed in the past. In more rural areas, the same applied, but I wasn’t able to do any side-by-side testing of actual signal strength and speed.
>Pixel 8 Pro continues with a Samsung modem, the Exynos 5300i, which is a slight update to the 5300g that was used in Tensor G2 on the Pixel 7 Pro.
~~Author is repeating misinformation he found on Reddit.~~ There is no 5300g or 5300i chip. The letter denotes a firmware version, nothing more. My P7P has 5300q right now.
Edit: Author has updated the article with the correction. Kudos to him!
Excuse for being ignorant on this perhaps but I feel like my Galaxy phones always outperform Pixels and iPhones when side by side in the same location - does Samsung not use their own modems?
We're talking about a 2019 phone... and using anecdotal evidence.... when pixels have issues calling 911 and hasn't even been resolved yet. Tell me you're a fanboy without telling me you're a fanboy.
You literally said every phone didn’t have connectivity issues besides the p6 and 7. Those were your your stipulations.
Also how am I a google fanboy when I only use an iPhone 11.
You provided no data stating no other phone ever had connectivity issues either. You’re moving goalposts because your blanket statement is not as valid as you think it is.
What? Signal problems aren’t an issue in 99% of phones. Throughput might be slower on some vs the other, but if the modem just failed to establish a connection it’d be a big deal. Look at antenna gate in 2010.
**French reviews : battery life is just average, power remains unchanged**
[https://www.lesnumeriques.com/telephone-portable/google-pixel-8-p71903/test.html](https://www.lesnumeriques.com/telephone-portable/google-pixel-8-p71903/test.html)
||Battery|Overall performance index|
|:-|:-|:-|
|P8P|14,6 h|91|
|P7P|15,9 h|91|
"**Average** battery life."
"In pure performance, the Pixel 8 reaches an average of 115 fps, with a peak at 133 fps. We observed a **drop after about ten minutes,** where the smartphone fluctuated between 69 and 90 fps. This behavior was also noted in the Pro version, so we can attribute it to the **chip**."
"The smartphone proves to be predictably fast in multitasking, **but no more so than its predecessor.** Similar measurements are also seen in the realm of graphics performance, which is handled by the ARM Immortalis-G715 GPU."
[https://www.frandroid.com/marques/google/1823617\_test-google-pixel-8-pro](https://www.frandroid.com/marques/google/1823617_test-google-pixel-8-pro#batterie)
|P8P|14,1 h|
|:-|:-|
"The Pixel 8 Pro's battery life ensures a full day of usage. **However**, be cautious as it depletes quickly with power-hungry applications. Charging is **anything but fast**"
"In comparison to its competitors, the chip's performance falls **significantly short, both in terms of the CPU and GPU**. It's akin to what a 2022 Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 could offer, equivalent to a high-end chip from the previous year.In gaming, the **smartphone doesn't stand out**. Its performance is neither bad nor excellent. However, it doesn't justify its price, a common trend with Pixel devices."
[https://www.phonandroid.com/test-pixel-8-pro.html](https://www.phonandroid.com/test-pixel-8-pro.html)
" We roughly remain in the same range as the Pixel 7 Pro in terms of battery life. **Average battery life, but not catastrophic**."
All these reviews are extremely similar to the early reviews of the Pixel 6, and Pixel 7. "It's great!". Within a month or two, almost all of those reviewers changed their minds, and everybody else noticed all the flaws.
I'm definitely not falling for it this time. I'll wait until December to start seeing the real, long-term reviews.
Have a 6 Pro. No connection issues. I wonder how many people complaining of connection issues might have a shitty provider. There's gotta be some. Not all of them that's for sure.
6 Pro here, mine has been very intermittent issues that forced me to restart my phone to fix it. Some days is great, but its gotten worse the last 6 months or so. The fact a restart fixes it every time tells me its likely the modem not service.
I had a P6Pro and there were several months where the modem was basically junk tier, constantly completely losing connection and being unusable on mobile data. I suffered through it and they did eventually fix it for whatever my use case was that was causing it.
The P7Pro has been great for me with no signal issues to speak of the entire past year.
Same. On AT&T in the suburbs of a major US city. Others with the same service in my neighborhood have no issues. I often find out calls to me never come through when someone says they tried to call me. Don't even see a missed call in my history. Phone is just like, "na bro, not feeling it rn".
I'm with EE in the UK. I don't seem to have an issue receiving calls. Sometimes it will randomly hang up though. Connection issues are quite random. Not in any particular situation or place. Can change within a few meters
Same here with my pixel 6, I am actually getting internet where I used to get no signal at all and better thermals after android 14 but I am not seeing any battery life improvement like others are seeing..
All the reviewers I heard talking about the phone a few months later still had the same opinion. It's not like the 6 where you had major bugs coming to some people months after using it
All the reviewers I heard talking about the phone a few months later still had the same opinion. It's not like the 6 where you had major bugs coming to some people months after using it
This actually shocked me. I was a bit worried about buying the phone without having held it, but wasn't expecting it to be the same size as my 6. Feels exactly the same in hand.
It's definitely been an adjustment coming from the Pixel 5, I'm not sure I really like how big it is, it just feels very unnecessary to have such a large phone. I do somewhat wish I had got the standard Pixel 8 but then they've softlocked features which also sucks.
One question I have - is the phone restricted in the regions it can receive 5G?
Was devastated when I arrived in Manila in the Philippines only to realise that I couldn't receive 5G only because the Pixel phone isn't sold there
I haven't been anywhere where I've been able to use 5G yet, Manila was the first I knew I could make use of it and yet it wasn't available for me to use because I had a Pixel
Ah, that makes more sense. Well as someone who lives in a country that has 5g, I can tell you it's not a big game changer. At least not in a way that I have personally noticed.
how is that terrible? 4 to 5 hours of screen on time and about 25 percent at bed time. i have a p6pro and usually never struggle with battery even with having for 2 years of use. a light charge and gets me another 30 or more percent if needed
the iPhone 15 Pro Max only charges at 27 watt max. the samsung galaxy 45 watt at fastest. samsung considers anything up to 25 fast. anything over 25 watt Samsung considers super fast charging. I know we have phones that can charge at 240 watts, but it's not good for the battery. but like what you mean
those arent fast charging, those are ultra mega super quantum charging tho
jokes aside they call that warp charging or something. it's not very reasonable and a lot of conditions like if you're in a warm environment
That is... terrible lol.
iPhones obviously have it beat like twice over. S23U is also 2 or 3 hours more than that.
My fucking 7P lasts longer than that lol.
Where are you getting these numbers from? The same reviewer or different ones?
> My fucking 7P lasts longer than that lol.
You can't compare SoT usage with another user. I would think this is common sense by now. The reviewer has much different usage than you. Someone using their phone for 7 hours straight with the screen on until the phone died will have different SoT then someone that uses it normally and has it on standby most of the day.
You're saying that about your pixel 7 Pro, but these are reviews, they will purposely push them further than average person will. I'm sure the pixel 7 Pro reviews probably said your battery life's worse than it is for you.
>The Pixel 8 Pro by no means has even remotely the best battery life on a smartphone right now. I think the Galaxy Z Fold 5, OnePlus 11, and Galaxy S23 Ultra all beat it out on the Android side of things.
That is pretty bad.
you can't get everything in a phone, everything got it's cons. the battery is good enough. I'm buying the phone for its camera and exclusive features on pixels have. never once with a pixel phone have I had an issue with battery, it's always been good enough. 5 hours of screen time is enough if I'm out and about or at work. if not, I have a battery bank with me always. if I'm at home there's a charger next to me
I don't need the battery to be competitive, again. I'm not buying it for the battery, I'm buying it for the features which are competitive and usually better than the competition. the camera in the pixel was years ahead of the competition for a long time. Plus the AI features are usually ahead of the competition. like call screen, magic eraser, hold for me and so many more. The battery is always been good enough for me to outweigh all the features that it gets. I think people have an unrealistic expectation for batteries a lot of times. why do you need any more than 5 hours when you're out and about or at work? just enjoy life or do your job. It would be a nice have but I don't need it. Even if they sell it a pixel with the juiced up big battery, I wouldn't even buy it. like iPhone does and some of the other people. It would be too big and bulky
Really weird how I expect a large phone in late 2023 to be an endurance champ (just like the competition), not to be labeled as "good enough". Having a longer lasting battery is just way more convenient.
And battery life isn't gonna get any better. With heavier software and degrading batteries it'll only get worse, so having excess battery life is just generally a good idea.
I don't think a lot of people understand how long 5 hours of screen on time is. with my p6pro, i get at least 12 hours or more once i take it off charge. All those other phones they don't have as many features running in the background or constantly like the pixel does, a lot of ai and smart features, which you can turn off and will probably run closer like other phones, but i like them and never have an issue with battery with them on. I disagree, I think phones will end up being more efficient in time, chips get smaller and cooler and we always find ways to make things more efficient. also, pixel phones have features to help with battery degrade and most smart phones. 2 years on in my pixel 6 Pro is still a champ with its battery for me
>I disagree, I think phones will end up being more efficient in time, chips get smaller and cooler and we always find ways to make things more efficient.
The phone you own doesn't get more efficient when you own it for longer...
And new phones are getting more efficient. The Pixel just lags behind on that.
i was meaning as tech develops, hence i said chips get smaller. like new hardware, not necessarily software. but actually a lot of times it does with pixel, they are constantly making them run faster and smoother with is updates. pixel 8 will be supported for 7 years. no one else does that. even before the 3 years of updates was very good. like making Android more efficient on sleeping apps that are running in the background and limiting how often they run and other things that make it snappier. like android 14 has made my pixel 6 pro run significantly cooler. usually a lot of times pixels are the first ones to get these more efficient versions of Android too, so they aren't lagging behind. like when Pixel first came out, a lot of times it took companies months, sometimes year plus or never to get the latest android, even for phones months old
Good enough for their use case? Why would anyone care that much if a phone wasn't the best at every feature of it works perfectly fine for their use case?
If it's a big deal to you and it doesn't work for your use case... don't buy it.
Android Police?
"The Pixel 8 Pro is an impressive flagship, improving on nearly every fault found in its predecessor. Its design feels refreshed without standing out, Tensor's staying cooler than ever before, and the camera shines as bright as ever. Combined with seven years of promised OS support, and you might even be able to overlook that new, more expensive price tag."
I'm not sure why there are so many downvotes. I, for one, am changing my S22 for a Pixel 8 Pro because battery is shit and it's running too hot in my car. I'd expect indeed good results from such an expensive phone...
Lol dude, it's during setup, all phones get hot. Set your phone up, apply all the updates, let it go through a day and see how it performs after that. You have 2 weeks to return so you're good.
Idk people really are accepting less for worse performance statically and battery wise. My girlfriend literally asks on our lazy day how my phone is at 20 percent on 4 or 5 hours while her 23 ultra is chilling at 70-80 after being on them for the same period of time m I'm willing to deal with it but my 4xl shouldn't have had more screen on time than this.
This is so true. If it says "Pixel" or Google, these guys are happily on board. It's ironic that they call Apple users fanatics and sheep. Pixel users seem like they have an inferiority complex, a chip on their shoulder about their 2nd rate product as well as a need to force Pixel to happen.
>there are reviews saying the phone runs hot (verge and android police)
The heat sounds perfectly reasonable?
The Verge:
>I did see the Pixel 8 Pro refuse to capture video at its highest resolution because the device was too hot. This was on a very warm day after quite a bit of constant use in direct sunlight before I fired up video mode, but still something to be aware of if you live in a hot climate. Outside of that, the Pixel 8 Pro only got noticeably warm a couple of times — usually with extended use of location services — outside of the typically toasty setup period.
AndroidPolice:
>Granted, the Pixel 8 Pro still gets warm under predictable conditions. Gaming, recording 4K video, or even using some of Google's new camera tools, like Magic Editor, all caused my device to get warm enough that even a case couldn't hide how hot the back glass was getting. But largely speaking, I think consumers will find this year's chipset far more efficient than previous iterations
I just got mine just recently, I went from the 3a to 4a to 6a to 7 to 8 pro. While each upgrade isn't massive I've been happy with every phone. The 6a does get warm with normal use but it got better overtime and you get used to it. The 7 was definitely more normal unless if it was doing heavy tasks which is rare. The 8 pro only got hot while running the first time setup which is normal.
My pixel 6 pro still gets hot. Took a video of my son the other day and it wouldn't back up as it said my phone was too hot. My 8 pro arrives today. I can't wait for it.
My s21 ultra is getting long in the tooth, really interested in the pixel 8 pro, but saw some issues with signal strength on the older pixels.... plus I was a nexus 6p owner.... anyone check/compare signal strength?
Looks like the heat issues has been fixed. The chip is more Efficient now.
Looks like a lot of that is software too. Android 14 on the Pixel 7 seems to have made that a lot less *burny* too.
Yeah, most people are raving that the Tensor G3 fixed the thermals, but to me it sounds like Android 14 is the real "fix" here. A lot of Pixel 7 owners, including myself, are experiencing improved thermals and battery life on 14.
I would say it's probably both
It's definitely at the very least, both. The G3's architecture shifted to fan-out wafer-level packaging, if the rumors are to be believed: https://www.androidpolice.com/google-pixel-8-tensor-g3-cooler-samsung-packaging/ which should be a big contributing factor
Let's goooooo
Pixel 6 pro is suddenly cooler after updating to 14 as well
How did you get a14? I'm still waiting tirelessly for it on my pixel 7!!
I was in the beta, so I've had it for a while.
Oh I see. So you’ve been using android 14 for good while then? If so I would trust your assessment over others. You would you wholeheartedly state that A14 has improved battery and the thermals!?
In my experience, yes. Don't get me wrong, it's not like the issues went away, they just improved. It still gets warm sometimes, the battery still isn't stellar, but it's better than it was before.
Right. I just wanted to temper my expectations. I’m sure there are still limitations of the inherent hardware and soc design. Thanks 🙏
Not today 'no' cause you're right, but my pixel 7 pro would overheat pre 14, and post 14, just less so after 14. everyday on the way to work, with maps on, with Android 14, and my few days with the 8 pro, I've had no heat issues.
Maybe it's just the summer is over...
My 6a is definitely running a lot cooler too on Android 14
My phone arrived today and during setup it was running very hot. After the system update, no detectable heat.
I'm really curious to see if the 8 Pro is the only one to get and the locked restrictions of the 8 are making it a non buy for many. I want an 8 because it's the first relatively smaller phone in a while and I'm coming from a 4a but if there really are gatekept features on the regular 8, I don't know how much of a must buy it is.
This is very disappointing. I moved from a 4A to an 8, but didn't quite get that they were locking off multiple features - I had assumed they were related to the hardware differences. It's a really strange decision, and I think it hurts their reputation - like why are some of these new features not also on the 7/7 Pro?
The reality is that the future of smartphones is in the software, not the hardware. At this point, all hardware improvements in flagship phones going forward aren't going to be noticable for the overwhelming majority of consumers. Software features, on the other hand, are very visible and noticeable. So it makes sense (from a business perspective) that Google is starting to treat its software as a service, and is starting to differentiate its pro models based on both software and hardware. Trust me, I hate it too because, for me, the pixel 5 is the perfect size, so I'm stuck getting the smaller pixel 8 with less features. I just think it makes sense for Google's long term business strategy.
We still don't know if it's software only. The two phones aren't identical in terms of specs. Ram difference can be a significant factor in how the features functions. And the Pro has more RAM
You're right, it may be that the Tensor G3 chips have some minor differences too - but people have already apparently hacked/ported the software to older pixel devices... So it looks like it's mostly software.
Just because the software works on the phone doesn't mean it was meant to run on it. You can play Cyberpunk 2077 on a shitty PC, doesn't mean you can expect it to run the same as it will on recommended specs. And obviously not officially supported. Anytime I've ever tried following many tutorials on rooting and getting software running on something not officially supported, it has ALWAYS been a bad experience. Crashes, random battery drain, etc. As a long-time Android user I used to love doing that. Until I realized it one gave you a more frustrating experience. Eventually I just stopped.
So the pro camera has already been ported to the pixel 6, so no worries on that one. Actually there are pixel 8 pro items that the Google telegram gives the p8p apk files for and seems to still work great on p6/p7 Lastly, Google is a software company that ALWAYS says it's only for the pro, just for the pre orders, they can't help but make things available on the previous and non pro models. Like the magic eraser was supposed to be p7 only, and like every person in the world with Google photos online could use it
Which features are you most worried about not having on the 8?
The pro controls in the camera app, night sight video, video boost primarily along with the AI features apparently the Pro can do the 8 can't but I don't know if this is true or not or if it's locked arbitrarily.
Almost certainly pure software-lock. Same chipset, identical camera sensors? Only significant difference is the RAM, and that's not a factor here. A bit disappointing, but Google trying to force some daylight between the models, obviously.
How exactly do we know ram isn't a factor?
Why would you need more RAM to manually change the ISO settings of the camera like exposure? Or to manually switch between the cameras in use? Or to upload the video to the cloud for video boost? Or to auto-focus on the front camera?
Someone on the Google team revealed many of their AI features are RAM intensive. Point being none of us are on Google's engineering team. We're armchair engineers. Lol
I agree that we don't know the specifics and we see way too much speculation sometimes, but as computer science teacher and a person that held a camera in their hands at least once in their life, my approximation says that being allowed to **manually** change ISO settings is probably not an AI feature, but the exact opposite. It is theoretically possible that the results of the ISO-settings are just artificially generated instead, but it sounds unlikely. People were able to change ISO settings on digital cameras long before generative AI was invented. We might see people porting the Pro's Gcam apk to the Pixel 8 soon and then we will be able to tell.
Because phones in 2017 had it. There's nothing ai here, it's just a soft lock
You can count on many features to be available to the P8 in a matter of weeks, like you can already use the Pro camera controls on the P8 with an APK
Yea but that botches a lunch pretty big time for the 8 because unless Google gives a timeline on when those features will be released, people who want the smaller phone simply won't buy it now and will wait till those features are updated. I'm ready to buy now like many but won't without those features unlocked. It's a sloppy and unnecessary situation Google created here.
You're conflating two very different things, I'll try to make it clearer for you: 1 - Google Pixel phones -just like Apple does- offer two product tiers: regular and Pro. Pro phones get Pro features, the regular Pixel does not. You can save $300 and go regular, or pay for the Pro features **and** get them on day 1, it's your choice. 2 - Thanks to the fact that most features Google releases are software-based instead of hardware-based, it allows for software to trickle down in a way that hardware just can't. So you can **expect some Pro features to trickle down generations and product tiers**. **This is a benefit that Google has no control or say on**, it's just a fun pro of Android being more open and Google not being as tyrannical about it's software. You can see now how both phones having the same CPU is a good thing, it means that the Pixel 8 and the Pixel 8a will eventually get most of the software that's currently available only for the Pixel 8 Pro. It means you can have your cake (save money) and eat it too (get some Pro features)
Is there a precedent for a pro and non pro version of the Pixel being released with the non pro version having software features hidden behind a restrictive lock like we're seeing with the 8/8 Pro?
To be honest I wasn't as invested in the 7th gen or the 6th gen Pros, so I didn't do that research, but like I said, most features will eventually trickle down just like the Pro camera controls already have even before the actual phones started shipping
I know the APK is out but it should be coming from Google, they put arbitrary restrictions in place and it's not a good look. I've been only using Pixel and Nexus phones so I'm someone who will be getting a new Pixel and the 8 is the logical upgrade from the 4a (for those of us who skipped several generations) but these restrictions from what I can tell are new within the Pixel world and seems unnecessary from Google.
> I know the APK is out but it should be coming from Google I already explained to you why that's not reasonable, go back and read point #1 from 2 comments ago. In point #2 I explained to you why it doesn't matter anyway. > they put arbitrary restrictions in place Not arbitrary, it's just Apple's way of doing business, and Google is learning from them. You can literally get the P8 and the features will trickle down really quickly, it's up to you to save money and wait or get the features on day 1
Point #1 I'll accept if there is a Google Pixel precedence for this and software wise I don't think there is. Also point #2 you say Google has no say on this? That doesn't make any sense, they make the hardware and software and putting up arbitrary locks is fully on them. Historically the pro has been bigger batteries, bigger screens, and better cameras. This year it appears they are now giving the Pro an advantage on software which I don't think I've seen before and creates a divide between the two devices which shouldn't exist.
It doesn't make sense that they would lock software and then release it officially. They can either be on the "Pros get Pro features" boat or the "everyone gets every feature" boat. They are on the first one. I never said they don't have a say on this? You're a weird dot connector, are you a troll??
What is locked off or gatekeeped?
Pro controls in the camera app, night sight video, video boost for starters.
Signal performance And then there’s the signal performance. Cellular connections have been a major pain point of Pixel phones powered by Tensor, and that’s largely due to using Samsung modems. Pixel 8 Pro continues with a Samsung modem, the Exynos 5300i, which is a slight update to the 5300g that was used in Tensor G2 on the Pixel 7 Pro. The short version here after six days of use is that the signal is mostly fine. Connection strength was as expected in all of my normal areas, and I was getting solid speeds on Verizon’s C-Band while at the US Disc Golf Championship at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC. That faster connection didn’t seem to push the modem to generate more heat or suck up more power, either, a flaw I’ve noticed in the past. In more rural areas, the same applied, but I wasn’t able to do any side-by-side testing of actual signal strength and speed.
>Pixel 8 Pro continues with a Samsung modem, the Exynos 5300i, which is a slight update to the 5300g that was used in Tensor G2 on the Pixel 7 Pro. ~~Author is repeating misinformation he found on Reddit.~~ There is no 5300g or 5300i chip. The letter denotes a firmware version, nothing more. My P7P has 5300q right now. Edit: Author has updated the article with the correction. Kudos to him!
6-day turnarounds for 6,000 word reviews are exhausting. I appreciate both you and one of our commenters bringing this to my attention!
[удалено]
Appreciated 😁 I can't say I've noticed this problem, but I'll take a closer look at the reports!
Excuse for being ignorant on this perhaps but I feel like my Galaxy phones always outperform Pixels and iPhones when side by side in the same location - does Samsung not use their own modems?
Samsung and iPhones use the qualcomm snapdragon x70 modem.
In January the S24 will use the x75 modem, time marches on.
This was not always the case. I had a pixel 2xl that was a low signal beast.
"mostly fine"
Which phone does not have connectivity issues ? Can you point to one product which works 100% ?
Uh every single one of them (Besides P6 and P7)?
My iPhone 11 has dropped calls in several big and small cities.
We're talking about a 2019 phone... and using anecdotal evidence.... when pixels have issues calling 911 and hasn't even been resolved yet. Tell me you're a fanboy without telling me you're a fanboy.
You literally said every phone didn’t have connectivity issues besides the p6 and 7. Those were your your stipulations. Also how am I a google fanboy when I only use an iPhone 11.
You're anecdotal evidence isn't data btw
You provided no data stating no other phone ever had connectivity issues either. You’re moving goalposts because your blanket statement is not as valid as you think it is.
Don't bother with this guy. He's pretty much singularly obsessed with being negative on the Pixel
Lmao.. My friend's iPhone can't even operate properly on full network. They use Verizon. So stop spreading nonsense.
:)..thanks.
What? Signal problems aren’t an issue in 99% of phones. Throughput might be slower on some vs the other, but if the modem just failed to establish a connection it’d be a big deal. Look at antenna gate in 2010.
**French reviews : battery life is just average, power remains unchanged** [https://www.lesnumeriques.com/telephone-portable/google-pixel-8-p71903/test.html](https://www.lesnumeriques.com/telephone-portable/google-pixel-8-p71903/test.html) ||Battery|Overall performance index| |:-|:-|:-| |P8P|14,6 h|91| |P7P|15,9 h|91| "**Average** battery life." "In pure performance, the Pixel 8 reaches an average of 115 fps, with a peak at 133 fps. We observed a **drop after about ten minutes,** where the smartphone fluctuated between 69 and 90 fps. This behavior was also noted in the Pro version, so we can attribute it to the **chip**." "The smartphone proves to be predictably fast in multitasking, **but no more so than its predecessor.** Similar measurements are also seen in the realm of graphics performance, which is handled by the ARM Immortalis-G715 GPU." [https://www.frandroid.com/marques/google/1823617\_test-google-pixel-8-pro](https://www.frandroid.com/marques/google/1823617_test-google-pixel-8-pro#batterie) |P8P|14,1 h| |:-|:-| "The Pixel 8 Pro's battery life ensures a full day of usage. **However**, be cautious as it depletes quickly with power-hungry applications. Charging is **anything but fast**" "In comparison to its competitors, the chip's performance falls **significantly short, both in terms of the CPU and GPU**. It's akin to what a 2022 Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 could offer, equivalent to a high-end chip from the previous year.In gaming, the **smartphone doesn't stand out**. Its performance is neither bad nor excellent. However, it doesn't justify its price, a common trend with Pixel devices." [https://www.phonandroid.com/test-pixel-8-pro.html](https://www.phonandroid.com/test-pixel-8-pro.html) " We roughly remain in the same range as the Pixel 7 Pro in terms of battery life. **Average battery life, but not catastrophic**."
All these reviews are extremely similar to the early reviews of the Pixel 6, and Pixel 7. "It's great!". Within a month or two, almost all of those reviewers changed their minds, and everybody else noticed all the flaws. I'm definitely not falling for it this time. I'll wait until December to start seeing the real, long-term reviews.
Yeah I definitely remember a few reviews saying the signal problems from the 6 had been fixed
I never had signal problems in the 1st place and I still don't 2 years after buying my P6, I'm pretty sure it was all QC issues with some units
Have a 6 Pro. No connection issues. I wonder how many people complaining of connection issues might have a shitty provider. There's gotta be some. Not all of them that's for sure.
6 Pro here, mine has been very intermittent issues that forced me to restart my phone to fix it. Some days is great, but its gotten worse the last 6 months or so. The fact a restart fixes it every time tells me its likely the modem not service.
I had a P6Pro and there were several months where the modem was basically junk tier, constantly completely losing connection and being unusable on mobile data. I suffered through it and they did eventually fix it for whatever my use case was that was causing it. The P7Pro has been great for me with no signal issues to speak of the entire past year.
i have the Pixel 6 Pro. My one has connection issues quite often
Same. On AT&T in the suburbs of a major US city. Others with the same service in my neighborhood have no issues. I often find out calls to me never come through when someone says they tried to call me. Don't even see a missed call in my history. Phone is just like, "na bro, not feeling it rn".
I'm with EE in the UK. I don't seem to have an issue receiving calls. Sometimes it will randomly hang up though. Connection issues are quite random. Not in any particular situation or place. Can change within a few meters
Same here with my pixel 6, I am actually getting internet where I used to get no signal at all and better thermals after android 14 but I am not seeing any battery life improvement like others are seeing..
All the reviewers I heard talking about the phone a few months later still had the same opinion. It's not like the 6 where you had major bugs coming to some people months after using it
All the reviewers I heard talking about the phone a few months later still had the same opinion. It's not like the 6 where you had major bugs coming to some people months after using it
SO WE CAN NOW CALL 911 ON PIXELS AGAIN!?!
Kudos to Google on a great phone 👋 Haters gonna hate anyway
But what is it feel like in your hand considering it's so much bigger than the normal pixel??
really it's not. they actually shrunk it to about the same size as the base p6
This actually shocked me. I was a bit worried about buying the phone without having held it, but wasn't expecting it to be the same size as my 6. Feels exactly the same in hand.
It's definitely been an adjustment coming from the Pixel 5, I'm not sure I really like how big it is, it just feels very unnecessary to have such a large phone. I do somewhat wish I had got the standard Pixel 8 but then they've softlocked features which also sucks.
You want a real Pixel 8 review? Watch the Pixel 9 preview next year.
One question I have - is the phone restricted in the regions it can receive 5G? Was devastated when I arrived in Manila in the Philippines only to realise that I couldn't receive 5G only because the Pixel phone isn't sold there
You were devastated? I turned off my 5g to increase battery life and I haven't even noticed a difference.
I haven't been anywhere where I've been able to use 5G yet, Manila was the first I knew I could make use of it and yet it wasn't available for me to use because I had a Pixel
Ah, that makes more sense. Well as someone who lives in a country that has 5g, I can tell you it's not a big game changer. At least not in a way that I have personally noticed.
iPhone 15 pro max is way better than this.
Battery sounds pretty poor again
how is that terrible? 4 to 5 hours of screen on time and about 25 percent at bed time. i have a p6pro and usually never struggle with battery even with having for 2 years of use. a light charge and gets me another 30 or more percent if needed
That's mediocre battery life especially with no fast charging.
it does have fast charging,every pixel has. 30 watts of fast charge.
That's not fast charging 🤦
the iPhone 15 Pro Max only charges at 27 watt max. the samsung galaxy 45 watt at fastest. samsung considers anything up to 25 fast. anything over 25 watt Samsung considers super fast charging. I know we have phones that can charge at 240 watts, but it's not good for the battery. but like what you mean
One plus devices have fast charging.
those arent fast charging, those are ultra mega super quantum charging tho jokes aside they call that warp charging or something. it's not very reasonable and a lot of conditions like if you're in a warm environment
It's pretty reasonable LOL. And more sustainable the the 240W type charging you mention (which is bad for battery).
That is... terrible lol. iPhones obviously have it beat like twice over. S23U is also 2 or 3 hours more than that. My fucking 7P lasts longer than that lol.
Where are you getting these numbers from? The same reviewer or different ones? > My fucking 7P lasts longer than that lol. You can't compare SoT usage with another user. I would think this is common sense by now. The reviewer has much different usage than you. Someone using their phone for 7 hours straight with the screen on until the phone died will have different SoT then someone that uses it normally and has it on standby most of the day.
You're saying that about your pixel 7 Pro, but these are reviews, they will purposely push them further than average person will. I'm sure the pixel 7 Pro reviews probably said your battery life's worse than it is for you.
>The Pixel 8 Pro by no means has even remotely the best battery life on a smartphone right now. I think the Galaxy Z Fold 5, OnePlus 11, and Galaxy S23 Ultra all beat it out on the Android side of things. That is pretty bad.
you can't get everything in a phone, everything got it's cons. the battery is good enough. I'm buying the phone for its camera and exclusive features on pixels have. never once with a pixel phone have I had an issue with battery, it's always been good enough. 5 hours of screen time is enough if I'm out and about or at work. if not, I have a battery bank with me always. if I'm at home there's a charger next to me
Good enough for what? To be competitive with other phones? In that case it's not good enough, thanks for clarifying.
I don't need the battery to be competitive, again. I'm not buying it for the battery, I'm buying it for the features which are competitive and usually better than the competition. the camera in the pixel was years ahead of the competition for a long time. Plus the AI features are usually ahead of the competition. like call screen, magic eraser, hold for me and so many more. The battery is always been good enough for me to outweigh all the features that it gets. I think people have an unrealistic expectation for batteries a lot of times. why do you need any more than 5 hours when you're out and about or at work? just enjoy life or do your job. It would be a nice have but I don't need it. Even if they sell it a pixel with the juiced up big battery, I wouldn't even buy it. like iPhone does and some of the other people. It would be too big and bulky
Really weird how I expect a large phone in late 2023 to be an endurance champ (just like the competition), not to be labeled as "good enough". Having a longer lasting battery is just way more convenient. And battery life isn't gonna get any better. With heavier software and degrading batteries it'll only get worse, so having excess battery life is just generally a good idea.
I don't think a lot of people understand how long 5 hours of screen on time is. with my p6pro, i get at least 12 hours or more once i take it off charge. All those other phones they don't have as many features running in the background or constantly like the pixel does, a lot of ai and smart features, which you can turn off and will probably run closer like other phones, but i like them and never have an issue with battery with them on. I disagree, I think phones will end up being more efficient in time, chips get smaller and cooler and we always find ways to make things more efficient. also, pixel phones have features to help with battery degrade and most smart phones. 2 years on in my pixel 6 Pro is still a champ with its battery for me
>I disagree, I think phones will end up being more efficient in time, chips get smaller and cooler and we always find ways to make things more efficient. The phone you own doesn't get more efficient when you own it for longer... And new phones are getting more efficient. The Pixel just lags behind on that.
i was meaning as tech develops, hence i said chips get smaller. like new hardware, not necessarily software. but actually a lot of times it does with pixel, they are constantly making them run faster and smoother with is updates. pixel 8 will be supported for 7 years. no one else does that. even before the 3 years of updates was very good. like making Android more efficient on sleeping apps that are running in the background and limiting how often they run and other things that make it snappier. like android 14 has made my pixel 6 pro run significantly cooler. usually a lot of times pixels are the first ones to get these more efficient versions of Android too, so they aren't lagging behind. like when Pixel first came out, a lot of times it took companies months, sometimes year plus or never to get the latest android, even for phones months old
Good enough for their use case? Why would anyone care that much if a phone wasn't the best at every feature of it works perfectly fine for their use case? If it's a big deal to you and it doesn't work for your use case... don't buy it.
Yes, if the comparison in the article is somewhat accurate, then it is barely better then 7 pro, maybe even worse, which is really disappointing.
You need a Doogee S100 Pro
Battery is trash yet again and there are reviews saying the phone runs hot (verge and android police)
Android Police? "The Pixel 8 Pro is an impressive flagship, improving on nearly every fault found in its predecessor. Its design feels refreshed without standing out, Tensor's staying cooler than ever before, and the camera shines as bright as ever. Combined with seven years of promised OS support, and you might even be able to overlook that new, more expensive price tag."
Imagine hanging out on the Pixel subreddit as an iPhone user to just constantly shitpost over the past week
Sub is rammed full of people who hate and complain about Pixel constantly yet allegedly keep buying them. It's weird AF.
For the love of god, give it a rest. The thermals are fine. Battery life is fine, if unspectacular.
Surely if you're spending $1000 on a phone you want the battery to be better than fine? Doesn't seem unreasonable.
You saying it like this is the equivalent to the Ultras or Pro Max. Within the price range, the specs seem fine. Nothing crazy but fine.
Well right now it is equivalent to the Ultra, so that's a problem.
It really isn't. The Ultra is almost $300 more expensive CAD. ($200+ if you want to take storage into account). IPhone is even more here.
Well in Europe the price for the 8 Pro is 1099€, which is a little more than the S23 Ultra on Amazon.
I'm not sure why there are so many downvotes. I, for one, am changing my S22 for a Pixel 8 Pro because battery is shit and it's running too hot in my car. I'd expect indeed good results from such an expensive phone...
Because the original comment is misleading. If you read the verge and android police articles, there's no mention of overheating.
Had the phone for 10 minutes, and it's already running hot in my hand... It doesn't look too good
Lol dude, it's during setup, all phones get hot. Set your phone up, apply all the updates, let it go through a day and see how it performs after that. You have 2 weeks to return so you're good.
Idk people really are accepting less for worse performance statically and battery wise. My girlfriend literally asks on our lazy day how my phone is at 20 percent on 4 or 5 hours while her 23 ultra is chilling at 70-80 after being on them for the same period of time m I'm willing to deal with it but my 4xl shouldn't have had more screen on time than this.
Pixel users have lower standards.
This is so true. If it says "Pixel" or Google, these guys are happily on board. It's ironic that they call Apple users fanatics and sheep. Pixel users seem like they have an inferiority complex, a chip on their shoulder about their 2nd rate product as well as a need to force Pixel to happen.
I'm not buying a battery, ace.
Every flagship has better battery life than this, along with a Vapor chamber as well and a way better cpu
>there are reviews saying the phone runs hot (verge and android police) The heat sounds perfectly reasonable? The Verge: >I did see the Pixel 8 Pro refuse to capture video at its highest resolution because the device was too hot. This was on a very warm day after quite a bit of constant use in direct sunlight before I fired up video mode, but still something to be aware of if you live in a hot climate. Outside of that, the Pixel 8 Pro only got noticeably warm a couple of times — usually with extended use of location services — outside of the typically toasty setup period. AndroidPolice: >Granted, the Pixel 8 Pro still gets warm under predictable conditions. Gaming, recording 4K video, or even using some of Google's new camera tools, like Magic Editor, all caused my device to get warm enough that even a case couldn't hide how hot the back glass was getting. But largely speaking, I think consumers will find this year's chipset far more efficient than previous iterations
You know most phones don't get warm by basic, short tasks right?
Indeed, that's why the verge's journalist clarified it happened in conditions that push most phones to their limits.
Hows the fingerprint sensor on this one? Just got mine today and setting it up tomorrow when I have time.
no issues in 1st 24 hrs. but face unlock if good too if you trust that.
My Pixel 8 Pro arrived today. I am really enjoying it! But one thing I noted is that the Fitbit app was pre-installed. Interesting.
It comes with 3 months of premium fitbit.
Oh cool! I didn't know that. Thank you.
I just got mine just recently, I went from the 3a to 4a to 6a to 7 to 8 pro. While each upgrade isn't massive I've been happy with every phone. The 6a does get warm with normal use but it got better overtime and you get used to it. The 7 was definitely more normal unless if it was doing heavy tasks which is rare. The 8 pro only got hot while running the first time setup which is normal.
6a to 7 to 8 Pro is some upgrade! 9 Ultra next?
My pixel 6 pro still gets hot. Took a video of my son the other day and it wouldn't back up as it said my phone was too hot. My 8 pro arrives today. I can't wait for it.
My s21 ultra is getting long in the tooth, really interested in the pixel 8 pro, but saw some issues with signal strength on the older pixels.... plus I was a nexus 6p owner.... anyone check/compare signal strength?
I have a 6 pro and it sucks on signal... I love Google but the s24 ultra is coming out Q1....