Why the new Google Phone is the best smartphone I’ve ever tested

Google is bringing its Pixel smartphone to Switzerland for the first time – and yes, I’m a little excited. The Pixel isn’t just a phone; it’s the Android counterpart to Apple’s iPhone: high-quality hardware and software from a single source, fast security updates, and a new Guaranteed software support for seven years features the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro.

The Google Phones come with the brand new Android 14 and – if the annual release cycle is maintained – will receive Android 21 in October 2030. No other major smartphone manufacturer offers better software support.

Google also promises that you can actually use the devices for seven years or more seven years of spare parts such as batteries and displays. Your wallet and the environment will thank you.

So far so good. But can the Pixel 8 Pro also do something? I was able to test it for a week before the market launch tomorrow Thursday.

With Google’s Pixel, the software is the star. Still, we should first say a few words about hardware and design. I am referring to the Pixel 8 Pro, which costs 999 francs, but a lot also applies to the smaller Pixel 8 (719 francs).

The first impressions

I hold a Pixel in my hand for the first time and I feel sober for a moment. The matte blue back It’s nice to look at, but less blue than the Pixel 8 Pro promotional images would have you believe. However, the striking camera bar looks better in real life than in the photos.

The “color shock” is quickly digested and most customers will opt for the matte black model anyway. The new Google Phone feels extremely premium, but overall the design lacks the wow factor. It just looks like a pixel – and that’s okay of course.

The Pixel 8 Pro has a very large, 6.7 inch OLED display with narrow, but only almost symmetrical edges. Immediately next to an iPhone 15 Pro Max, the slightly thicker bottom frame is noticeable.

The Pixel 8 Pro has a similar mass to Apple’s iPhone 15 Pro Max and Samsung’s Galaxy S23 Ultra, but is slightly lighter. The Pixel screen shines even brighter in direct sunlight than competitors’ already brilliantly bright displays and is perhaps the best screen I’ve ever seen. The display and the back are protected by Gorilla Glass Victus 2, which is particularly robust and scratch-resistant.

I finally got excited as I set up the device. With Google’s original Android 14 and 12 GB RAM, the Google Phone runs extremely smoothly. The clear and user-friendly interface is without unnecessary apps (bloatware) and can be personalized down to the last detail if desired. Of course, anyone versed in the Apple or Samsung ecosystem will miss some native features like AirDrop, but you really can’t blame Google for that.

What I like most is the excellent camera and Google’s new AI tricks that are turning even me into a Photoshop artist (more on that later).

That should also be mentioned Googles developed in collaboration with Samsung Tensor G3 chip While efficient and optimized for AI tasks, it can’t keep up with the very best mobile processors. Fortunately, this only has negative consequences in a few situations, such as when editing a video directly on the smartphone. The Pixel takes noticeably longer to do this than a new Apple or Samsung device.

The Battery life After just under a week it is not possible to give a final opinion, because in recent days I have used the new mobile phone much more intensively than I would otherwise do in everyday life. With (very) intensive use, I still had 15 to 40 percent battery left late in the evening. I suspect the 5000mAh battery will easily provide one to two days of battery life for most users.

The battery is 50 percent charged after half an hour via USB-C (charger not included). Wireless charging, for example in the car, is also possible.

Let's be honest: Apple and Samsung build smartphones that are at least as good if you look purely at the hardware.

BUT:

Google's trump card is its increasingly diverse AI features that almost make some other smartphones look stupid. The pixel can translate web pages, subtitles in videos, as well as chat messages and conversations in near real time to communicate with people in other languages. It can summarize the content of web pages, automatically generate subtitles for videos, phone and video calls, and you can edit photos without any image editing knowledge.

Many other AI features run invisibly in the background, such as when loud background noise is automatically filtered out when making phone calls or when using the previously useless digital camera when taking photos.zoom suddenly take amazingly good photos.

Camera and AI tricks on a new level

The camera has usually been the showpiece of the Pixel and this year is no different. The The image quality is excellent for a smartphone and convinces in all situations I tested. Google's AI enables professional-looking photos and videos (for laymen) and the 5x telephoto lens, which allows for surprisingly good zoom shots for a smartphone, is the icing on the cake.

The top devices from Apple and Samsung also take good photos and videos. Google is differentiating itself from its rivals with new AI applications that get even more out of photos and videos if you want them to. The Pixel 8 Pro is essentially the mobile phone with integrated Photoshop for dummies, as the following examples show.

With the “Best Shot” feature, faces with grimaces or closed eyes can now be replaced with a better version with just a few finger movements. This is intended for family and group photos where, despite taking multiple shots, everyone never looks into the camera at the same time or someone looks unflattering.

Google's AI notices when you try to take a group or family photo. The optimal face can then be selected for each person. This works quite well and I was able to 'fix' photos taken years ago in seconds. Unfortunately, this really useful feature is only available for the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro for now.

The highlight is the Magic Editor, which is also coming to older Pixels: Previously, you could use the magic eraser in Google's Photos app to remove annoying people or objects in the background. With the Magic Editor, people and objects can now be moved or resized as desired. This already works very well and is constantly improving with better AI models.

Compared to Google's previous Magic Eraser, which is also available for other Android phones and even the iPhone, the new Magic Editor for Pixel devices seems to deliver much better results.

Everyone probably has photos on their smartphone that would actually be great, but are unfortunately blurry. This can now also be solved without Photoshop. But you should not expect miracles, photos become sharper and look significantly better, but the result is not perfect.

The revised Camera app It is packed with functions and yet very clear. Long exposure photos or videos with a cinematic look and soft background can be created with just a few taps. More ambitious photographers can also manually select shutter speed, ISO, etc. and save photos as 12 or 50 megapixel RAW files for further image editing.

With the new one Audio eraser could be Reduce distracting sounds in videos or remove it completely. The AI ​​tries to recognize background noises such as wind or loud crowds. A slider allows you to set how much the annoying noise should be reduced. Alternatively, you can also delete speech or conversations and leave the background noise as it is. All this already works quite well – and will only get better in the future.

Another practical AI function is not yet available in Switzerland: with the Call filter The Google Assistant records calls from unknown numbers and tries to find out who is calling and why. You can then decide for yourself whether you want to accept the call.

Or else?

With the Temperature sensor In the camera bar of the Pixel 8 Pro, "check whether the pan on the stove is hot enough to start cooking - or whether your tea water is already at the right temperature," Google writes. However, the sensor cannot measure air temperature and is not approved for measuring fever. So the whole thing remains more of a gimmick for the time being.

However, what is really useful is that the new Face unlock finally meets the highest security level for e-banking and payment apps how to use Google Wallet (Google Pay). However, this only works if your bank's Android app supports biometric login via facial scan.

By the way, unlocking with your face doesn't work in the dark (at least for me), so Google is probably putting security over convenience. Speaking of data protection, the Pixel is Free VPN from Google Integrated into the operating system, access to the microphone and camera can be easily turned on and off in the quick settings, similar to flight mode.

The conclusion

The Pixel 8 Pro is a technically excellent smartphone running original Android that will receive regular feature and security updates over the next seven years. Together with Google's Titan M2 security chip, finally secure facial unlocking and Google's free integrated VPN, personal data should be better protected than on most other smartphones.

Design and finish are comparable to Apple and Samsung, but Google lags behind both when it comes to speed. In everyday life I didn't notice any of this - apart from the slower video editing. However, currently the following applies: if you want the fastest processor, buy from Apple. If you want a top-notch cell phone camera, the longest possible software updates, and Google's AI features for image editing, etc., then you can't go wrong with the Pixel.

Google's seven-year update and replacement warranty is exemplary. Apple typically delivers 5 to 6 generations of iOS updates. For Samsung there are 4 Android updates and 5 years of security updates and for Fairphone there are 5 Android and at least 8 years of security updates.

The Pixel 8 Pro will be available from October 12 from 999 francs, the smaller Pixel 8 from 719 francs. The technically slightly weaker Pixel 7a costs 469 francs. Anyone who pre-orders a Pixel 8 (Pro) will receive the Pixel Buds Pro headphones or the Google Pixel Watch 2 for free.