I switched again to the Pixel 8 Professional, and I could not be happier

It has been a busy 12 months; I used over 30 telephones in the middle of the final 5 months, and there have been a whole lot of notable gadgets. Whereas cellphone designs and {hardware} have not modified an excessive amount of, the one space that’s seeing continuous enchancment is cell imaging, with Chinese language manufacturers particularly pushing the boundaries of digicam tech.

Units just like the Xiaomi 14 Extremely, OPPO Discover X7 Extremely, Honor Magic 6 Professional, and Vivo X100 Professional all have excellent cameras, and whereas there are variations between every machine, you are assured to get nice pictures no matter whichever cellphone you select. And whereas Chinese language manufacturers are doing an honest job with software program, there’s nonetheless some solution to go on this space.

I used the Porsche Design Magic 6 RSR extensively in current weeks, and the machine has rather a lot to supply; it combines distinctive styling with terrific cameras, however Honor’s MagicOS is irksome to make use of at occasions, and it misses out on just a few fundamentals. That is why I made a decision to modify again to the Pixel 8 Professional as soon as I used to be achieved with the present assessment cycle.

I’ve all the time gravitated to Pixels; in earlier years, Pixel gadgets received probably the most quantity of utilization out of all different telephones. The reasoning is easy: I like Google’s imaginative and prescient of Android, and the Pixel’s clear interface coupled with distinctive software program extras makes it the best alternative for my very own use case.

I am going to freely admit that the Pixel 8 Professional would not have one of the best feature-set: the OLED panel would not get as shiny as 2024 telephones, the {hardware} is hilariously unsuited for gaming, the battery would not final as lengthy, and 30W charging is pitifully sluggish. From only a {hardware} perspective, it’s objectively worse.

Google would not even have the greatest cameras within the trade. Chinese language manufacturers have made better strides on this regard over the past 15 months, and the swap to huge 1-inch sensors mixed with overhauled digicam tuning means the likes of the Xiaomi 14 Extremely, Discover X7 Extremely, and Magic 6 Professional take a lot better images than the Pixel 8 Professional in any given state of affairs.

The Xiaomi 14 Extremely particularly is terrific, and the Magic 6 Professional by some means manages to take excellent images of fast-moving objects. Out of all of the telephones I used this 12 months, I preferred the cameras on the Discover X7 Extremely one of the best — I choose its colour vibrancy to that of the Xiaomi 14 Extremely, and the cellphone does a greater job with portrait pictures in difficult situations.

However I do not care about any of that. What the Pixel 8 Professional lacks in {hardware} prowess it greater than makes up for within the software program, and that in the end is the differentiator. The Discover X7 Extremely’s interface is fluid like no different cellphone round, however attempting to wrestle the Chinese language ColorOS construct to do what I wished turned a continuing supply of frustration. Similar with the Xiaomi 14 Extremely — Xiaomi’s long-awaited software program overhaul is not meaningfully completely different, and if something, it’s extra annoying to make use of.

The Pixel 8 Professional, in the meantime, manages to ship an general expertise that is simply higher than different gadgets. The software program would not have as many options as its rivals, however the ones Google included inevitably get a whole lot of use; I like At A Look and Now Taking part in and continuously make the most of each options, Recorder is my go-to option to document and transcribe interviews, and all of the AI-infused digicam options that debuted within the Pixel 8 Professional are implausible to make use of.

Whereas a whole lot of manufacturers are bundling AI into nearly each product they will think about, I like what Google did on this space. Finest Shot, Audio Magic Eraser, and Magic Editor are all helpful options that make a distinction in how I take and edit images and movies, and I even get a whole lot of utility out of Video Enhance.

There’s additionally the truth that I just like the Materials You interface; it’s quirky and playful, and it does an awesome job with the fundamentals: notification administration, UI navigation, and safety. 

I do know it is not for everybody, however for what I would like from a cellphone, the Pixel 8 Professional continues to be the proper alternative.