With price no longer on its side, does the latest Pro-grade Pixel still deserve flagship billing?

Fantastic photos in all lighting, Sharper styling goes far in justifying premium price, Android’s AI upgrades are a sign of things to come

Higher price makes rivals more tempting, Battery life and charging speeds still merely OK for a flagship

These might just be the Pixel phones we’ve been waiting for, but it all depends on how much trust you’re willing to put into Google.

Handy manual camera controls, Seven years of OS upgrades promised, Useful, if troubling, AI photo editing tools, Face Unlock now works for payments, Comfortable proportions for a big phone, Seven years of OS upgrades promised, Useful, if troubling, AI photo editing tools, Face Unlock now works for...

Gimmicky temperature sensor, Tensor G3 still runs hot occasionally, Tensor G3 still runs hot occasionally, Misses out on some Pro-only features despite having the same processor

With impressive cameras and AI's ability to hone the perfect shot, the Google Pixel 8 Pro is one for serious photographers.

Great OLED screen, Impressive cameras, AI photography tricks

More expensive than last year's Pro, Some AI features "coming soon"

The Pixel 8 Pro might not be quite the high-end bargain of its predecessors, but it still offers more bang for your buck than rivals. The screen, body, performance and battery life are all good. The Pixel has a distinctive look that elevates it from the many of the competition, too.

Pros: seven years of software updates, great camera with 5 and 10x optical zoom, great screen, decent battery life, recycled aluminium, impressive local and generative AI features, undercuts rivals on price.

Cons: bump in price, face unlock option not as secure as Face ID, battery life and raw performance short of best-in-class, temperature sensor is a gimmick for now.

Back in 2018 when the Pixel 3 came out, that was the first time it felt like Google’s software-first approach to phone design really came together. And now on the Pixel 8, between the Tensor G3 and compelling new tools that chip is powering, Google is using AI to level up its playbook.

Google’s latest Pixel isn’t worlds apart from its predecessor, but it’s certainly better in the audio department Improved sound through headphones Responsive UI experience Upgraded design Pictures lacking in shadow detail Colours are slightly overdone

“With an exquisite design, top-notch cameras, and big processor upgrades, it's Google's strongest Pixel yet.”

Google's best phone design yet, Lovely, vibrant display, Phenomenal cameras, Unbelievable photo-editing tools, Face Unlock is magical, Tensor G3 is a big improvement, Seven years of updates!

The temperature sensor, Mediocre battery life, Slow charging speeds

Google has gone all-in on Generative AI with Pixel 8 Pro, also giving you a thermometer that's always in your pocket.

Super Actua Display is really bright, Charging speeds get a much needed boost, Google does some crazy things with AI, Magic Editor is truly magic, The Bay blue color is simply stunning

Battery life isn't the best, Temperature sensor is something you won't use much, Matte back is welcomed, but still slippery

“Sugar, spice and everything nice” but the price. Despite being designed keeping in mind the masses to help them get the maximum out of their smartphone, the Google Pixel 8 Pro seems to lack certain things that will most likely not make it "the smartphone" for the masses.

The Pixel 8 Pro would likely be our 2023 phone of the year if we named such a rating. Its combination of software and hardware, as well as its ridiculously wonderful-to-touch haptics have made it the phone to beat for the time being. It’s that good, outside of its network abilities. It’s...