Pixel 8 vs. Pixel 8 Pro: Which Google Pixel is worth your money?

The Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro are the talk of the town this year, with a handful of improvements to entice customers. Both phones offer new camera hardware, better displays, faster charging, and a more powerful chipset with improved AI capabilities. They are also the first Pixel phones to offer seven years of full software support, ensuring that they receive Android 21 and beyond.

When looking at the complete specs sheets, the main differences between the two phones are size, display, battery life, charging speed, speakers, performance, and camera.

The Pixel 8 is smaller and lighter, making it more compact and easier to handle with one hand. On the other hand, the Pixel 8 Pro is larger and may prove unwieldy to some users, but it offers a better display with a higher refresh rate and a brighter screen.

Surprisingly, both phones offer similar battery life, with the Pixel 8 excelling in video playback, while the 8 Pro has higher call and web browsing runtimes. The charging capability of both phones has slightly improved this year, with the Pixel 8 Pro having a slightly faster wired and wireless charging speed.

In terms of speakers, the Pixel 8 Pro has better-sounding speakers with a bass-heavy tone, while the Pixel 8 produces a flatter sound. Both phones share the same high-performance Google Tensor G3 chipset, ensuring that their overall performance is nearly identical.

However, the biggest difference comes in the camera department. The Pixel 8 Pro’s camera department gets a big upgrade, boasting a better ultrawide camera and a dedicated telephoto camera that the Pixel 8 does not have. Additionally, the smaller Pixel lacks access to certain software-based features, such as manual control over stills and videos, access to the main camera’s full 50MP resolution, and Night Sight video recording.

In conclusion, while the specs sheets provide valuable information, choosing between the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro comes down to personal preferences. If portability and a smaller size are important to you, then the Pixel 8 is the way to go. On the other hand, if you prefer a bigger screen experience and better camera capabilities, then the Pixel 8 Pro is the phone for you. Ultimately, both phones offer a great user experience and improved features compared to their predecessors, making them both worthy competitors in the smartphone market.