Google Pixel 8 review: Big leap into AI makes it one-of-a-kind, but does it live up to expectations?

tech.hindustantimes.com:

When Google launched its Google Pixel 8 lineup, the artificial intelligence wave was probably at its highest. The smartphone series, which has captured the loyalty of a particular consumer base due to its software-first approach and camera-centric functionalities, was expected to come with AI features that would underline its capabilities and the mood of the market. And Google does not generally miss opportunities.

From the moment I had the Google Pixel 8, I could see that the company had spent time polishing the device and making it more optimized than the previous generation. This year, Google did not experiment much in terms of design, but there are small improvements across the smartphone to make it surpass its predecessor.

However, there were two problems with the smartphone the way it was marketed and priced. First, it did not come with the ‘Pro' tag, which usually helps consumers identify the better smartphone, and usually has a stronger desire to purchase. The second was its price point. Starting at Rs. 75,999, it was Rs. 16000 more expensive than the Pixel 7, which came at Rs. 59,999. Not being the Pro model, while being significantly more expensive than its predecessor puts a big pressure on the Google Pixel 8 to deliver.

After spending a considerable amount of time with the smartphone, I find that the Pixel 8 does deliver on that tall expectation. Do not get me wrong, I would not claim it to be the best phone of the year, but it does a splendid job getting very close to that. That too, without being the Pro model. So, let us get down to the brass tacks and let us see what this phone offers.

Unlike the Pixel 7, which still made some big adjustments to its design, the Pixel 8 largely keeps things the same, except