Google Pixel 8 series harnesses the power of AI for perfect photos

Perhaps more than any other flagship smartphone on the market, the new Google Pixel 8 series aims to harness the power of artificial intelligence to improve the user experience.

Nowhere is this more evident than in the camera and photo features for the standard Google Pixel 8 and the higher-end Pixel 8 Pro. Both models have an upgraded 50-megapixel main camera that takes better low-light photos and videos. However, the most impressive features focus on what happens after you take the picture.

AI-powered photo and video editing tools

Best Take: If you’re taking a group photo, often there’s at least one person whose eyes are closed or who’s looking the other way. With Best Take, you can now take a series of group photos and the tool will search people’s faces from multiple shots and combine them into one blended photo where everyone is looking their best. This feature can also be used with any picture saved to your Google Photos library — not just ones taken with the Pixel 8 Pro.

[Related: Get the Google Pixel 8 Pro for $0/mo. with eligible trade-in]

Magic Editor: This feature lets you resize subjects, move them around in the photo, remove people and items in the background, and even replace the image’s sky, ground and background.

Audio Magic Eraser: This tool lets you remove unwanted sounds (such as a police car siren) from video clips.

The Pixel 8 series also retains features that debuted in previous iterations, like Face Unblur, which can sharpen photos that were initially blurry.

While these AI features are on both phones, the camera is where the two phones differ most. The Pixel 8 lacks a telephoto lens and its ultrawide camera is 12 MP, while the 8 Pro has both a 48-MP telephoto lens and a 48-MP ultrawide camera. Both phones have a 10-MP selfie camera, but only the 8 Pro has autofocus.

The Pixel 8 Pro also offers full manual camera control for the first time, allowing users to shoot images in RAW format and adjust exposure, shutter speed, ISO, focus and white balance. It’s a great option for more serious photographers.

[Related: Get 50% off Pixel Buds when you buy any Google Pixel phone]

More AI Features

Face Unlock: This feature was first introduced with the Pixel 7 series and allows users to unlock their phone via facial recognition. Now with the Pixel 8, users can use this technology to also make mobile payments.

Google Assistant: This feature can summarize websites and articles, and also read articles out loud.

These new tools are powered by Google’s Tensor G3 chip, which is specifically designed to deliver the AI features. However, the processor is also known to occasionally run hot.

Longer software support

Google announced that the Pixel 8 series will now get seven years of Android OS software updates, meaning phone owners should get more use out of these devices for longer. It’s one of the best smartphone software support policies on the market.

[Related: Get the best deals on the Google Pixel 8 series with AT&T]

A smooth look and feel

The 6.2-inch Pixel 8 comes in three colors, Obsidian, Hazel (green) and Rose, while the 6.7-inch Pixel 8 Pro comes in Obsidian, Porcelain (beige) and Bay (light blue), with a smooth matte finish. The 8 phones are also brighter, with the Pixel 8 reaching 2,000 nits (compared to 1,400 for the Pixel 7) and the 8 Pro reaching 2,400 nits (the 7 Pro maxed out at 1,500 nits).

Longer battery life

The Pixel 8’s battery size is 4,575 mAh while the 8 Pro’s battery is 5,050 mAh. Both can easily make it through a full day on a single charge.

[Related: Compare Google Pixel phones]

The price has increased

The Pixel 8 is selling for $699 while the Pixel 8 Pro retails for $999 — a $100 increase over their Pixel 7 counterparts.

—By Pauline Vu

The information included within this article is AT&T-sponsored content written by a Currently Media editorial contributor. The statements in this article do not necessarily reflect the positions, strategies or opinions of AT&T.