Every Improvement Google Made In The Pixel 8 And Pixel 8 Pro

One of the most essential features of any modern smartphone is its camera. With social media sites becoming increasingly popular and the growing desire among people to capture important moments, users demand quality cameras with their devices to get the best possible images and video. That has led to manufacturers such as Samsung and Apple working hard to keep improving the various cameras that are built into their smartphones.

Google is no different in that respect, and the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro carry a number of impressive upgrades that should allow users to take photographs and film videos at a higher image quality than was previously possible. This includes a 50-megapixel main camera, a 48-megapixel telephoto camera, and a 48-megapixel ultrawide camera, in addition to the improved selfie lens on the front that comes with autofocus on the Pixel 8 Pro. A new Macro Focus mode also allows users to take in-focus photographs from as close as 2 cm.

Meanwhile, the cameras can capture much more light than the Pixel 7 models, in some cases even doubling the amount of light the sensors receive. This allows the smartphones to produce images with more detail and more accurate color. It also takes better images and videos at night or in dark spaces than its predecessor. Google also promises its Real Tone technology should more accurately portray different skin tones, a common complaint about smartphones from non-white users.

The Pixel 8 Pro also gives users more flexibility when it comes to controlling how images look, as it allows more camera parameters to be changed. These include manual adjustment of the shutter speed and ISO setting to get exactly the shots you want.

In addition to the Audio Magic Eraser, Google has also made the older Magic Eraser for images far more useful. Much of that is because the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro run Google's foundation models on the device rather than through the cloud. Google Senior Vice President Rick Osterloh says the "Pixel 8 Pro can run generative AI with up to 150 times more computations than the largest ML model on Pixel 7." That means it can utilize more advanced machine learning and artificial intelligence technology to improve features such as Magic Eraser.

What that means for Magic Eraser is that it is now smarter and more effective, especially when it comes to unblurring photographs or removing unwanted objects and people. Previously, Magic Eraser worked best when erasing parts of an image that were small or simple, with larger and more complex items causing problems as they were more difficult to blend with the rest of the picture. This can leave unsightly marks and visual artefacts on images.

This problem is no longer a major headache with the newly improved version. Working in a similar way to Photoshop's Generative Fill, the smartphone creates new pixels to replace what has been removed, using artificial intelligence to predict what should be in the image. Osterloh explained further, "Instead of blending the surrounding pixels, the improved Magic Eraser generates completely new pixels to fill in the places left behind by cars, people, or anything else you don't want in your shot."

Perhaps the most surprising announcement in the Pixel 8 series introduction was that the Pixel 8 Pro comes equipped with a temperature sensor. Embedded in the camera array on the back of the phone, this sensor can be used to determine the temperature of various objects in a simple process. The new feature is only available on the more expensive premium device and is fairly unique in the world of smartphones.

To use the temperature sensor, users simply need to hold the smartphone relatively close to the target, with a suggested distance of 5cm, and then hit the required button for the phone to determine a temperature in both Celsius and Fahrenheit. It's also possible to get more accurate readings by selecting from a range of options regarding the type of material being measured, from metals to plastics and even liquids.

There are some obvious applications for the thermometer, including being able to quickly test how hot food is or measure if a bath is warm enough for you to jump in. Google has also submitted an application to the FDA in order to get approval for the Thermometer app to be used to take the temperature of a person and save that information to other apps (such as Fitbit). Tests carried out by Beebom suggest that the temperature sensor is accurate and reliable, though, so users should be able to use the Thermometer app with confidence.

One of the most important aspects of any new smartphone is how long it will be supported by the manufacturer. After all, these kinds of devices are incredibly expensive and, while many people upgrade every couple of years, a lot of users will want their smartphone to last. How long a smartphone remains viable often has little to do with the actual hardware. Instead, the firmware is more critical, with software and security updates determining when support officially stops. Once a device no longer receives these important patches, it can quickly lose access to certain apps and features, in addition to becoming vulnerable to exploits.

Google's Pixel range has typically lagged behind other major manufacturers when it comes to long-term support. The Pixel 7 only promised three years of Android updates and five years of security patches. That doesn't compare favorably with Samsung's Galaxy S23, which guarantees four years of OS upgrades, and Apple's various iPhone models that typically come with more than five years of OS and security updates. Theoretically, this meant that Pixel users would have to replace their smartphones more frequently to stay up to date.

With the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, Google is significantly improving its support. According to the company, the new smartphones will receive seven years of updates, including "Android OS upgrades, security updates, and regular Feature Drops." The company argues that by supporting the latest models until 2030, customers get better value for their money and the devices become more sustainable and environmentally friendly.

Although the Pixel line has been growing in popularity, there is a specific area where it has attracted criticism, and that is the chip powering the smartphone. The previous Tensor G2 lagged behind its competitors in the form of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 range and Apple's own A16 Bionic. That was largely due to the fact that the chip uses outdated components and utilizes machine learning. For its Pixel 8 series, Google has developed a new chip that is far more powerful and capable.

Don't get us wrong, the Tensor G3 still isn't top-notch when it comes to peak performance, although it does bridge the gap somewhat. However, it does seemingly operate at lower temperatures, which should help some of the overheating issues with previous Pixel smartphones. But Google doesn't want its chips to focus on raw power. Instead, the Tensor G3 is an evolution of the company's approach, with the chip continuing to "push the boundaries of on-device machine learning, bringing the latest in Google AI research directly to our newest phones" (via Google).

According to Google, the Tensor G3 is capable of running double the amount of machine learning models directly on the phone than the first iteration of the chip. This allows for on-device generative AI to work in a number of tools and features that were previously incompatible.