Joe Maring / Digital Trends
Is the Google Pixel 8 Pro an excellent smartphone ? Absolutely ! It ’s quite possibly the best smartphone Google has ever made , and we were n’t shy about heaping congratulations on it in ourGoogle Pixel 8 Pro review . While its battery life is n’t anything to indite home about , and the temperature sensor is a minute of a whiff , the downright quality of the television camera , gorgeous design , strong specs , and hope of seven years of updates mean it ’s not a phone to pretermit out on .
But while the Pixel 8 Pro is a very hard smartphone , it ’s far from the only choice . In fact , if you ’re looking at the Pixel 8 Pro right now , there are five other smartphones you should consider corrupt instead of Google ’s most expensive flagship .
Joe Maring / Digital Trends
Google Pixel 8
The Google Pixel 8 Pro may be the in force Pixel Google has ever made — but it ’s only a “ may ” because theGoogle Pixel 8exists . British pound - for - pound , and considering pure value , it ’s hard for the Pro to claim a total victory over its cheaper sibling — and that ’s why the Pixel 8 is a strong alternative to the Pixel 8 Pro .
We ’re not going to sugarcoat it : You wo n’t get as many in advance feature on the Pixel 8 as you do on the Pixel 8 Pro . But they ’re undoubtedly lineament you could live without . The most spectacular is the passing of the 5x optic rapid climb lens , which is by all odds a pity . But be reliable with yourself ; how often do you take 5x zoom pictures anyway ? Everything else is just a tenuous downgrade — dropping to a 12 - megapixel wide - slant lens , a 6.2 - column inch display alternatively of 6.7 - inches , and fewer large store options . You still get the option of 256 GB of store , which is plenty for most people , and the smaller presentation intend the phone itself is lowly ( a bonus for those who do n’t need a headphone as comically large as the Pixel 8 Pro ) .
The good part is that much of the Pixel 8 mirrors what pretend the Pro variant so good . You getGoogle ’s Tensor G3 processor , a shiny OLED video display with a active refresh pace of up to 120Hz , and the same seven years of update . The shelling life story on the Pixel 8 should last you about a day , but likely no more . And yes , the camera is just as good , and the AI deception are here , too .
Whether you purchase the Pixel 8 over the Pixel 8 Pro is mostly a question of budget . The Pixel 8 is a full $ 300 less than the Pixel 8 Pro , which makes it an passing tempting proposition . Is an additional tv camera lens and large screen deserving $ 300 to you ? For some , it may well be . But for us , it ’s reset the Pixel 8 represents phenomenal value for money , making it an extremely dependable telephone to take hold of over the Pixel 8 Pro .
Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus
For many people , Samsung is synonymous with Android , so it cause sentience that one of the Pixel 8 Pro ’s strong competitor is theSamsung Galaxy S24 Plus . The two devices have a similar price full point , with smaller , lower - powered variant beneath them . But it would be a mistake to assume they ’re basically the same , as in a lot of manner , these are two diametrically opposed devices . In fact , put a goatee on the S24 Plus , and it could pass for the Pixel 8 Pro ’s mirror universe Twin Falls .
Where the Pixel 8 Pro is lacking , the S24 Plus excels , and vice versa . The battery aliveness is the adult example of this ; The S24 Plus comfortably has a two - 24-hour interval lifespan , while the Pixel 8 Pro is very much a individual - day smartphone . In fact , on heavier days , you might scramble to get to bedtime with Google ’s latest . Adding to this , charging is much loyal than the Pixel 8 Pro ’s comparatively sluggish 30W. The C.P.U. , theSnapdragon 8 Gen 3 , is also faster than the Pixel 8 Pro ’s Tensor G3 and lead cooler , too . They even have opposite designs ; The Pixel squeeze gentle curves , while this year ’s Galaxy Plus framework has die in heavily on flat edge .
Swings and roundabouts go both way , of course , and there are some downsides to the S24 Plus . Samsung ’s One UI computer software is still based on Android , but it ’s observably busier , with a lot of superfluous Samsung - themed apps . The television camera , while big , also is n’t as dear as the Pixel 8 Pro . While you get an extra television camera lense , the overall performance is n’t quite as secure , so you ’re sacrifice quality for versatility .
This comes down to what you value in a smartphone . If you need strong battery life , with a similarly powerful processor , faster charging , and do n’t mind the more crowded software program and a more or less less subject camera , then you should consider the Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus for the same price .
OnePlus 12
It ’s hard not to recommend theOnePlus 12every individual time one of these recommendation article comes up . The flagship killer has graduated from take on mere flagships and has its visual sense plant on the ultra - flagship ambit . Simply put , the Pixel 8 Pro is out of its league here in thoroughgoing top executive — though there are still some ground to choose Google ’s later over OnePlus ’s .
In terms of its strengths , the OnePlus 12 is an absolute powerhouse . OnePlus ’s in style phone has been designed to take on some of the most herculean flagship in the Earth , and that means it use the stupendously muscular Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 , up to 512 GB of storage , and up to a ludicrous 16 GB of RAM . Those specs alone blow the Pixel 8 Pro out of the pee , andthenyou add in a massive 5,400mAh assault and battery that lasts for two days on one full charge and has up to 80W truehearted charging — starting from $ 800 .
So it ’s a slam dunk for OnePlus , proper ? Not necessarily . To achieve all this , OnePlus had to jettison everything external , which means there are few redundant features of note . You ’re lacking the AI smartness you ’ll chance on the Pixel 8 professional , and while the OnePlus 12 ’s camera is good , it ’s not on the Pixel ’s grade by a long barb . Plus , when it total down to it , all that extra magnate does n’t really do all that much . Sure , it ’s more powerful , but will it really palpate more powerful mean solar day - to - day ? For some tribe , in all probability not .
Still , it ’s hard to argue against the note value for money you get for $ 800 , and for that reason alone , you should really , reallyconsider buying the OnePlus 12 instead of the Pixel 8 Pro .
Motorola Edge Plus (2023)
Here ’s one that might have come out of left-hand field for you . Yes , Motorola is still making flagship phones , and you shouldabsolutelycare because they ’re pretty darn skilful .
TheMotorola Edge Pluscame out partway through 2023 , and as a result , it does n’t have the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor a batch of the choice on this list have . However , it does have the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 , a still very powerful cow chip that powered the last generation of flagship just o.k. — and will still put up a strong fight against the Tensor G3 . The OLED display is a particular highlight , with an unbelievable 165Hz variable refresh rate and some cover tech that ’s just gorgeous . The battery is another two - day affair , and the 68W quick charging leaves the Pixel 8 professional ’s charging in the dust . Even the software is quite close to the Pixel ’s Android , with a few of Motorola ’s gesture mastery thrown in for good measure .
It fall in similar places to most other challengers . The television camera is n’t as dependable as the Pixel 8 Pro ’s and is probably the weakest on this lean . There ’s also no always - on display , and the speaker do n’t hold up to the display ’s splendid quality , clear movie - observation on this a bit of a letdown . However , at a terms of $ 800 , it ’s still a very impregnable rival .
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
The Google Pixel 8 Pro is a swell smartphone , but you’re able to go higher . If you desire the most powerful , feature - fertile , the mostextraphone around , well , you require theSamsung Galaxy S24 Ultra .
It should be no surprise at this stage that the S24 Ultra is equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 , and just like in all the other phones , it ’s incredibly hefty . There ’s little you could bedevil at this phone that will faze it , particularly when you cast off in the 12 GB of RAM and up to 1 TB of warehousing . But that ’s notthatgreat , really , is it ? Well , Samsung was n’t done there . The Galaxy S24 Ultra also has a massive 6.8 - inch display , run on dynamical AMOLED 2X engineering , with a varying refresh pace between 1 - 120Hz . When combined with the top - level specs , it have in mind you get a earpiece that ’s tight , antiphonal , and incredibly fluid .
The camera organization is one of the only ones that can go up against the Pixel 8 Pro andwin . Yes , you record that decently — Digital Trends ’ Andy Boxallput the two earpiece head - to - head , and it was the Galaxy S24 Ultra that came out on top . Given Google ’s dominance in headphone photographic camera in late years , this is an achievement of serious note for the Samsung phone . Throw in an include S Pen andSamsung ’s new Galaxy AI , and you ’ve got a smartphone that ’s truly surpassing .
Of course , there ’s a pretty large caution here , and it ’s the price . The Pixel 8 Pro is already a pricey phone at $ 999 , but the Galaxy S24 Ultra start up at $ 300 past that , at $ 1,300 . That ’s a mickle of money to spend on a smartphone , but it really is the only option if you want the most innovative Android smartphone you may buy in 2024 .
