The Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, released in October 2023, turned six months old this week. At the half-year mark, the phones are also halfway through their run as Google’s flagship offerings. There’s a lot to like about the Pixel 8 series, from their refined take on Google’s design language to helpful software features you won’t get anywhere else. But for a lot of people, the biggest reason to buy a Pixel phone is for the photos.
You might not be surprised to hear that a lot of us here at AP carry Pixel phones on the regular, at least part-time. Given we’re six months out from the expected release of the Pixel 9, we thought it’d be fun to gather our thoughts about — and our favorite photos from — our first six months with the Pixel 8’s cameras.
Google Pixel 9: News, leaks, rumored price, and release window
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AP’s favorite Pixel 8 photos
Connor Nolan, Reviews Writer
After years away from daily driving a Pixel, I switched back because I missed the low light performance. Lighting in my home is hardly ideal, and I love how consistently the Pixel 8 Pro gives me a usable photo with minimal lighting. The majority of the time, I’m just taking quick pictures to send to friends and family, so it’s great to get decent photos without having to stop what I’m doing to fix the lights, or doing much more than walking closer to a window, and ending up with a detailed image with great colors.
Dallas Thomas, News Editor
The main reason I use a Pixel is because of its fast shutter speed and sharp photos of moving subjects. 99% of the pictures I take are of my kid, and the 8 Pro with its telephoto lens and 5x optical zoom are perfect for that use-case. But none of the pictures I shared here are of my kid, because that would be bad parenting. Yet I still easily found five photos that I really love, highlighting the camera’s capabilities in low-light situations as well as brightly-lit environments with shadows, where its HDR processing really shines. In my opinion, this is still far and away the Android camera to beat.
Manuel Vonau, Google Editor
These days, there are many phones with great cameras out there, but Google’s flagship Pixel phone is still my favorite. This comes down to its fast and reliable shutter speed, a versatile setup consisting of capable zoom, primary, and ultrawide cameras, and a familiar look and feel to the finished photos — I have been a Google phone photographer since the Nexus 4, after all. The Google Pixel 8 Pro is, so far, the culmination of all that, and I think my favorite shots that I’ve collected here show that.
Rajesh Pandey, News Writer
I’ve used dozens of Android phones over the years, but there’s something about the photos taken with a Pixel phone. They perfectly capture a scene, nailing the colors and contrast and capturing tons of details. The pictures I have taken with the Pixel 8 Pro over the last few months are no different. What elevates the experience further is the versatility of the camera setup, with the 5x telephoto and ultrawide shooters being as capable as the primary 50MP camera.
Taylor Kerns, Gadgets Editor
I’ve reviewed a handful of other phones since October, but when I’m not obligated to use something else, I’m typically carrying the smaller Pixel 8. I do like Google’s version of Android, and I think the Rose colorway is killer, but really, the cameras are what always brings me back. I’m pretty demanding of phone cameras, and the Pixel 8 does the best job at taking the types of photos I want to take: I think Google’s cameras capture more natural color and contrast than Samsung’s, and the Pixel 8’s camera is great at getting crisp shots of moving subjects like my dogs. Of all the phone cameras I’ve used, the Pixel 8’s requires the least messing around to get a good shot — no adjusting settings beforehand, no editing after (well, sometimes, but mostly for fun).
Ted Kritsonis, Contributor
I test a lot of phones and their cameras, and as a photographer myself, I always look for nuances. The Pixel 8 Pro can perform as the best of both worlds. It can act as a quick point-and-shoot or provide manual controls and full-resolution capture to edit images later. My photos reflect both instances, showing that the Pixel has broad range despite not having as wide a range in modes and settings compared to others. That’s rare to see in many phones available in the North American market.
Will Sattelberg, Phones Editor
I’ll be honest — when I’m not actively reviewing a smartphone, I’m not much of a shutterbug. I snap plenty of photos of my cats, sure, but when I’m out at dinner or at a bar, taking a picture of what’s happening around me is simply never front of mind. That said, of the assortment of phones that find their way into my back pocket, the Pixel 8 Pro is by far the most reliable. From those aforementioned pet photos to concerts to… well, more cat photos, both the main and telephoto sensors never fail to leave me satisfied.
Has it been six months already?
It’s a little hard to believe that October 2023 was six months ago, but we’re just about halfway between the releases of the Pixel 8 and the Pixel 9. This year’s Pixels will surely take better photos than last year’s (that’s the way these things go), but even today, Google’s tough to beat when it comes to smartphone photography. We’re excited to see what the next phones from companies like OnePlus, Apple, and Samsung can do, though — we’d love to be blown away by photos from the Galaxy S25 next year.
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Google Pixel 8
$499 $699 Save $200The Google Pixel 8 is Google’s best phone yet, and it’s the most distinct regular model when compared to the Pro version. It comes with a wonderful form factor that fits well in the hands and has the usual software prowess that you expect from a Pixel.
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Google Pixel 8 Pro
$749 $999 Save $250The Google Pixel 8 Pro is the company’s latest flagship, boasting a new Tensor G3 chip, a brighter screen, and a new camera array capable of capturing even more light. As usual, the real power lies in Google’s Tensor chip, which offers even more photo enhancement and image editing features.
