While watching Google announce the Pixel 8 andPixel 8 Pro, I was reminded of ascene fromStar Trek: Generations. Captain Kirk is invited to christen the new Enterprise and join her for a maiden cruise. An emergency develops, and Kirk is forced into command to help save the day, leading to something of a crisis. Because the ship wasn’t meant to head into battle, several key systems are missing. Every time an exasperated Kirk asks for the tractor beam or photon torpedoes, he’s met with the same response from the crew — that won’t be installed until Tuesday.
In a similar fashion, Google listed some of its most interestingPixel 8features as “coming soon” during this month’s Made By Google keynote. Thankfully, the company is more apt to produce abandonware than vaporware — just take aquick stroll through the Google Graveyard for proof— so I believe we’ll be getting the features in due time — but until then, let’s look at a list of what we have to look forward to in future feature drops.
As if the Pixel 8’s camera wasn’t good enough
Star Trek is a perfect segue into the first feature worth discussing: Zoom Enhance. If you’ve ever seen characters on a science-fiction show magnify and enhance an image for clarity, that’s exactly what Google promised on stage on October 4th. Zoom Enhance will allow you to pinch and zoom into a photo shot on the main, non-telephoto sensor while retaining detail. ThePixel 8 Pro— yes, just the Pro, something of a pattern in this guide — will fire up the AI to sharpen the image. It’s strange to see this tool limited to just the larger model; as the smaller Pixel 8 lacks a telephoto lens entirely, this sort of utility is much more essential there. Unfortunately, we don’t know when it’s coming — Google is simply saying “later.”
Video Boost, meanwhile, utilizes device and cloud-based processing to enhance footage captured on your Pixel 8 Pro. By applying HDR processing to each individual frame, the result is clearer video with less graininess, digitally enhanced lighting, and better stabilization — all done in the cloud after you’ve shot it. Unfortunately, when this feature ships “later this year,” it’ll be locked to the Pro model. Last I checked, the Pixel 8 still had a Tensor G3 capable of handling the processing and internet capabilities to connect to the cloud, so why the exclusivity?
I think Google uses features like Zoom Enhance and Video Boost to differentiate the regular 8 from the 8 Pro, with the company realizing that a QHD display, 5x optical zoom, and higher refresh rate aren’t enough to justify the$300 price gap.
It’s all about AI
Google Assistant is slated to get awhole lot smarter by integrating Bard. You’ll be able to give Assistant natural language instruction for various functions, making it a more personal assistant (lowercase ‘a’) than ever before. Need restaurant suggestions based on your previous selections? Bard can help. If you need help with an email or drafting a message, Assistant with Bard can flesh out text responses in your style.Its rollout is looking awkward, with Google promising select testers getting early access before arriving more “more users” down the road. Thankfully, the feature is expected on the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro.
Unfortunately, that inclusion doesn’t extend to all the features Google plans to release. Summarize functionality for Recorder, next-gen Magic Eraser, and an improved Smart Reply in Gboard are Pixel 8 Pro exclusives,thanks to the on-device foundation modelsonly available on the larger phone. Even still, Pixel 8 Pro users will enjoy better contextual responses that take the tone and content of a conversation into account while generating return messages. Summarize will be great for long meetings or lectures, allowing users to boil down voice recordings into salient points.
Although the Pixel 8 Pro already features this on-device AI model, Summarize for Recorder and improved Smart Reply won’t arrive until December’s Pixel Feature Drop. The improved Magic Eraser, however, is live on Pixel 8 Pro models at launch.
Of all the AI enhancements Google displayed at the event, I was most impressed with the improvements made to Call Screen. A natural-sounding “assistant” will ask the purpose of the call, and based on the response, the voice will put the call through or reject the spam attempt. If they didn’t know any better, callers would assume you have a personal assistant who is actually paging to see if you’re available to take the call. It’s a useful feature I always enjoy taking advantage of when using Pixel devices. Google says it’s coming later this year to all Tensor-powered Pixel devices.
Needed functionality for a lackluster gimmick
I still can’t wrap my head around the need for atemperature sensor on the backof a consumer-level product. If the Pixel were a rugged phone designed to be used on a construction site or for HVAC work, I could see the reasoning, but for everyday use, it’s just taking up space. As if to add insult to injury, the one potentially useful reading — skin temperature — won’t be available until Google can obtain FDA approval.
It seems like the temperature sensor was likely a reaction to the pandemic that languished in the product pipeline for a couple of years before arriving to market. I won’t be surprised if it’s quickly retired, much like thePixel 4’s Soli sensors before it.
The future is bright
It’s frustrating to wait for features and functionality on a device we’ve paid in full for. It may sound a little “get off my lawn,” but products used to be ready on release because, until internet updates, that’s the only shot the company had to get it right. However, considering we’ve seenApple hold back featuresfor its latest products as well, we’d better get used to it. I’ll still be excited about the new Pixel features — I just wish they were being installed on Tuesday.
Google Pixel 8 Pro
The Pixel 8 Pro is one of Google’s best flagships in a long time, even if it launched with plenty of missing features. From its excellent cameras to its refined design, this is a killer Android phone — one that will only get better as it starts to get new features throughout the next twelve months.
