The Google Pixel 8 lineup was impressive when it came out late last year with its advanced AI features. They still are impressive, with new AI features dropping every few months. If you're interested in getting one of these phones, the Pixel 8 offers great value for your money, as long as you're okay giving up some things. Right now, you can get the 128GB Google Pixel 8 for $499 (originally $699), the lowest price it has been on Amazon according to price checking tools, beating the Prime Day deal by a dollar.
What makes the Google Pixel 8 lineup great is their unique features and seven-year commitment from Google to keep updating its software. The Pixel 8 is the sweet spot between the three phones. Right now, the budget Pixel 8a is only $50 cheaper than the Pixel 8, but the Pixel 8 brings a lot more value than the $50 difference. The Pixel 8 Pro is also at its lowest Amazon price of $699 (originally $999), but those $200 mainly get you a better camera with a telephoto lens and a thermometer (you can see the breakdown in more detail here). The Pixel 8 has the same Tensor G3 processor and Android 14 software as the Pixel 8 Pro for much cheaper.
The Pixel 8 has some cool AI features, like AI-enabled photo editing, audio editing, and live translation. Some of my favorite features include the “Audio Magic Eraser,” which gets rid of distracting sounds in videos, and the “Best Take” feature, which lets you pick the best shot from a series of photos. The phone also has an IP68 rating, gives you water and dust resistance, and the camera will give you a bit more than 10 hours of juice.