Which Google Pixel 8 Pro color should you buy?

Summary

• The Google Pixel 8 Pro comes with a new Tensor G3 chip focused on machine-learning features for incredible photos and editing capabilities. It has topped the list of best Android phones despite its $100 price increase.
• The Pixel 8 Pro offers four color options: Obsidian, Porcelain, Bay, and Mint. Obsidian has a refined and classy appearance, Porcelain is a warm off-white color, Bay adds a fun splash of blue, and Mint is a new and attractive option, although currently only available with 128GB storage.
• The Bay color variant stands out as a perfectly balanced shade of blue, while Porcelain offers a cozy and comfortable feel. Obsidian is the only option for 1TB storage. The Mint variant is cooler and more unique, but limited to 128GB storage for now.

Fans of the pure Android experience have always loved Google’s Pixel lineup. The Android maker’s latest flagship smartphone — the Pixel 8 Pro — packs in a new Tensor G3 chip focused on delivering a whole new set of machine-learning features to produce even more incredible photos and let you edit your snaps as never before.

It’s already topped the list of the best Android phones, despite the $100 price bump over its predecessor, the Pixel 7 Pro. The slight price jump, however, does come with a promise of seven years of software updates and hardware support, which has since then led to other manufacturers taking note, and offering a similar level of update promise.

While sporting a familiar design, the Pixel 8 Pro is an elegant enough smartphone that you may not want to hide it away in a case all the time. For the same reason, picking the right color option is an important part of the buying process.

At launch, the Google Pixel 8 Pro launched with three unique color options called Bay, Porcelain, and Obsidian. Fast-forward to January 2024, and Google launched a new, funkier color option, Mint, giving Pixel buyers an extra option.

Obsidian Pixel 8 Pro

Of all this year’s Pixel colors, the Obsidian Pixel 8 Pro is probably the least surprising. While it’s basically a rehash of the same-named color from last year’s Pixel 7 Pro, it comes across with a very different look thanks to the new matte back glass on this year’s flagship Pixel phone.

Obsidian has always been a serious and neutral color for those who prefer a more professional look, just like basic black won’t clash with anything. However, the new back glass gives it an even more refined and classy appearance than the shinier Obsidian Pixel 7 Pro. Plus, it’s not a fingerprint magnet, giving you one less reason to slap your phone in a case, although if you prefer the glossier look, there are plenty of transparent Pixel 8 Pro cases to choose from that will show off your phone’s finish while adding a layer of protection.

In addition to being the only truly neutral color in this year’s lineup, there’s one other reason you may want to opt for Obsidian — it’s the only color available for the 1TB version of the Pixel 8 Pro.

Porcelain Pixel 8 Pro

Last year’s Snow Pixel 7 Pro has been superseded this year by Porcelain. It’s a color you’ll be familiar with from the Pixel Tablet and Pixel Fold. It’s the first time this color has appeared on a mainline Pixel phone, but it was also somewhat inevitable as it seems to be Google’s 2023 version of white.

Nevertheless, it’s an off-white that’s a bit less neutral than the Snow and White finishes found on its predecessors — it’s more of a light or pale champagne. Thankfully, it’s not too saturated, so it will blend reasonably well into the background for those who prefer a brighter look that won’t clash with their wardrobe or other accessories.

As with Obsidian, the matte glass also helps give it a much more refined and classy look that, in this case, embraces its warmth; we’re not convinced Porcelain would look nearly as attractive on the Pixel 7 Pro’s glossier back.

Bay Pixel 8 Pro

Among the three color variants that the Pixel 8 Pro initially launched with, the Bay color option was the only variant that added a fun splash of color to the phone.

Interestingly, initial rumors suggested that Google would go with Sky for the blue Pixel 8 Pro, but we don’t think that name would have done justice to what we ended up with. Bay comes with few preconceived notions of what its blue should look like, and that’s a good thing as this shade is as unique in its own way as the Really Blue Pixel XL and Oh So Orange Pixel 4.

The Bay color option is also a delightful change from the Lemongrass Pixel 7 Pro, which was undersaturated to the point where it never felt like it made much of a statement. On the other hand, the Bay blue is a vibrant pop of color from Google in a year that’s been dominated by weak pastels and bland darks from Apple and Samsung.

It’s a stark and richer contrast to Google’s Sea Pixel 7a, the first time in a while that Google leaned back into the blues. However, that was a muted blue that’s only outdone in blandness by Apple’s new blue iPhone 15 — a shade that’s so ridiculously undersaturated it could be easily mistaken for silver or white.

Mint Pixel 8 Pro

On January 19, 2024, Google updated the Pixel 8 and the Pixel 8 Pro with a brand new “Mint” color variant. Besides giving one more color option to choose from, the Mint Pixel 8 Pro adds that much-needed zing to the Pixel 8 Pro lineup which only the “Bay” variant provided until now.

While being completely new to the Pixel lineup, this new mint color is quite similar to the Lemongrass variant of the Pixel 7, albeit a little less yellow than that. To go with the new color, Google has also introduced a Mint colored variant of the Pixel 8 Pro case, which the company is offering for free until February 6, 2024, after which you’ll need to buy it separately for $35.

If you immediately fell in love with this Mint color option for the Pixel 8 Pro and are considering it, there is one major caveat you need to worry about. As of now, the mint color option is only offered with 128GB storage, which is a shame, considering it is among the more attractive color options available for the Pixel 8 Pro. We hope Google does end up updating the phone with at least a 256GB variant in Mint in the near future.

A versatile set of colors

2023 was a bland year for colors across most high-end smartphones. Thankfully, Google launched the interesting Bay variant for the Pixel 8 Pro which is as close to perfectly balanced as this shade of blue can be. In fact, until recently, if you wanted a fun and unique color for your Pixel 8 Pro, the Bay variant was the only one to get.

That has changed with the arrival of the new Mint variant, which is definitely cooler to look at than the more neutral-looking Porcelain and Obsidian color options. Then again, if you opt for the Mint variant, you can only get it with 128GB storage as of now, which may make the Bay variant a slightly more attractive proposition.

There’s not much to say about Obsidian other than that it looks better on the Pixel 8 Pro’s matte glass than on last year’s shinier Pixel 7 Pro, so it’s worth another look, even if you weren’t a fan of that shade before. It’s also your only option if you want a 1TB Pixel 8 Pro.

While it’s not what we’d call colorful, Porcelain is a cozy alternative to the previous white versions, with just enough saturation to make it feel much warmer without too much contrast. It’s perhaps the most homey and comfortable color for this year’s Pixel 8 Pro. While Bay and Mint stand out and Obsidian just kind of sits there, Porcelain blends in.