I reviewed phones for 5 years — here’s my pick right now

When I started at Android Police as a part-time news writer in 2019 while I was still studying, I would have never dreamed of becoming the publication’s Google Editor. Yet here we are, and I’m at the forefront of what Android Police is all about: Google products, Pixel phones, Android releases, and Chrome versions. I’ve also had the chance to look at the phone industry from many different angles and could test some unique phones from brands like Fairphone, Honor, Xiaomi, and Unihertz.

Five years later, it’s time for me to go on to new adventures, but there is one last editorial or piece of genuine advice I want to share with you. With all the experience I’ve collected over the years, here’s the phone I would buy right now: the Google Pixel 8.

This may not come as a surprise from someone who is bearing the “Google Editor” title, but hear me out! I think right now, the Pixel 8 offers the best balance between comfortable size, pricing, and flagship hardware and features you can find. I already called it “the Pixel for the masses” in my review last year, and I stand by that statement.

It’s true that like any Pixel, the Pixel 8 has its fair share of issues. The battery life isn’t as good as it could be at the size, and it has a tendency to get warmer than many competitors, all while offering worse cellular reception in many circumstances. There are also occasional bugs in the software that can make it a pain to use. I’m acutely aware of these problems — it’s my job to report on them (well, it was my job).

The Pixel has its issues, but no other phone comes close to the experience

At the same time, I haven’t tested a single Android phone that offers an experience that’s as consistent as a Pixel’s. Google’s devices are virtually the only ones that run Android without extra layers in the middle, design-wise or software-wise. That means you don’t have any clashes in the UX and UI across the system and apps — it all feels like it’s made from one piece. Google’s careful attention to detail only adds to that experience.

Apps also usually behave much more predictably on Pixel phones. Many Android manufacturers add drastic battery optimizations to their software that make notifications come in either way too late or not at all, unless you dig into settings to find a switch to exempt important apps. Notifications can sometimes still be late on Pixel phones compared to iPhones, but that’s a fundamental problem for all of Android.

The Google Pixel 8 also offers the perfect blend of extra features you can’t find on competing phones. I appreciate little touches like Now Playing, Emoji Wallpapers, At a Glance, and Universal Search. I may not use camera features like Face Unblur and astrophotography all that often, but they’re really nice to have when I do need or want them. While not entirely Pixel-exclusive, Circle to Search is another feature that quickly became indispensable for me (though I mostly just cross out individual words or phrases I want to copy or search for).

It’s also reassuring to know that the Pixel 8 will get full software updates for seven years since its launch. It will likely not get all the bells and whistles that future Pixels will get with the newest software, but it will still be running secure software for a long time, which is the most important thing.

There are countless of these little touches that I dearly miss on other phones, no matter how good their battery life, cameras, or hardware is. The Pixel is far from perfect, but it hits the sweet spot for me.

The Pixel 8 isn’t perfect, but it hits the right spots

The one thing I wish the Pixel 8 had is a telephoto zoom camera, like the Pixel 8 Pro. Even with Google’s computational magic, there are physical boundaries you’re hitting when you try to zoom in too far on the Pixel 8. It also rubs me the wrong way that the Pixel 8 Pro gets a few extra features like improved Night Sight videos and, initially, Gemini Nano. The question is if these things are worth $300 extra, not to mention the substantially bigger form factor the 8 Pro has. For me, the answer is no.

Mind that I’m only talking about actual products you can buy here. If I could have things my way, I would probably love to have a Frankenstein phone that consists of the best of all Android manufacturers. Give me a phone the size of the Pixel 8 with Pixel software with a Snapdragon chip inside, an Honor silicon carbon battery, iPhones-level standby battery life, and a Vivo camera, costing less than $1,000, and I would be more than happy to recommend that instead. But as things stand, the Pixel 8 will have to make do.