Customer Ratings & Reviews

I bought this phone open box and it was in excellent condition and maybe half the price. good buy

I love the picture quality and the texting abilities the phone has

I like blue phone. The blue phone is very nice. I am glad there is a random thermometer that cant be used on humans. Very cool.

I love the pixel phones the pixel 8 pro is significantly better in terms of feel to the 7 pro

The purchase of this device was excellent. It was fast and it works great

Great phone with a great quality of videos and pictures

These sound quality of these headphones are amazing and the noise cancellation works great as well!

Great phone, awesome team and service. Busy store but in and out quick.

Great phone for photography and overall experience

The Pixel 8 Pro is a great evolution of the Pixel phones. Everything just feels more refined. On the outside, it may look much the same as the Pixel 7 Pro, which is a fair assessment, but once you get your hands on it, it's easy to feel and see all the subtle changes that really make the Pixel 8 Pro shine. From the slightly larger and easier to use physical buttons on the side for volume and power to the addition of a flat-edge screen, rather than the waterfall-style of the 7 Pro, it's clear that Google is really starting to dig into everything that makes the Pixel great. The updated camera will likely be most peoples' point of interest, and it does not disappoint. I'd put it up against any other smartphone. Google's software expertise is what really makes the Pixel shine though. That goes for the camera too. On paper it's specked similar to other smartphones, or maybe even lower. But Google's software really makes it take things a step above. Things like Best Take that make group photos much better by letting you take a series of photos of the group and swapping each individual face to your favorite, letting you create the perfect group photo. Or the improved magic eraser that lets you remove distracting elements from photos. There's the new magic editor that lets you move things in photos too. All these work well, but depend on the subject will, of course have varying degrees of success. The point being that it's taking things that are often issues in smartphone photos and making light work of them. Macro photography also sees some nice improvements, letting you get even closer to the subject than before. Another big addition, for me at least, is the ability to swap to a Pro mode on the camera to really dial in to get a specific photo you're after. Video is another strong point. I'm glad Google is focusing on improving the video recording experience. This is one area that I felt other phones were a bit ahead of Google. That may still be the case in some respects, but they're very much catching up. Software features like the audio eraser are unique and useful. It also works surprising well. Battery life seems much improved on the 8 Pro. Even considering that upgraded screen. This new screen is very bright and silky smooth. The variable refresh rate helps with battery life too, but it looks and feels very good. Android 14 may not look like much is new on paper too, but much like the hardware of the Pixel 8 Pro. Things feel further refined and more intentional all around. New ways to customize the lock screen and change up the clock style are welcome improvements. The at a glance widget continues to become more useful. Overall it just feels great on the Pixel. One somewhat strange addition to this year is the temperature sensor. I've read that some folks think it may have been in development during COVID and was a carryover, but if not, I'm not entirely sure what it will be used for? If it does get approved for taking body temperature in the future, that would be a nice added bonus, but it's uses seem a bit limited. Another new addition is the 7 years of software and security updates. That's a crazy long time for smartphones to be supported these days. Overall, this is a nice step up from the Pixel 7 Pro, and just a great smartphone. I'm looking forward to what Google adds in it's feature drops over the coming months, but they're off to an excellent start. Pros: Excellent screen, Excellent camera, Great video, Good battery life, Great lifetime support for software and security Cons: It got a bit of a price bump this year, but I think most will agree that it's worth it for what's included. Also, I'm not entirely sure what the temperature sensor is used for, unless Google is working to get it approved for taking body temperature.

We had the pixel 7 pro for a year now and my wife has loved it this far, I wanted to upgrade from that to this new pixel 8 pro and this is my personal opinions from one to the other. As far as design goes the new pixel 8 pro now has the traditional flat glass and I thought that I didn’t like the curve glass on the old phone until I got the new phone. I think the flat design is like most other phones and the curve just felt premium and a bit more fancy. Both look almost identical tho, aside for the back glass and the new matte design on the back which I love because of the feel and the pixel 8 pro does not retain all those finger prints anymore.(good job to Google). Screen on the pixel 8 pro looks a more vibrant and shaper most like due to the super high peak brightness. You Can really blind yourself with this thing lol. Same 120hz screen and super fluid with variable refresh rate. Speakers sound very good if you use speaker phone or listen to music on your phone a lot, then you are good here. Phone call quality is great. People can hear me clearly and I can hear them clearly as well. Battery life is exceptional with heavy use last all day in my case and 2 days when I wasn’t really browsing the web or texting much. This years pixel has an upgraded battery. So that’s a plus for sure. As far as the camera goes most folks know that this is one of the best phones for pictures due to the camera sensors and the software they pack into the phone. If you are like me and have young children then You probably take a lot of pictures and videos. This phone can take some beautiful photos in perfect lighting or even at night. Plus you can edit people out if you want. That’s a great feature obviously if you are out in public. So if you haven’t t heard, Google added a thermometer sensor near the camera and while yes it’s cool, I don’t think I will using, at least as of right now. Maybe when Google gets the ok from the FDA to use it to check my temperature when I’m sick or my wife and kids are lol. It is cool to have I suppose. Maybe you might like it I’m not sure! So if you game on your phone you will be pleased because games run smoothly and look great. I don’t play much as I game on a pc and that takes up most of my free time. Also the finger print scanner works very well but a bit slower than I would like. Only a slight delay but a noticeable one. Tho most people won’t even notice or care to be honest. all in all the pixel 8 pro is similar to the pixel 7 pro with solid upgrades. But that comes with a 100$ price increase. Thats the main takeaway. It’s a great all around phone if you are new to googles pixel phone line up. Has everything you would need and want compared to other higher end android phones that cost way more. Also please note that Google has promised 7 years of feature and security updates for this phone. With many people keeping their phones for longer this is a big plus imo.

Best Buy has the worst customer service. When my daughter’s Christmas gift was delivered on 12/21 the package was empty. She had nothing to open Christmas morning. It is now Jan 1st and I have nothing and she doesn’t have a present yet thanks to Best Buy. They promised I would have a replacement by 12/24 and it never showed up. Every time I call to check the status I get nothing but lies and hung up on. Have a feeling I am going to have to get a lawyer involved to get my $700 back. The company has gone downhill. I WILL NEVER BUT ANYTHING FROM THEM AGAIN or any of my family!

It's great when it works, but that's very rare. Most of the features are spotty, the screen always has this yellow dotted/pixelated thing that happens and then you constantly have to restart the phone. Google will mute some notifications or sounds or will do the opposite and play sounds and notifications even if they are unwanted. It's difficult to use the screen because the touch sensitivity is all over the place. I've switched from the galaxy series and I would recommend to stick with Samsung.

With a chance to review the Google Pixel 8 Pro, I jumped on this to see if what’s been rumored and what’s been talked about is true. The setup process is easy and straightforward. Provided are USB-C cable for charging and data transfer, a USB-A to USB-C adapter, and a SIM ejection tool. Right off the bat, I see a difference between the Pixel 8 Pro and the fruity competitor: it still can use a physical SIM card. While you can use an eSIM for it, a physical SIM card is simpler, easier, and more straightforward. People who have used Android phones can easily bring your apps and data over to the new phone. And while you can also bring your old photos and videos to the new phone, the additional data transfer will slow down the overall setup process. This is especially true if you have a lot of apps installed. I have opted to forego the photos and videos in order to start using the phone sooner. Once the app side is done, I power down the phone, and pop the SIM from the previous phone in. Once the phone is back on, it readily connects to the cell network. A quick text and call helped verify that it is working. Time to check out the build. The design theme that started on the Pixel 6 continues on in the Pixel 8. Hopefully this will continue on since this is starting to look like the Pixel’s identity. And finally, the Pixel 8 Pro now sports a flat screen. For the longest time I have hated curved screens because it makes finding quality tempered glass screen protectors difficult. Now that the screen is (mostly) flat, I can find a decent screen protector that won’t have potential design defects. Here’s to hoping that the next iteration will feature a flat glass all the way across. I’m still not much of a fan of rounded edges. But that’s easily fixed with a case. Also of note, the screen can get pretty bright. Comparing it to the previous generation is difficult and I can barely see the difference in brightness. Wireless charging is capped at 12w using any Qi compatible charger but can support 23w charging using Google’s proprietary Pixel Stand 2. I’m against this idea of having a two-tiered wireless charging speed. I do not mind certain features that are available only with Google’s proprietary wireless charger. Some may find it useful while others will just use a standard 3rd-party Qi charger. But charging speed should not be split into tiers. The phone performs well under load. As a Genshin Impact player, I loaded the game to check out its performance. And while it does not have the fastest or most powerful graphics hardware on the market, it is enough to handle the game for casual play. Outside of playing games, the P8Pro handles everything without much fuss. Everything feels snappy and smooth, thanks to the 120Hz refresh rate it is capable of. One of the big elephants in the room for any Android phone is software updates. For a long time, Android has had software updates that come up short behind a certain fruity competitor. Now, for the first time, Google has committed to supporting the Pixel 8 series (and hopefully future Pixels) for 7 years. And it’s not limited to security updates like before. That means being able to run (a potential) “Android 21” by the time support ends in 2030. The length of Android software support has definitely improved over time. And now, Google has finally made it possible to go toe to toe against the big fruity competitor in the update category. Whether Google will honor that remains to be seen, as 7 years is a long time for the life of any smartphone. Okay, so we have all that. But is it worth it? At MSRP, it’s asking a lot, especially since synthetic benchmark numbers put it behind the latest chips in other Android phones. But what you get out of it are some Pixel-specific features, no additional duplicate apps that a certain Korean company tends to tack on, one of the best cameras out there, and some “pro” features for the cameras. Its high price isn’t helping its case when compared to its smaller and less expensive sibling. But while the price is indeed higher than its previous generation, there are always trade-in options as well as carrier offers that help spread the cost of the phone over time. It’s a definite buy if your phone is past year 3. And it’s recommended if it’s just past year 2. The Good: get the latest Android release, Pixel-exclusive feature like call screening, best-in-class cameras, 7 years of Android updates The Bad: proprietary fast wireless charging, no fast wired or wireless charging The Ugly: the thought of your phone having enough AI power to become sentient Verdict: Buy

Well, this is hands down THE best Pixel Google has ever made. The overall feel of the hardware is premium.. the back matte finish is not only aesthetically pleasing to the eye but has a great feel to it. Aluminum body frame to provide a little more sturdiness as well. The flat screen is a much much welcomed return. And for those who think the 8 Pro could be too big for them, take it from me, someone with small hands, this phone feels perfect and feels smaller to hold than advertised. Oh and.. keeping on topic of the screen.. HOLY BRIGHTNESS! This has to be one of if not THE best phone for visibility in sunlight. Fantastic job here Google. Now, onto the features, some things we have come to know and love with the Pixel line.. the camera.. the Google assistant.. the call screening..etc.. But the upgrade to the camera, the zoom clarity and quality, the video recording, Google really stepped things up in an area that they already were leading the game on. Add in the enhancements to AI to make this experience even better? Best camera on the market. To add regarding video recording and AI.. Audio eraser on videos to get rid of unwanted noise to bring a better focus on what you're recording is truly magical. You can really see just how much the AI helps in so many instances in a lot of these features. The new tensor chip is really pushing with some magic across the board. The option for 50mp in pro mode to allow you to capture more detail and giving the user more control over their shot is very nice. Those with kids will be happy to see the Best Take feature. We know how kids can be impatient and not time the best facial expression for picturues. That's where best take comes in to play. If you take multiple photos, you have the ability to edit the photo and it will pull in the faces from all the photos you took so you can try and have one photo of everyone smiling. Battery life, at least for me, your results may vary, has been pretty impressive. This is definitely a positive from last years pixels. The phone is still learning from my usage but my very first day of use I took a screenshot and at the time I was at 4 hours and 11 minutes of screen on use with it off the charger at 7:30am and the screen shot at 2:53pm with 51 percent life to go. You can definitely get through a day with this and more with battery saver mode. Love the new customization options too. AI wallpaper is real fun to use. I really hope Google builds on this and provides more options/freedoms to come up with ideas for wallpapers. I'm honestly not sure there is enough room for me to write more on this review. I could go on and on about how great this phone is and how Google absolutely nailed it this year. If you were a pixel fan in the past and found yourself stray away.. its time to come back.. Pixel 8 Pro is the pixel we have all been waiting for. Looking forward to what the future brings with feature drops on a phone that already is packed with so many features.

_____ *Pros: -Bright and crisp display. -Excellent camera. -Simple and easy-to-navigate Android interface and UI. - 120Hz screen refresh rate = buttery smooth scrolling. -IP68 water & dust resistance. -Clever and useful AI features. -Seven years of OS updates! -Good battery life and stamina. _____ *Neutral: -Only up to 5x optical zoom. -Not the best of the best for mobile gaming. -Starting storage size should’ve been 256GB for this price point. _____ *Cons: -No microSD slot and audio jack. -The USB-C port is limited to USB 2.0 speeds. -The optical fingerprint sensor (FPS) really sucks. Google should’ve gone with ultrasonic. The Pixel 8 Pro is one good-looking phone. Not only does the phone look premium, it feels so nice in-hand as well. I usually don’t get impressed from phones that is not Samsung or Apple but Google really did a wonderful job with the build materials, design, and fit-and-finish. The volume and power buttons are clickity and responsive and don’t require too much strength. The camera hump in the back looks elegant and tasteful, and the flat LPTO OLED display is bright and crisp, and the auto-brightness algorithm sets the brightness to the appropriate level most of the time. The adaptive 120Hz refresh rate leads to less eye strain and a buttery-smooth scrolling experience. It’s a shame that Google continues to omit an audio jack and a microSD card slot, but I don’t think anyone realistically expects Google to reverse course and start including them now. Google, like Samsung, is just a follower of Apple in this regard, and that’s a shame. It shows the company just isn’t bold enough nor caring enough toward individuals. It’s typical septic and impersonal corporate American behavior and philosophy, and the Pixel 8 Pro is the predictable child of such mentality. With that said, the phone still impresses despite all that. With Google’s in-house Tensor SOC, the latest version of Android, and quality design and materials, the Pixel 8 Pro is still one of the best Android phones you can get on the market. The camera and video quality are excellent, dependable, and reliable, and the speakers sound nice and loud and even offer some semblance of a wide soundstage. The Pixel-exclusive AI features such as Call Screening, Hold Me, Audio Magic Eraser, Magic Editor, Video Boost, Zoom Enhance, and Best Take have been fun to discover and use. AI is definitely going to play a much larger role in our lives, and it’s cool to experience what AI can do for us right now via the Pixel 8 Pro. The only glaring aspect of the Pixel 8 Pro that I really dislike is that unreliable and finicky optical fingerprint sensor. Training my fingerprint for the first time was an exercise in frustration and anger management. Using the fingerprint afterward also required great patience to hold back expletives from coming out of my mouth due to its unreliability. Google really should switch over to ultrasonic technology if they insist on having the fingerprint sensor underneath the front display panel. *** Livability and Performance *** Thanks to the updated and faster Google Tensor G3 SOC and 12GB of RAM, the Pixel 8 Pro has been a frustration-free and pleasant phone to live with. The phone feels very responsive and snappy, and it’s quite capable of running 3D games smoothly and with high framerates. I’m using the Pixel 8 Pro on the T-Mobile network, and my 5G and LTE connectivity and speed have been excellent. My messages always get delivered right away, and my phone calls are reliable and sound very clear for both parties. The battery life is good, and even after 8 hours of streaming music, I still had ~75% battery left. Android 14 is clean, functional, and easy to navigate inside. Google’s Android lacks some bells and whistles that phones from Samsung and others have, but thanks to Google catching up on many features, it no longer feels like a penalty when switching from a feature-rich Samsung phone to a Pixel. I can definitely daily-drive the Pixel 8 Pro, and it’s too easy to recommend it to friends and family thanks to its intuitive UI, excellent notification system, seven years of OS maintenance updates, and that reliable camera. Speaking of the camera, it’s so good. You just point and tap, and the phone will take care of the rest. Get those AI features involved, and you’ll be impressed by how your photos and videos can be manipulated and improved upon. *** Is it worth the coin? *** Absolutely. There is no other Android phone that comes with seven years of OS updates, a reliable and excellent camera bolstered with truly useful AI features, and a neat and clean operating system environment. Is the Pixel 8 Pro the perfect Android phone? No, not yet, due to that horrible optical fingerprint sensor, and lack of useful ports like an audio jack and a microSD card slot. But it’s still a great phone overall, and something I would recommend to friends and family. I rate the Pixel 8 Pro 4 Stars.

The Google Pixel 8 Pro sets a new standard for smartphone excellence, seamlessly combining innovative features with refined design to deliver an exceptional user experience. As a long-time Pixel user, upgrading to the Pixel 8 Pro has been nothing short of revolutionary. Performance: Powered by the latest Snapdragon processor and ample RAM, the Pixel 8 Pro blazes through tasks effortlessly. From multitasking to demanding gaming sessions, this device handles everything with fluidity and precision. The enhanced battery life ensures that I can go through my day without worrying about recharging constantly. Display: The 6.8-inch OLED display is a visual marvel. The colors are vibrant, and the HDR support makes streaming content an immersive delight. The 120Hz refresh rate brings smoothness to every interaction, whether scrolling through social media feeds or watching high-definition videos. Camera: Google's reputation for stellar camera performance continues with the Pixel 8 Pro. The upgraded camera system captures stunning details and true-to-life colors in any lighting condition. The advanced AI processing enhances photos with remarkable accuracy, producing images that rival professional-grade DSLRs. Design: The Pixel 8 Pro exudes elegance with its sleek design and premium materials. The refined matte finish feels luxurious in hand, while the slim profile makes it comfortable to hold for extended periods. The attention to detail, from the tactile buttons to the well-placed fingerprint sensor, showcases Google's commitment to craftsmanship. Software: As expected, the Pixel 8 Pro runs on the latest version of Android with a clean, bloatware-free interface. The seamless integration of Google services enhances productivity and convenience, while the promise of timely updates ensures that the device remains secure and up-to-date. Overall, the Google Pixel 8 Pro is a triumph of engineering and innovation. It exceeds expectations in every aspect, setting a new benchmark for flagship smartphones. If you're looking for unparalleled performance, exceptional camera capabilities, and a premium user experience, the Pixel 8 Pro is the perfect choice. Highly recommended.

The Pixel 8 Pro is truly a Google device. It has fantastic hardware and software that Google has (finally) taken full control over and everything integrates so well with your Google account. Photos are obviously the foundation of the Pixel name, and I can confidently say Google brought their “A” game to the table. The pictures and video are phenomenal and basic use of the camera makes it so easy to feel like you are a photographer. Now that Google is building its own phones it's able to match custom hardware with custom software, kind of like Apple. It’s been a rocky road, since the Tensor G1 in the Pixel 8 was pretty poor, but this 3rd revision is butter-smooth. And this phone specifically? Honestly, just pulling it out of your pocket at like 2am and snapping a shot in total darkness, knowing it will come out at least okay, only to discover it’s actually a pretty good shot, is reality with this phone. It’s crazy good and you will be really happy with it over any other phone since it’s Google’s own phone. Software is something that should be very important to everyone…I mean, interacting with a device of any kind for as long as we do is painful with terrible software. Remember the first few versions of Android? If not, just know it was pretty bad. Now that Android is on version 14, they have made so many improvements over the years, and I feel the Pixel 8 Pro is the culmination of that. Because it’s Google’s “version” of Android, I’d say anyone who isn’t some privacy doomsday’r would benefit so much from this phone. And even they can at least turn the Pixel 8 Pro into a Google-less phone with a privacy oriented ROM. My point here is the software is super slick and is a pleasure to use compared to any other Android phone. The Pixel is all Google and the experience delivers on expectations. I can see myself using this for a long time, especially since Google promises 7 years of OS and security updates starting with the Pixel 8. That means someone reading this in, say, 2029 could STILL be logically shopping for the Pixel 8 Pro. That’s incredible. Well, if you are reading this in 2029, just know the Pixel 8 Pro was incredible in 2023, that’s for sure. As a whole, this is, simply put, my easiest suggestion when someone asks for my opinion (on Android) phones. Just buy a Pixel from day one. Green bubble strong!

I’ve owned the Pixel 6 Pro, 7 Pro, and now 8 Pro and the progression from each iteration has been interesting to see. The 8 Pro feels like a refinement of the 7 Pro, just like that phone felt like a refinement of the Pixel 6 Pro. I don’t think that’s a bad thing necessarily and I like the identity that Google has settled into with the Pixel line. The Pixel 8 Pro nails everything for the most part and I like all the changes from the 7 Pro. If you’re a Google fan like I am, this is the phone for you. The overall design of the Pixel 8 Pro hasn’t changed a lot from the previous 2 models, but the new one does away with the curved edges and goes with a flat screen this time, which I love. The back of the phone now has a matte finish that resists fingerprints a lot better, which I also love. The camera bar is noticeably thicker compared to the previous Pros, but I don’t mind and I also like that all the lenses are contained within the same piece of glass instead of segmented like they were on the Pixel 7 Pro. I do wish they had also done the matte finish on the camera bar as well though. It feels nice in the hand with the smooth and rounded corners. The display looks fantastic and gets super bright, as well as being able to run between 1Hz - 120Hz. I did notice a peculiar things the always on display where in a dark room the top left corner takes on a slight tint. I’ve seen others report this issue as well. It doesn’t show in brighter rooms, so I’m thinking that maybe the lowest brightness introduces that color shift. It doesn’t bother me too much, but it is a blemish on an otherwise brilliant display. The experience of using the Pixel 8 Pro is the now classic Pixel experience. The software is clean, there’s no extra bloat, and the Tensor 3 chip keeps everything running smoothly. I also like whatever Google is doing with the haptics and vibrations inside the phone. The feedback from typing or hitting different parts of the navigation feels very precise and it’s something I’ve only personally experienced on iPhone. Android 14 isn’t too much different than 13, but it introduces a couple of fun things like lockscreen customization. I’ve always gone for the Pixel phones (and Nexus before that) due to guaranteed and timely Android software updates and it’s awesome to see Google committing to 7 years of OS updates for the Pixel 8 series. Photo quality has always been a highlight of Pixel phones and that’s still the case with the Pixel 8 Pro, even ignoring all the new AI editing features that I don’t plan on using. The already fantastic main camera gets a slight upgrade, but the main upgrade is in the ultrawide, which now has a larger sensor and higher 48 megapixel resolution and it looks really good. Colors feel punchy and true to life and there’s a ton of detail on all 3 lenses. I’d say the 5x zoom camera is probably my least favorite of the 3, but it’s still very good. You can also capture photos in DCI-P3 now, which is awesome. The video quality has improved as well, but I think the stabilization is too aggressive. It almost feels like the video is on a gimbal that’s trying to hard to compensate for motion and panning up and down and side to side has this rubber band feeling to it. Turning stabilization off is looks better, but if you’re moving the footage is going to be a lot shakier. It feels like something that could be corrected in a software update. I’m also interested to try the new Video Boost feature when that releases later this year, which is supposed to automatically improve videos in the cloud after you’ve taken them. The face unlock now works with things like banking and wallet apps now, so you don’t have to use your fingerprint to make those works, but the it still depends on the front-facing camera, so if you’ve got poor lighting you may be forced back to the fingerprint sensor. The fingerprint sensor does not feel like it’s improved much from the Pixel 7 Pro and while it’s not terrible, it’s definitely not up to the quality of the rest of the phone. I wish Google had opted for an ultrasonic reader instead of an optical one. Maybe next year. The Pixel 8 Pro adds a temperature sensor, which is neat but I’m honestly not sure when I would ever use it, especially since it’s not rated taking human body temperatures. Even if it was though it seems like a strange addition. The performance of the sensor on other materials was hit or miss with me and the temperature could vary significantly from reading to reading. The battery life is about on par with the Pixel 7 Pro. It’s not any better, but it’s not any worse. It will definitely get through a day with battery to spare and I’m usually still at 40% by the time I go to bed. The 8 Pro also charges faster now at 30 watts. If you’ve got a Pixel 7 Pro I don’t think you need to run out and buy a Pixel 8 Pro, though it still feels like a nice upgrade even coming from that phone. The Pixel 8 Pro isn’t flawless, but if you’re all in on what Google is doing like I am I don’t think there’s any other Android phone that quite delivers an experience like this. The Pixel 8 Pro is $100 more this year and it mostly feels like it justifies that extra cost to me, but I can’t help but think maybe they could have nixed the temperature sensor and gotten a better fingerprint reader instead.

Setting up this phone is a process. You can do it yourself or go to your cell provider’s store. The Pixel has a virtual SIM card that allows you to transfer data, apps, etc… from your existing phone. It is not an entirely perfect process. For example, app icons may transfer and you will still have to install them. Plus update the apps. I tried using the virtual SIM and my data transferred BUT Verizon doesn’t seem to be able to handle the virtual SIM. After over 2 hours on the phone with them, several transfers (including to a 3rd party) and no activation – they disconnected me. And disconnected my old phone in the process so I had no communication for a day. Our local Verizon store couldn’t activate the SIM either and had to install a SIM card. They were so nice and didn’t charge me after the issues I had with activation. The Tensor G3 processor and Android 14 make this phone fast on both my Wi-Fi and the Verizon 5G network. It also connects much better for phone calls in my house and garage than my previous Pixel 6. Gaming is very good and the phone doesn’t become too hot. But I think that throttling is what slows down the gaming speed. Dynamic refresh rate, which increases when you are doing something that needs a faster refresh; i.e. gaming, was very good. A temperature sensor is located on the rear of the phone. It specifically states that it is not for body temperature. That would be a great reason to use it but it isn’t very accurate. I tested food temps, water temp and yes, my hand temp. It differed on temperatures from 4-12 degrees. It was actually best on my hand temp. AI Wallpaper creator sounds cool but you are so limited in what it can create. You cannot type in a sentence (for example – create a Mardi Gras float passing by a bead tree); you only change a few words. Bicycle can become a boat and the colors can change. This would have been a cool feature if it had more AI capability. But how much AI control do you want your phone to have? The Google Pixel 8 Pro has 3 cameras on the back. Best Take requires you to have several images (6 or more) so that it can take the best face photos and blend them into one image. Most people don’t take the same phot 6 times. Burst mode takes several pictures so you can pick the best image. You can change a photo to Black & White or Color Pop (color image and B&W background) for different effects. There are a lot of easy to use settings and the Magic Eraser can remove images from the photo easily. Audio Magic Eraser can separate the audio into different tracks so you can remove unwanted background noises. One of my complaints about most cell phones is volume and phone connection. A cell phone should first be an actual phone. Connection with this phone has been excellent. Call volume and the speaker phone volume are both excellent. Even pairing with a headset has been excellent. This phone is very functional and fast with excellent phone quality, great cameras, fairly easy photo editing and a nice screen size. The temperature sensor needs improvement (will you really use it?) and I don’t like the AI wallpaper. A solid phone choice. Google committed to 7 years of software and security updates which will help if you decide to hold onto this phone for many years.