Google’s next Pixel hardware event is less than two weeks away, which, in turn, means the Pixel 9 lineup is nearly upon us. That being said, you don’t need to wait for the debut of Google’s next handset on August 13th if you want a future-proofed Android phone chockful of premium specs and newfangled AI capabilities. That’s because the Pixel 8 Pro — Google’s current high-end flagship — is on sale at Amazon and Best Buy with 128GB of storage starting at $699 ($300 off), an all-time low.
If the recent rumor mill is to be believed, Google’s next pro-grade smartphone will feature several distinct design changes and a modest performance boost thanks to its G4 Tensor chip. But the third-gen chipset in the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro is still plenty fast, allowing both phones to run large language models on-device. That means they can leverage a number of AI editing tools, including one that lets you choose the best expression for each person in a photo when you take multiple images and an enhanced Magic Eraser that allows you to easily remove larger objects from photos — albeit with varying degrees of success.
The Pixel 8 Pro has plenty going for it outside of AI, too. The 6.7-inch Android phone packs an excellent camera array with a 5x telephoto lens and 8-megapixel ultrawide, along with manual exposure controls not found on the standard Pixel 8. It also offers a speedy 120Hz refresh, expanded Face Unlock capabilities, and seven years of OS updates, so it will continue to receive support for years to come.