It’s clear that Google had no intention of resting on its laurels with the launch of the Pixel 8 series phones, introducing some new features by way of a new processor, AI-powered photo editing, as well as new and good-looking displays. Speaking of the latter, it looks like Google’s efforts have finally paid off, at least according to some rather interesting test scores online.
As it turns out, DXOMARK recently gave its number one ranking to the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro, at least for display quality. Surprisingly, the two phones were also able to outclass more expensive smartphone models, taking the top spot for all to see.
Pixel 8 and 8 Pro Display Specs
With the launch of this year’s Pixel 8 flagship devices, Google introduced a new naming convention with the “Actua” display branding scheme, which is used on the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro. These are the first devices to come with the fancy new name, and we can probably expect it to be used on future flagships as well, unless of course Google decides to drop the name.
In terms of design, Google has decided to equip the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro with flat displays, ditching the curved-edge screen that we saw on the Pixel 6 Pro and Pixel 7 Pro. Whether or not this is to a user’s liking is of course a matter of personal taste, but it seems this change is a welcome move based on sentiments online.
Of course, there’s a noticeable difference in terms of display size on both phones. The Pixel 8 comes with a new smaller 6.2-inch OLED screen (down from 6.3) with 1080 x 2400 pixel resolution, while the 8 Pro packs a larger 6.7-inch LTPO OLED screen, which comes with a 1344 x 2992 pixel resolution. It’s also brighter at up to 2400 nits of peak brightness, versus 2000 on the regular 8. For protection, the 8 Pro features Gorilla Glass Victus 2, with Gorilla Glass Victus on the regular 8.
What DXOMARK Says
According to DXOMARK, both the 8 and 8 Pro were able to score 154 for the overall display quality rankings, which places them on the top spot over several other competing devices. By comparison, Apple’s highest-end iPhone 15 Pro Max came in at 6th place, while Samsung’s current S23 Ultra flagship managed to bag 10th place, which is rather far-off from the two Pixel models.
DXOMARK highlighted several factors which led to both phones nailing first place – this includes the Actua display (and Actua Pro on the Pro model) being able to display well-rendered colours, proper screen readability, impressive HDR10 video rendering, and an overall smooth experience while scrolling on the display.
Of course, no piece of hardware is perfect, and DXOMARK did highlight some weaknesses regarding the Pixel 8 series’ display. During testing, the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro showed darkest details that were slightly low in lowlight conditions, and even exhibited aliasing during gaming sessions. Additionally, there were times when unwanted palm presses were registered on the edge of the display.
With that said, it’s clear that the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro offer considerable hardware upgrades over their predecessors, and it’s interesting to see Google’s new phones place first in terms of hardware.
