It’s a few years old now, so you can refurbish it relatively cheaply.
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There are a handful of budget Android phones worth considering if you’re not too concerned about having the best camera system or fastest processor. However, buying high-end phones from a year or two ago can often give you a better overall experience. Google’s Pixel series may be an interesting place to look if you value a clean user interface, solid cameras, and long-term software support. Launching in 2023 at $700, the Pixel 8 is currently available for less than $300 on Amazon, albeit in refurbished condition.
That’s a pretty good deal, considering Google’s latest budget, the Pixel 10a, which starts at $500. Whether the Pixel 8 is still worth it in 2026 depends on what you’re looking for in a phone. The phone is updateable to Android 17 and was launched with the promise of receiving seven years of OS and security updates. This means you’ll continue to receive Android updates on the Pixel 8 until at least 2030. The phone’s hardware and battery health are much more likely to plummet before you run into app compatibility issues.
It has a 6.2-inch 120Hz OLED display with a peak brightness of 2,000 nits. The bezels are quite thin, and the camera visor gives it the same unmistakable Pixel look that Google continues to use in its latest devices. It offers a dual-camera setup, with 50-megapixel wide and 12-megapixel ultra-wide shooters. AI in smartphones is something Google does significantly better than others, and you see it a lot in the Pixel 8’s camera suite with features like Magic Editor and Best Take. We were overall impressed with the camera performance of the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, which both share the same main sensor.
What about performance?
The Pixels are among the easiest phones to recommend to those looking for the ultimate Android experience, but we wouldn’t suggest them to hardcore gamers. In fact, we wouldn’t even recommend the latest Pixel 11 series if you’re looking for raw performance. Google’s in-house Tensor chips have understandably been criticized over the years for their consistent performance that lags behind similarly priced phones powered by Qualcomm or Apple SoCs.
The Tensor G3 that powers the Pixel 8 is suitable for casual gaming and can handle a few demanding titles, but it doesn’t have the graphics horsepower to deliver smooth frame rates at higher settings. You might not care about the gaming prowess of a Snapdragon chip, but years later that raw performance could mean the difference between a phone that’s still very responsive in everyday operations and one that’s starting to show its age.
Many Pixel 8 users complained about choppy animations, long app launch times, and overall poor system responsiveness as the device aged. Battery life isn’t the Pixel’s strong suit either. Every time a new Pixel launches, it’s only a matter of time before reports of poor battery life start piling up.
You get a 4,575mAh battery with the Pixel 8 that supports up to 27W charging. You also get up to 18W wireless charging. None of these numbers are exciting, and you’re better off looking at other Android devices if battery life and performance are high on your priority list.
Where the Pixel 8 shines
The Pixel 8 may not be the fastest phone, but it outperforms most similarly priced alternatives in camera performance. Most people consider Pixel UI’s minimal, virtually bloat-free Android experience to be one of its biggest advantages, so you’ll probably be happy with the software experience. In addition to timely operating system updates, Google sends what it calls “Pixel Drops” to its devices. These are basically feature updates that bring exciting new quality-of-life benefits, such as on-screen reactions and bubbles. Not all of the new Pixel features are ported to older devices, but since the Pixel 8 is still relatively new, you can expect it to get a lot of what Google is introducing.
Another thing to like about the Pixel 8 is its design and build quality. Unlike most phones in this price range, you get a true flagship build with an aluminum frame and glass back. It comes with an IP68 dust and water resistance rating. Plus, reverse wireless charging lets you charge smaller accessories like wireless earbuds on the go.
That said, if you can buy a Pixel 9 for a little extra, you’d be upgrading to a 48-megapixel ultra-wide camera, 12GB of RAM, and the Tensor G4, which should age a little better. Even the Pixel 9a might be a better choice since it uses the same silicon as the Pixel 9 and gets an extra year of OS updates. It comes with a similar camera system, although it replaces the Pixel 8’s glass with plastic glass. Amazon Renewed is offering the Pixel 9a for around $330 and the Pixel 9 for $420.
