Engadget: Refurbished Pixel 8 Under $300 Still Makes Sense in 2026, With Caveats
Engadget says Google's 2023 Pixel 8, now selling refurbished below $300 on Amazon, remains a solid pick for camera and software support, though its Tensor G3 chip and battery show their age.
The price gap is the central argument. Google's current budget model, the Pixel 10a, starts at $500, while Amazon Renewed lists the Pixel 9a at about $330 and the Pixel 9 at roughly $420, according to Engadget. The Pixel 8 sits below all three.
On software, Google shipped the Pixel 8 with a promise of seven years of operating system and security updates, and the phone can be updated to Android 17. Engadget calculates that Android updates will continue at least until 2030, and that the hardware and battery are more likely to fail first than app compatibility. Owners also receive Google's periodic "Pixel Drops," feature updates that add tools such as Screen Reactions and Bubbles. Not every new Pixel feature reaches older devices, but Engadget expects the Pixel 8 to receive a substantial share of what Google releases.
The hardware holds up in specific areas. The Pixel 8 has a 6.2-inch 120Hz OLED display with peak brightness of 2,000 nits, a 50-megapixel wide camera paired with a 12-megapixel ultrawide, and Google's Magic Editor and Best Take photo tools. Engadget said it was impressed by the camera performance of the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, which share the same primary sensor. The build is a flagship one, with an aluminum frame, a glass back, an IP68 dust- and water-resistance rating and reverse wireless charging for accessories such as earbuds.
Performance and battery are where Engadget's assessment turns cautious. The Tensor G3 chip inside the Pixel 8 handles casual games and some demanding titles, but Engadget said it lacks the graphical power for smooth frame rates at higher settings, and that Google's in-house Tensor chips have trailed similarly priced phones running Qualcomm or Apple silicon. The publication said it would not recommend Pixels, including the newer Pixel 11 series, to buyers whose priority is raw performance. It cited complaints from a number of Pixel 8 users about choppy animations, long app launch times and poor system responsiveness as the device has aged. The 4,575 mAh battery supports 27W wired charging and 18W wireless charging, figures Engadget called unexciting, adding that reports of weak battery life have followed each Pixel launch.
For buyers willing to spend more, Engadget pointed to the Pixel 9, which brings a 48-megapixel ultrawide camera, 12GB of RAM and the Tensor G4, and to the Pixel 9a, which uses the same chip as the Pixel 9, gains an extra year of operating system updates and swaps the glass back for plastic. Both, however, cost more than a refurbished Pixel 8.
Editor's Summary
Engadget's assessment places the refurbished Pixel 8 below $300 as a value option against Google's $500 Pixel 10a and the roughly $330 Pixel 9a and $420 Pixel 9 on Amazon Renewed. The phone's case rests on its camera system, flagship build and software support promised through at least 2030, while its Tensor G3 processor and 4,575 mAh battery are the main reasons Engadget stops short of an unconditional recommendation.