It's the season of festive spirits and annual awards. We kick things off with the title of the Best Smartphone of 2023. The editorial team at AndroidHeadlines has elected the Google Pixel 8 Pro as the hallmark phone of the year, a sequential winner given the previous year's laureate was the Google Pixel 7.

Google has made a bouquet of adjustments to their groundbreaking model, accumulating into a significant upgrade over its predecessor. The physical finish of the phone is now matte, a detail that might seem minor but has greatly impacted its aesthetics and handling, keeping it free from smudged fingerprints.

The brand has introduced notable evolutions to the display of the Google Pixel 8 Pro. The newly launched Super Actua Display boosts the brightness up to 2400 nits, making it one of the most radiant screens currently available. You will find it effortlessly readable in the outdoors and bright sunlight, even under snowy climatic conditions.

The marvel doesn’t end there. The display is mesmerizingly rich and accurate in its color reproduction, coupled with radiant content. Google has also embedded some handy AI capabilities into the phone for added value.

Artificial Intelligence has been the tech buzzword of the year and Google, a seasoned veteran in employing AI in its phones, has given it a unique turn this year by incorporating more generative AI functionalities. On the Google Pixel 8 Pro, the Magic Editor, a camera feature, is one of my favorites. It dramatically enhances the Magic Eraser from the previous Pixel 7 series, allowing extensive modifications to the photographic results.

Google’s Generative AI isn’t limited to picture editing, it also extends to creative features such as the innovative AI Wallpaper tool. You can design your own wallpapers with it, resulting in some truly riveting backdrops. The only downside is the unavailability of an option to export these custom wallpapers.

These upgrades only skim the surface of Google's accomplishments with the Pixel 8 Pro, thus making it evident why the phone has won our Best Smartphone of 2023 award.