You do not need to switch phones to get improved HDR photos.
Most of the Google Pixel's photographic powers come from its software; which is particularly good at high dynamic range photos thanks to its HDR+ mode, which fills in the details, while reducing the blur you sometimes see in HDR photos. Thanks to Google you do not need to buy a Pixel phone to see some of these benefits. Developer B-S-G has modified the Google Camera app to enable HDR+ on an Android phone that is compatible with Snapdragon 820, 821 or 835 processor. Your Samsung Galaxy S8 or OnePlus 3 won't perfectly mirror the Pixel's photo quality, but this could lead to improvements when taking photos in situations with bright highlights or dark shadows, especially if your phone's default image processing is mediocre.
The software is still in a rough state, so you might not want to install it right away and it would come as no surprised if the mod is relatively short-lived given that it's not exactly Google-approved. Still, this along with previous mods (such as a high-speed shutter mod for Nexus phones) shows that the Pixel's camera tricks could theoretically help any Android phone, not just those with a "G" on the back. Have a look at the video below to see a hands-on review of what the Google Pixel camera can do.
