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As the months approach the expected October launch window for the Google Pixel 8, we’re hearing more and more rumors about what the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro will bring with them. And today we are talking about cameras.
According to Android Authority, the Pixel 8 series will bring with it a significant upgrade in the camera department. Notably, the main Samsung ISOCELL GN1 sensor is apparently being swapped out for the bigger Samsung ISOCELL GN2 upgrade.
That larger sensor means around 35% more light can be captured – not only does this ensure better performance in low-light scenarios, it also means faster shutter speeds (and less motion blur), no matter what No matter what the lighting conditions are.
ultrawide and telephoto
There’s more: On the Pixel 8 Pro, the ultrawide sensor is said to be upgraded from the 12MP Sony IMX386 to the 64MP Sony IMX787 – which happens to be the primary camera sensor you’ll find on the Google Pixel 7a.
The report adds that Google is also making the lens on top of the sensor wider, allowing more views to be captured. And while the ultrawide camera sensor on the Pixel 8 is reportedly the same 12MP Sony IMX386 on the Pixel 7, the lens on the upcoming phone should be wider again.
As far as the telephoto zoom camera of the Pixel 8 Pro is concerned, it is expected to match the Pixel 7 Pro’s 5x zoom 48MP Samsung GM5 sensor. The Pro model is also tipped to get an improved time-of-flight (ToF) sensor to improve autofocus, which all adds up to a serious set of upgrades – especially on the Pro version.
Analysis: Google seeks to impress again
Throughout the history of the Pixel series, the phones have generally impressed in terms of their photo and video capturing capabilities, even if the underlying hardware doesn’t match the components on phones made by the likes of Apple and Samsung.
This has mainly been down to Google’s expertise in the area of computational photography: the way images are processed and optimized to get the best results from raw data captured via camera hardware.
In recent years, Google’s rivals have caught up to these image processing techniques, so it seems important for the Pixel 8 to come with advanced camera components — as well as, we’re hoping, advanced photo and video processing tricks.
Camera upgrades aren’t always predetermined on Pixel phones, software enhancements are usually more common. However, this year it looks like Google is determined to set a new high bar when it comes to smartphone photography.
