Google has just officially introduced its latest smartphones, and much to everyone’s expectations given the numerous rumors so far, the Nexus series has been phased out in favor of a new take on the concept of Android phones, called Pixel and Pixel XL. Unlike previous Nexus devices which were created in collaboration with other tech giants including Samsung, LG, and HTC, the Google Pixel smartphone has been designed by Google inside and out, and marks the company’s entry in the mobile segment with its own hardware. During the presentation, Google’s officials have discussed the various exciting features surrounding the Pixel, and interestingly enough the company was keen to emphasize on the smartphone’s premium camera capabilities.
The Google Pixel and Pixel XL are equipped with the same 12.3-megapixel camera, boasting a Sony IMX378 sensor with an f/2.0 aperture, large 1.55-micron pixels to allow more light to hit the sensor, and Phase Detection Auto-Focus (PDAF) technology. On paper, the package sounds very promising, and indeed, Google claims that the camera is very capable in practice. In fact, Google has revealed that the Pixel’s camera has received the highest rating from DxOMark Mobile for a smartphone camera, ever. The sensor is rated at a score of 89 points and overtakes the HTC 10, the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge, and the Sony Xperia X Performance, all of which have scored 88 points. DxOMark Mobile have given the Apple iPhone 7’s camera a score of 86 points which is the same as for the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, and lastly, Google’s second most powerful smartphone after the Pixel and Pixel XL – the Google Nexus 6P – scores 84 points in the camera department.
The camera fitted on the Google Pixel smartphones boasts zero shutter lag, always-on HDR functions for improved quality in a variety of lighting conditions, and through software wizardry the resulting images are sharper, less blurry, and deliver improved dynamic range. But what’s very interesting to note – and Google didn’t shy away from pointing this detail out either – is that the Pixel and Pixel XL don’t have a camera hump. This particular characteristic has made its way on numerous premium smartphones over the past few years for the sake of accommodating more powerful cameras, but impressively enough Google seems to have created a very capable sensor that requires no such shortcuts in terms of design. The Pixel and Pixel XL conceal their cameras very elegantly compared to its rivals, and hopefully, more smartphone makers will follow in Google’s footsteps.