Update: The Googler has since commented on their post and stated that this was taken with the Pixel 3a, zoomed and cropped. So this was not done with the Pixel 4.
Over the weekend, a Googler by the name of Claude Zellweger, posted an image on Instagram. This image shows off 20x zoom, and in a later comment on his post, he noted that this was from the Pixel 4.
This essentially confirmed that the Pixel 4 is going to have a crazy 20x zoom functionality.
Smartphone cameras have really progressed in the last few years, providing us with some amazing cameras that are always in our pockets. Now, companies are really focusing on the zoom capabilities of these cameras. Huawei did 20x optical zoom and 50x digital zoom on the P30 Pro earlier this year, and we’d expect something similar from the Mate 30 Pro. Now, Google is looking to improve its zooming capabilities as well.
The Pixel 3 does have the ability to zoom, and not produce an utterly terrible photo, which is good. But if you zoom in too far, then it does provide a pretty bad looking photo, unfortunately. The Pixel 4 uses machine learning and your hand movement, to produce a pretty good picture when zoomed in. It’s not perfect, but it works pretty well.
Now you may wonder how we know that this is not a Pixel 3. Well, the Pixel 3 only does up to 10x zoom, and this is 20x zoom. So it’s pretty obvious that Google is showing off the Pixel 4’s camera with this photo.
The only downside right now, is the fact that we are unsure whether this is a digital zoom or an optical zoom. Fingers crossed for optical, but it’s likely a digital zoom. Google is adding a second lens to the Pixel 4 this year, which could help with zooming, depending on the type of lens that is being added. So we’ll have to wait until the Pixel 4 is announced, to see for ourselves.
The image itself is very clear. If you took this on a Pixel 3, even at 10x zoom, it would not be anywhere near this clear. And that’s a big deal. Google is likely using that rumored telephoto lens on the back, along with some of its software magic to make this happen. Google’s software magic has been pretty impressive over the past few years. It has done things with one camera lens that most phones can’t do with two or three camera lenses. To say that’s impressive, is definitely an understatement.
Google is slated to announce the Pixel 4 in October. The launch event normally takes place within the first week of October and then goes on sale a week or two later. For now, everything is just rumors, until Google is able to actually announce the thing. Though, Google did already show off the backside of the Pixel 4 about a month ago. So we do know what the back is going to look like, but the real question is the front, as well as specs and features of the device. The Pixel 4 is shaping up to be another impressive camera smartphone. Bring on October already.