If you’ve been waiting for more info about the Pixel 8 or Pixel 8 Pro, well, it’s here. This time around, the camera specifications of the Google Pixel 8 series surfaced. Plenty of info got revealed here.
This info comes from Android Authority, and both smartphones will get a main camera upgrade. The Pixel 8 Pro, as expected, will feature more notable upgrades overall, though.
Pixel 8 series camera specifications revealed, a new main camera sensor is coming
Both smartphones will get a new main camera sensor, the ISOCELL GN2. That is a 50-megapixel sensor from Samsung, and it’s here to replace the ISOCELL GN1 that sits inside the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro. The same was the case with the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, by the way.
Needless to say, that sensor is larger. It should be able to capture about 35% more light than the ISOCELL GN1, thus improving low light images, and also the shutter speed. That should also result in less blur overall.
The source also notes that the ISOCELL GN2 supports 8K/30fps video recording, and so does the Tensor G3, it seems, which will fuel the Pixel 8 series. So, you can expect 8K/30fps recording to be on offer.
Staggered HDR will also be on offer here. If you’re wondering what that is, well, it basically reduces the delay between the frames that are captured for HDR. As a result, it reduces ghosting and speeds up the capture process.
The Pixel 8 Pro will also get a new main camera
What about the ultrawide cameras? Well, the Pixel 8 Pro is said to get a 64-megapixel camera (Sony’s IMX787), to replace the 12-megapixel one (Sony’s IMX363 sensor). That sensor is used for the main camera inside the Pixel 7a, and it’ll also be hidden behind a wider lens compared to the Pixel 7 Pro. At the moment, though, the macro feature is disabled, but that might change by the time the phone launches.
When it comes to the Pixel 8, it will stick with the Sony IMX386 sensor, so it’ll utilize a 12-megapixel camera. Google will use a wider lens this time around.
The Pixel 8 will miss a telephoto camera once again. The Pixel 8 Pro will use the same 5x module as the Pixel 7 Pro, it seems. Both smartphones will once again use an 10.8-megapixel selfie camera (Samsung’s 3J1 sensor).
The ‘Pro’ model is tipped to include a new ToF sensor as well
That’s not all when it comes to the Pixel 8 Pro, though. The phone will feature a new 8×8 ToF VL53L8 sensor too. That should improve autofocus in general, at least in theory. The Pixel 8 will stick with the old VL53L1 sensor.
Also, the Pixel 8 Pro+s thermometer sensor is not there to act as a thermal camera. It’s the Melexis MLX90632, for high-precision non-contact temperature measurements, including body temperature.
You can also expect to see an ‘Adaptive torch’ feature, and ‘Segmentation AWB’
The source also mentions ‘Adaptive torch’ as the incoming feature. It will be able to dynamically adjust the flash intensity based on the scene. It should make the LED flash more useful in low light.
Another feature that got mentioned is the ‘Segmentation AWB’. This feature will make sure that a scene you’re shooting is segmented into different parts using AI, and then each of those parts could get different processing.
Google could also add a video bokeh blur level selection to the cinematic mode, but that is not certain yet.