ThePixel 8 and 8 Proare official, and in classic Google fashion, computational photography is a big focus of the event. One such feature is that the phones will go full Nic Cage and employ Face Off technologyto salvage ruined photos. If you’re taking a group shot and someone is pulling a funny face, Google will tell you that you won’t have to worry — the phone can swap that face out via the new Best Take feature. As advanced as that sounds, this is actually a forgotten 10-year-old feature that Google is bringing back from the dead.
The old days of Nokia Windows Phones are something I look back to fondly. Sure, Windows Phone is a failed platform, but like Palm OS before it, those devices pioneered things we take for granted today, like Qi charging. It turns out that Nokia also made a cool camera feature that was way ahead of its time.
As you can see in the post above, the Nokia Lumia 1020 had exactly the same face-swapping feature that will be introduced on the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro. Sure, the implementation on the Pixel is smoother, and the UI is less janky, but that’s beside the point. The Nokia is a decade old, and it’s clear from the video that the feature worked well and was more than just a gimmick. Usually, the first device to implement a feature, especially back then, did it poorly, and it wasn’t worth using until it was refined years later.
What’s interesting is how Google markets this feature. It attributed to the AI prowess part of Google Photos' other exciting generative AI editing tools, and right now, it’s exclusive to the AI-first Tensor G3 phones. It’s probably true that Google’s implementation uses machine learning, but the existence of the Nokia 1020 shows that a similar effect is possible without it.
This is just one of many features Google has added to Android that used to exist on old platforms. The current multitasking view and gesture navigation are suspiciously similar to what Palm implemented in Palm OS before it went away, the Always On Display is from the 2009 Nokia, and even features like video calling have their roots in ancient phones like the 1999 Kyocera Visual Phone. It just goes to show that creating phones and new features is a creative process, and rarely is there an idea that is truly original and novel.
The Pixel 8 and 8 Pro are available for preorders today, andAndroid 14 was launched simultaneously. Given that Google markets Best Take as a Google Photos feature, it’s possible that it will come to other phones in the future, just like many other Google Photos features that are initially introduced as Google Pixel-first features. In the meantime, you can at least use Magic Eraser on all phones, including the iPhone.
Google Pixel 8
The Google Pixel 8 is the company’s new small flagship phone, and for now, you will either need it or its sibling to enjoy the latest and greatest camera features.
Google Pixel 8 Pro
The Google Pixel 8 Pro clearly earned the “Pro” name this year, with an incredible camera setup that is much better than what the Pixel 8 offers. It’s the one to get when you’re serious about getting that group photo shoot right the first try, while always knowing you can fall back on Best Take.
