The Pixel 8 Is Set to Have a Big Camera Upgrade, Leaks Suggest
Google’s Pixel 8 will have a new camera sensor that delivers more vibrant colors and richer detail, leaks suggest.The next-gen Pixels will support a feature called “staggered HDR” for higher-quality photos with much greater dynamic range. The cameras will also be faster and could be as much as 24% more power-efficient.
Staggered HDR on the Pixel 8
According to a series of tweets by renowned leaker Kuba Wojciechowski, the Pixel 8 phones (or the flagship versions, at least) will support staggered HDR.
This is where the camera shoots short, medium, and long exposures at the same time to create HDR images with more detail and better colors. It should also eliminate the ghosting that often occurs when shooting moving subjects in HDR under the current method of capturing multiple exposures in succession.
The info is based on a teardown of the Google Camera Go app, which references two devices codenamed Husky and Shiba—believed to be the next flagship Pixel phones.
All of which points to the Pixel 8 series using a new camera sensor. The Pixel 6 and 7 are equipped with Samsung’s ISOCELL GN1 sensor, but that doesn’t support staggered HDR. The company’s newer GN2 does, however, leading to speculation that that is what will feature in the next generation of Google phones.
As well as improved picture quality, Samsung says the sensor is 24% more power efficient. It also supports up to 100 megapixels and offers faster focusing.
Introducing a new camera after just two generations would represent a change in strategy for Google, which has previously kept the same hardware in place for many years. The sensor first used in the Pixel 2 was still in use in the Pixel 5, and even this year’s Pixel 6a.
But 2023 is shaping up to be an interesting year for Pixel photographers, as thePixel 7a is also thought to be packing a new cameraalongside many other high-end features.
2023 Will Be a Big Year for Google Hardware
On top of the new phones, the next year will bring the launch of the Pixel Tablet, which has already been pretty much fully shown off, as well as the possible debut of the Pixel Fold, the company’s first foldable device. These will help to expand Google’s new hardware ecosystem even further.
With phones, tablets, smartwatches, and earbuds, Google is building an Android-powered hardware portfolio to compete with Apple.
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