Google’s Pixel smartphones have always had some of the best cameras of any smartphones thanks to a combination of high-quality sensors and some nifty software.
But no matter how good Google’s “super-rez zoom” feature is when compared with other digital zoom specs, it can’t match the quality of a telephoto zoom lens.
So while some folks have been hoping that the second camera on the back of Google’s upcoming Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL smartphones would be a wide-angle lens, I’ve had my fingers crossed for telephoto. And if a new report from 9to5Google is accurate, then it looks like I might be tempted to buy a new phone later this year.
According to a “reliable source,” 9to5Google says the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4XL will both have a dual rear camera system, consisting of:
- 12MP primary camera with phase-detection auto-focus
- 16MP telephoto lens for optical zoom
Google is also said to be working on a “DSLR-like attachment for the Pixel 4 that may become an available accessory,” which could be a way of letting users add wide-angle lenses or other capabilities.
Update: Android Police reports that the info about a DSLR-style attachment was incorrect, and that the phone will instead have “DSLR software features for the camera app.”
9to5Google’s source also says the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL will both feature OLED displays with 90 Hz screen refresh rates for smoother video and animations. So far only a handful of companies including Razer and OnePlus have released phones with refresh rates higher than 60 Hz.
Here are the rest of the rumored specs, according to the report:
- 5.7 inch display (Pixel 4) / 6.3 inch display (Pixel 4 XL)
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor
- 6GB RAM
- 64GB or 128GB of storage
- Stereo speakers
- Soli radar for hands-free gesture controls
- 2,800 mAh battery (Pixel 4) / 3,700 mAh battery (Pixel 4 XL)
Google has already confirmed the basic design of its upcoming phones and the existence of the Soli radar system. But while the rest of the new details seem plausible, it’s probably best to take them with a grain of salt until Google makes an official announcement.
Well, Olympus already made something a lot like that camera attachment, with interchangeable lenses, and it looks like that’s been discontinued with no replacement. Unless google were to make it 1. not specific to any phone model and 2. just have it hook up with USB because the lag is way too much otherwise, I doubt it would see production.
On a different note, 90Hz wouldn’t make as big a difference in animations and video as it would for keeping text legible as you scroll through unending feeds of banal social media posts.
Agreed.
Comparing directly the OnePlus 7 Pro to the Razer Phone 2, I have to conclude the 90Hz makes a tiny difference, but the 120Hz is actually striking/noticeable. So this feature is mostly a gimmick.
Again, Google is ripping the consumer off with the inflated prices and reserved specifications. They’ve skimped on the RAM again, as well as the storage, and have decided to use small batteries.
They’ve also claimed the space for 4-cameras, but are using only 2-cameras… which is stupid/baffling from an engineering point.
And they’re also removing the stereo speakers which is a shame, and they are going with a mono speaker like the S10 (top is tweeter, bottom is woofer). Since the small pixel had a pseudo-stereo (top speaker is for high-range, bottom is for low-range) and the larger unit had an actual stereo (top is for left channel, bottom is for right channel, both speakers were dynamic low-high range).