Google suggests the Pixel 3 is better than iPhone XS at taking photos

by Florin Troaca / Oct 09, 2018, 12:08 PM

Google suggests the Pixel 3 is better than iPhone XS at taking photos

While announcing the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL today, Google fired a couple of shots at Apple, suggesting that its brand new phones are better than the iPhone XS series - at least at taking photos.

Google presents the Pixel 3 and 3 XL as having the "world's best phone camera" that's "ahead of the curve." The two phones feature a similar 12 MP rear camera aided by a Pixel Visual Core custom-designed imaging chipset. We haven't got the chance to thoroughly test this new camera yet, but Google is definitely proud of it. One of the new features that the Pixel 3 series camera comes with is Night Sight - according to Google, this works so well in low-light scenarios that "you'll never use your flash again." To illustrate what Night Sight can do, Google shared the following image (click to zoom in):

Obviously, the photo on the right, taken with a Pixel 3, looks way better than the one on the left, taken with an iPhone XS, boasting well-lit details and adequate sharpness. Of course, we will have to perform our own comparison tests in order to see if the Pixel 3 is indeed superior to Apple's iPhone XS in this regard.

Rear camera aside, the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL also have a new, dual front-facing camera, dubbed "Group Selfie Cam." According to Google, this captures "184% more of the scene than [the front camera of] iPhone XS." Again, we'll be waiting for our own tests in order to properly judge this dual front-facing camera.

The Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL are available for pre-order as of now starting at $799, and will be released on October 18. Do you plan to buy any of the two new Google phones?

source: Google (YouTube)

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Display 5.5" 1080 x 2160 pixels

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38 Comments

1. CX3NT3_713

Posts: 2342; Member since: Apr 18, 2011

Take this with a bucket of salt ....

posted on Oct 09, 2018, 12:15 PM 6

7. Penny

Posts: 1844; Member since: Feb 04, 2011

Night Sight, yes. I'm taking that with a huge bucket of salt. Not physically possible from a sensor perspective, so it has to be all software.

posted on Oct 09, 2018, 12:44 PM 6

13. Atechguy0

Posts: 918; Member since: Aug 03, 2018

The camera senor on the Pixels let in more light than the IPhones. Pixels sensor is bigger. That is a fact that you should look up.

posted on Oct 09, 2018, 1:00 PM 5

14. worldpeace

Posts: 3049; Member since: Apr 15, 2016

Maybe it have slightly bigger pixel bigger size and wider aperture, but it won't be "184% more".

posted on Oct 09, 2018, 1:08 PM 1

15. applesnapple93

Posts: 272; Member since: Jan 06, 2016

it was 184% referred to the amount of space increase that can be seen by the selfie camera. nothing to do with light or picture quality. want some fries with that salt?

posted on Oct 09, 2018, 1:18 PM 3

19. Atechguy0

Posts: 918; Member since: Aug 03, 2018

That 184% is from the Pixel 3's front cameras. That's because it has two front facing cameras. One camera is a normal selfie camera. The second selfie camera is a wide angle camera, and yes it can easily give you 184% more picture.

posted on Oct 09, 2018, 1:29 PM 0

16. Penny

Posts: 1844; Member since: Feb 04, 2011

Per specs listed on various websites, the iPhone XS and Pixel 3 both have 12MP sensors with the same pixel size (1.4 microns), which equates to equal sized sensors. But I wasn't comparing it with the iPhone, anyway. I'm speaking about empirical camera technology -- you can't pull light out of an image that the sensor wasn't able to capture. You can either capture more light in the original image by increasing gain (ISO) or shutter speed, BEFORE taking the shot. This feature seems like some post-shot processing magic, which is possible, but should definitely be taken with a grain of salt. I say it's possible because it would require some innovative machine learning applied to digital image reconstruction, and Google might have the capacity to do that. I say it should be taken with a grain of salt because these types of advancements tend to work in baby steps, and are not so clean at first.

posted on Oct 09, 2018, 1:19 PM 3

20. Atechguy0

Posts: 918; Member since: Aug 03, 2018

Oh, you mean like the picture processing that Apple does with it's XS cameras, like the beauty mode that is on all the time, with no option to disable it. Do you mean something like that?

posted on Oct 09, 2018, 1:32 PM 5

21. Penny

Posts: 1844; Member since: Feb 04, 2011

Why do you keep bringing the iPhone into this @Atechguy0? I'm not talking about it at all. I'm not an iPhone user. I'm not a Pixel user. I'm just here talking about camera tech.

posted on Oct 09, 2018, 1:38 PM 4

27. Atechguy0

Posts: 918; Member since: Aug 03, 2018

I am talking about the camera tech as well. Which nowadays the software goes hand in hand with the hardware. Because every picture today has some processing involved.

posted on Oct 09, 2018, 2:04 PM 1

33. ecmedic4

Posts: 520; Member since: May 02, 2013

That is only on the selfie camera, and if you read about it, is similar to beauty mode on other cameras.

posted on Oct 09, 2018, 4:53 PM 0

2. STRANG3R

Posts: 234; Member since: Sep 24, 2015

Even pixel 2 xl takes better pics then overrated iphones

posted on Oct 09, 2018, 12:18 PM 15

11. kotan24

Posts: 287; Member since: Oct 29, 2012

That is a big fat lie, iPhone XS/MAX camera has been consistently beating the crap out of the Pixel 2’s camera.

posted on Oct 09, 2018, 12:55 PM 7

37. NoToFanboys

Posts: 3231; Member since: Oct 03, 2015

You're both the same, telling big fat lies, Pixel 2's and XS Max' cameras are basically on par with each other.

posted on Oct 09, 2018, 10:16 PM 1

3. Plasticsh1t

Posts: 3084; Member since: Sep 01, 2014

Can’t wait for real world tests to judge for myself.

posted on Oct 09, 2018, 12:23 PM 0

4. torr310

Posts: 1604; Member since: Oct 27, 2011

Only trust your own experiences!

posted on Oct 09, 2018, 12:26 PM 2

5. Nexus4lifes

Posts: 285; Member since: Feb 13, 2014

Not suggests - I will be better than $1500 iphone xs max for sureeee...even pixel 2 better that carphone xs max.

posted on Oct 09, 2018, 12:30 PM 2

6. slim3bdo

Posts: 115; Member since: Jun 05, 2017

Mmmmm When it comes to Apple you take thier words as facts When it comes to Google : you will have to test it 1st Im wondering what's that called :))))))

posted on Oct 09, 2018, 12:41 PM 7

8. SaRPeR

Posts: 135; Member since: Mar 02, 2017

Actually it's the opposite. When Apple says something you need to test it yourself. Like when they said new iPhones have the strongest glass that is ever put on a phone but after some tests it is revealed to be no different than any other flagship phone.

posted on Oct 09, 2018, 12:54 PM 2

28. slim3bdo

Posts: 115; Member since: Jun 05, 2017

I know that . I'm just trolling the author :))

posted on Oct 09, 2018, 2:32 PM 0

9. peace247 unregistered

they are not wrong...

posted on Oct 09, 2018, 12:54 PM 0

10. SaRPeR

Posts: 135; Member since: Mar 02, 2017

It is obvious. iPhone cameras are known to be average at best. They are just overrated.

posted on Oct 09, 2018, 12:55 PM 6

25. morgeus09

Posts: 83; Member since: Aug 19, 2018

Actually iPhone cameras are really great, one of the best cameras in the smartphone world. But.. there is only one best and it's name is Pixel.

posted on Oct 09, 2018, 1:58 PM 1

12. p51d007

Posts: 694; Member since: Nov 24, 2013

Be VERY careful when you see "shot on" photos. Yes, TECHNICALLY they used the phone to take the photos, but, most are shot in RAW mode, post processed, and or use studio lighting, and extra lenses strapped onto the device.