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A few months back Google officially announced the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, which start at $599 and $899 respectively. The two smartphones have a distinct camera bump, and inside is what Google calls the "most advanced smartphone camera". So just how advanced is it?
Interested in learning more about the Pixel 6 series camera and software features? You've come to the right place!
Check out our full Pixel 6 series, including camera photo and video samples:
Inside the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro's Gorilla Glass Victus-covered signature camera bump is a 1/1.3-inch primary sensor that captures up to 150% more light compared to the Pixel 5, according to Google. Being able to capture more light, the Pixel 6's camera should snap sharper photos with better colors than its predecessor, even in poorly-lit conditions.
Alongside the main camera sensor, the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro also sport an ultra wide camera with a large sensor for capturing more people together in one frame, or simply more of the user's surroundings.
The Pixel 6 Pro alone also has an additional telephoto lens with 4X optical zoom ("Google Super Res Zoom"), capable of a total of 20X zoom (optical and digital combined).
So that's two cameras on the back of the Pixel 6 and three on the Pixel 6 Pro. Also, inside their camera bars, to the right, both phones hold a quad LED flash array.
The Pixel 6 Pro cameras
And on the front, at the top center of their displays, both the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro sport an ultra wide holepunch selfie camera, with the Pixel 6 one being 8 megapixels and the Pixel 6 Pro – 11.1 megapixels.
During the Google Pixel 6 announcement event, the search engine giant pointed out a number of new features that users of its new smartphones can take advantage of. Here's what those Pixel 6 camera features are:
Magic Eraser in Google Photos
This Pixel 6 series feature can be used via the Google Photos app, and not just on new photos, but any old photos taken from any camera too.
With Magic Eraser on the Pixel 6, you can mark any people or objects in your photo that you wish weren't there, and this feature will remove them. No more photobombs to worry about!
Magic Eraser can detect distractions in your photos, like people in the background, power lines and power poles, and suggest what you might want to remove. Then, you can choose whether to erase them all at once or tap to remove them one by one.
According to Google, Magic Eraser will become available in Google Photos on the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro as soon as the phones launch on October 28.
Image equity / Real Tone
While this isn't a feature in the common sense of the world, rather a camera and software improvement Google spoke of during its Pixel 6 presentation, it's well worth noting.
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With aims to stop racial bias in camera technology, Google has improved the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro camera to ensure that people of color will not appear with artificially brightened or unnaturally desaturated skin. As part of its announcement for this feature, Google stated the following:
We acknowledge that Google has struggled in this area in the past, and are committed to continuing to improve our products accordingly. As part of Google’s Product Inclusion and Equity efforts, our teams are on a mission to build camera and imaging products that work equitably for all people, so that everyone feels seen, no matter their skin tone.
Motion Mode: Action Pan and Long Exposure
A Motion Mode would allow Pixel 6 users access to new features like Action Pan and Long Exposure. Action Pan essentially blurs the background when taking photos in motion, while keeping the subject focused, while Long Exposure blurs particular objects that were moving when the photo was taken.
For example, with Long Exposure the user can blur a Ferris wheel as shown above, a waterfall, a moving train and so on, to create a strong sense of movement in an otherwise still photograph.
Face Unblur
Another camera feature Google showcased for the Pixel 6 is Face Unblur. What it does is combine the power of both the main and ultra wide cameras in order to make a person's face as sharp as possible even when they're in motion.
This is helped by the fact that the Pixel 6 camera is constantly detecting faces and by combining face images from two different cameras, each of which prioritizing different things (e.g. sharpness or color), Face Unblur can intelligently sharpen faces that might have appeared blurry otherwise.
Video recording at up to 4K, 60FPS
Thanks to their powerful Tensor processor, the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro are capable of recording videos at up to 4K resolution and 60 frames-per-second, and in HDR.
Quick Tap to Snap
Google has partnered with Snapchat to deliver a unique (at least for now) feature to Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro users. Directly from the lock screen, Pixel 6 users can enter the Snap camera quick and easy, by simply tapping the back of the smartphone.
No need to even unlock the device to take the Snap, although of course, when it's time to share it, users will have to authenticate.
During the Pixel 6 unveiling event, Snap Inc CEO Evan Spiegel summarized this feature like so:
This new feature is a speedy and simple gesture that will help our community Snap more moments, before they disappear.
Google Pixel 6 camera samples
The following camera samples were provided by Google. Stay tuned for our Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro reviews, where we'll showcase our own real-world camera samples.
Rado, a tech enthusiast with a love for mobile devices, brings his passion for Android and iPadOS to PhoneArena. His tech journey began with MP3 players and has evolved to include tinkering with Android tablets and iPads, even running Linux and Windows 95 on them. Beyond tech, Rado is a published author, music producer, and PC game developer. His professional work on iPads, from producing songs to editing videos, showcases his belief in their capabilities. Rado looks forward to the future of mobile tech, particularly in augmented reality and multi-screen smartphones.
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