For the last four years, Google Pixel devices have managed to showcase their prowess in the camera department. However, with several smartphone makers emphasizing on improving their camera system and catching up with Google, the tech giant could introduce something new while taking a leap for other OEMs to follow. An official render for upcoming Google Pixel 4 showed a distinct squaricle camera system at the back inspired by Huawei Mate 20 Pro and the renders released for Apple iPhone XI. Here, the tech community suggests that there are at least two sensors at the back.
However, code snippet behind the new Google Camera 6.3 app has revealed some of the key features and functionalities that the upcoming Google Pixel 4 could bring on board.
First, Google uses the code-name “sabre” for its Super Res Zoom. The code snippet was found by folks at XDA Developers that shows a field called ‘SABRE_UNZOOMED_TELEPHOTO’ which is new on GCam 6.3 since the last version (GCam 6.2) had no traces of it.
Moving further, the code hints at various sensor IDs such as FRONT_IR, FRONT_LOGICAL, FRONT_REGULAR, FRONT_WIDE, REAR_LOGICAL, REAR_REGULAR, REAR_TELEPHOTO along with some numerical value attached to it. As the report further explains, ‘front_IR’ could mean infrared which can be used in facial authentication which is something new on Google Pixel as well.
Then we have the fields such as FRONT_REGULAR, FRONT_LOGICAL, and FRONT_WIDE which means that Pixel 4 will have dual front camera setup consisting with a regular and wide-angle lens while the ‘FRONT_LOGICAL’ simply states that the system with two or more sensors.
Moving further, the code hints that the rear will have a regular and a ‘telephoto’ sensor where the latter is actually interesting as it is new on Pixel devices but it will replace the existing wide-angle sensor in case the Pixel 4 has only a dual-camera setup at the back which is arranged in a more iPhone XI-like squaricle camera bump.
9to5Google went a step ahead to check out more hidden code snippets and found out a perimeter which says that a telephoto image has dimensions that are 4656×3496, 4652×3492, or 2328×1748. Although it doesn’t provide any indication towards the sensor size, the report states that Google Pixel 4 could have a 16MP telephoto sensor capable of shooting in different resolution. Perhaps we would like to see a not-so-traditional non-digital zoom since an optical zoom snaps impressive photos at incredible details than a digitally processed image at any time.
XDA Developers found out a number of code snippets with parameters such as ‘sky segmentation’, ‘cuttlefish’ where the latter is a code-name for Pixel’s night mode. This could mean Google is actually trying to improve the camera algorithm that comes within Google Pixel devices in order to distinguish the sky from others.
Anyways, Google holds a launch event for its Pixel series in October every year so we will have to wait for some time for more information regarding the same is available.
