Pixel’s Exclusive Feature: Revolutionize Your Photography! Here’s Why and How to Benefit.

For many years now, Google’s Pixel phones have included a unique feature that could transform the way you take photos. However, you might have completely missed it. Let’s explain what it is and how you can benefit from it.

As the anticipation builds for the official unveiling of the Pixel 10 at the upcoming Made by Google conference on August 25, we wanted to discuss an exclusive feature of Google’s smartphones. Available since the Pixel 3, this tool could revolutionize your photography experience. Yet, you might have overlooked it and not even noticed its effects. So, let’s dive into what this feature is and how you can make the most of it.

If you’re like many people who enjoy taking photos with your phone, you’re likely frustrated by one particular feature: the zoom. Typically, regardless of the sensor’s quality, zooming can feel like a gamble. You either end up with a photo full of noise or one so blurry and smeared it looks like a watercolor painting. But the Pixel comes equipped with a tool that completely changes the game when it comes to zooming, known as Super Res Zoom.

What is Pixel’s Super Res Zoom?

In summary, Super Res Zoom combines sensors, a range of powerful software, and artificial intelligence. But how does it actually work? Unlike a simple digital zoom that merely enlarges a part of your photo, Super Res Zoom (SRZ) merges multiple images captured in quick succession to reconstruct details at a higher resolution.

When you press the shutter button, the software and machine learning algorithms work together to create the best version of all these images. In terms of software, the Pixel’s telephoto lens utilizes HDR 10+ with bracketing to merge images taken at different exposures. This process allows you to achieve the best possible lighting without sacrificing detail levels.

But that’s not all. SRZ also utilizes “Remosaicing,” another important software. “By cropping the inner part of the Pixel 7 Pro’s 48 MP sensor, Super Res Zoom can produce 12 MP photos at a 10X magnification,” explains Alexander Schiffhauer, Pixel Camera & AI Group Product Manager, on the company’s American blog. Naturally, photos taken in this setup display more noise. “Remosaicing” takes care of reducing it, by combining HDR 10+ with bracketing. “You thus get the best of both worlds: high resolution and low noise,” the engineer assures.

Furthermore, Super Res Zoom also leverages a set of algorithms based on machine learning:

• Fusion Zoom takes care of aligning and merging images from multiple sensors
• Zoom Stabilization eliminates potential shaking during framing

How to Utilize Super Res Zoom on Pixel Phones?

What’s even more impressive about Super Res Zoom is that there’s no need to fiddle with settings or enter Pro Mode in the Photo app to use it. Indeed, you simply have to zoom in to activate it! No dedicated button or special manipulation is required.

It automatically activates when you exceed the maximum physical zoom level of your Pixel (which can vary depending on your sensors). For instance, on the Pixel 7 Pro and 8 Pro, there’s a 5x zoom, which is the maximum optical zoom allowed by the hardware. But with a Pixel 9 Pro, for example, you can go up to 30x thanks to Super Res Zoom.

Of course, optical zoom will always yield better results, and you should always expect a decrease in overall quality with digital zoom. But with Super Res Zoom, Pixels manage to produce respectable photos, at least to some extent. On a Pixel 7 Pro, for example, the 10x zoom offers what we consider the best results. Admittedly, you can slightly perceive the smoothing performed by AI to reduce noise, but it’s not overtly noticeable. As usual, the final result will largely depend on the conditions of your shot (light level, whether the subject is moving, etc.). But regardless, Super Res Zoom will always yield better results than a classic digital zoom.