Home
News
You are here

Google promotes #SwitchtoPixel with new video praising the phone's camera

By Alan Friedman

Published: Sep 30, 2019, 6:30 PM

13comments

Android Google

Google will be holding it's next Made by Google event on October 15th during which it will introduce the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL. In advance of this announcement, and in the wake of Apple's camera-centric iPhone upgrade, Google released a video today urging consumers to #SwitchtoPixel. The actual title of the 30-second clip is Shoot Like a Pro and it stars a "real person, paid for their opinion."

This real person notes on the video that she was having trouble with her old phone, but was scared about switching to a Pixel. However, she states that after switching, she fell in love with the Pixel camera. She mentions Night Mode, which allows users to take viewable pictures under low-light conditions. And after taking a photo with the Pixel and posting it to Instagram, her friends asked "What camera did you use? What DSLR?" The tag line "It's time to #SwitchtoPixel" is actually incorrect. If you can wait for the new Pixel 4 or Pixel 4 XL to be released late next month, THAT will be the time to #SwitchtoPixel.

The new Pixels will have an improved version of Night Sight that will shoot with longer exposure times

The new Pixel handsets will still have the 12.2MP rear camera but with a wider f/1.6 aperture to let more light in. And there will be a second 16MP telephoto camera with 5x optical zoom. Night Sight will be enhanced to allow for longer exposures and this will give users the opportunity to partake in Astrophotography. In other words, the Pixel 4 series will be able to snap images of the night sky. You'll be taking photos of so many stars that you might consider yourself a paparazzi. In front will be an 8.1MP selfie snapper.

From day one, photographs delivered by the Pixel handsets have been considered among the best, if not the best, produced by a smartphone camera. And Google was able to do this with a single 12.2MP camera on the back. The secret, of course, is in the image processing. But Apple even did Google one better with the upcoming update that will deliver Deep Fusion to the iPhone. This picks out the best pixels from nine different exposures to create the best possible photograph with sharper images and less noise. The Pixels use HDR+ which combines multiple exposures to create the best picture.

Other new features include Motion Sense which uses radar-based technology developed by Google to allow hand gestures to control the device. Because it uses radar, the feature has not been approved for use in every country but it will be enabled in the states. With the wave of a hand, users will be able to skip songs and videos, dismiss alarms and timers, reject a phone call and more. In addition, Google is using a more secure 3D version of Face unlock that will be the only biometric security feature on the phone. There is no in-screen fingerprint reader and the rear-facing fingerprint button is also no more. The facial recognition system will not only unlock the phone, it will verify the identity of the user for transactions going through the Google Pay mobile payment service.

The new Pixels will also have 6GB of memory, 50% more than any other Pixel handset on the face of the earth. It would appear, however, that the configuration choices will be limited again to 64GB and 128GB. The 5.7-inch AMOLED display on the Pixel 4 and the 6.2-inch AMOLED screen on the Pixel 4 XL will both refresh at 90Hz. This will allow for smoother scrolling and mobile video gameplay; in addition, a new feature called Ambient EQ will automatically adjust the white balance depending on ambient lighting.

So if you do plan to #SwitchtoPixel, your best bet is to wait until next month.

View Full Bio

Alan, an ardent smartphone enthusiast and a veteran writer at PhoneArena since 2009, has witnessed and chronicled the transformative years of mobile technology. Owning iconic phones from the original iPhone to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, he has seen smartphones evolve into a global phenomenon. Beyond smartphones, Alan has covered the emergence of tablets, smartwatches, and smart speakers.