Adding something like 100x zoom to a smartphone camera is no small task. Before now, only Samsung and OnePlus had really dared to push that far in the US, and they’d achieved mixed results over and over again. But, with the launch of the Pixel 10 Pro and Pixel 10 Pro XL, Google has also thrown its hat into the long-range zoom ring. As always, we took that as our challenge to see if it’s any good.
So, here’s the best and worst we’ve gotten out of Google’s 100x Pro Res Zoom in our short time with the Pixel 10 Pro.
Wait, but first, how does Pro Res Zoom work?
Ryan Haines / Android Authority
Alright, I think it’s only fair to give you a little insight into how Google’s 100x zoom works first. Or, rather, I’ll paraphrase the very smart research that my colleague Rob Triggs has done into the subject in his breakdown of what makes Pro Res Zoom a little controversial. In simplest terms, Google is going all-in on the power of Gemini, and it’s generating a few of the finer details along the way.
In slightly longer terms, Google uses a diffusion model to upscale images from its 5x optical telephoto sensor into finished 100x zoom products. And yes, Google is perfectly comfortable using computational photography for things like astrophotography, but its approach to Pro Res Zoom is a little different. Instead of simply lengthening the exposure and brightening details, Google has begun using generative AI to fill in details that its trio of powerful sensors can’t actually capture.
Google's diffusion upscaling walks a fine line between generative AI and basic de-noising.
Now, that’s not exactly the same as simply creating details from nothing. Google still needs the basic, low-resolution (for lack of a better term) image, upon which its models can work their de-noising magic. Essentially, the diffusion upscaling that Google is using is like the zoom and enhance you might remember from old episodes of CSI — only this time, it’s in the palm of your hand.
Of course, the finished results are only as good as the details they have to work with, which means that far-off shots of buildings seem to come out better than photos that include smaller, softer subjects like plants and people. After all, Google’s models are filling in details based on statistics, and, well, plants and people don’t always follow the rules.
Alright, now onto our actual 100x Pro Res Zoom samples.
The best 100x zoom photos we got with the Pixel 10 Pro Before I get too far into our collective gallery, I should point something out: It’s pretty stinkin’ hard to use 100x zoom when you’re not used to it. Google’s Pixel 10 Pro punches in remarkably far, and we’re still learning how to manage the focal length. But, over the last few days, we’ve gotten things under control and come away with some neat shots.
So, for this first row, it’s pretty easy to see where Pro Res Zoom’s strengths lie. The shot of the clock tower in the middle is spot-on, with sharp numerals around the edges and pretty good details in the bolts above each hour. I didn’t expect much from the picture of the boat to the right, but Google handled the railing and windshield perfectly. All three samples also show accurate colors despite the long-range zoom.
Our next set shows a couple of similar shots of buildings, highlighting that the Tensor G5 chip knows how to handle straight lines. The bricks below the Stubb sign and the vertical slats in the shipping containers are all spot-on as far as I can tell. However, the best sample of the bunch is the swan off to the left. There’s no color bleeding, and you can easily pick out feathers along the bird’s neck and the orange of its beak.
Rounding us out, the image of the D in Baltimore’s Domino Sugar sign is the first sample I took that made me believe in Pro Res Zoom. I snapped it from clear across the harbor and about 150 feet lower, yet the Pixel 10 Pro sharpened the center line of the letter, the fine wires in the scaffolding, and kept everything perfectly straight. The pulley in the middle is pretty good, too, with clear screws on the left side and visible braiding in the rope on the right — neither of which was visible before Google’s processing.
The worst 100x zoom photos we got with the Pixel 10 Pro And now, the bad news. Although the Pixel 10 Pro is often pretty good at handling its long-range responsibilities, sometimes things get a little wiggly. Many of Google’s hallucinations tend to put extra bumps and curves where they don’t exist, which can turn something like a simple sign into a bit of a cryptid, as you’ll see in a second.
Yes, there it is, the bear riding a bicycle. Of course, that’s not what’s pictured on the signpost in the middle, but it sure is what it looks like. There’s also something up with the horse’s tail above it, and the icons on the right side of the post are even stranger. And, well, both of the houses on the far sides look like they’re mid-earthquake.
Initially, I wasn’t sure how to categorize this next set of images, but then I looked closer. If you told me these were taken five years ago at 30x zoom, I might have felt differently, but Google squished the Statue of Liberty to the point where the back of her head looks like a face, and I can’t really pick out her iconic tablet. This is where I might have expected the Pixel 10 Pro to pull from outside images and recognize Lady Liberty, but alas, no dice.
For our final row of camera samples, we have a mixed bag of weaknesses. On both the right and left, the Pixel 10 Pro’s trouble with finer letters is on full display, especially in the name of the Spirit of Baltimore. You can kind of read the name if you tilt your head and squint, but when you actually zoom in on the name, it looks more like the Cyrillic alphabet.
Both images featuring people are a little rough, too. Google openly said it doesn’t apply the same processing to people that it uses for objects, which makes the four pedestrians to the left look more like stickers on the promenade. They’re not quite as sharp as the flagpoles, bricks, or grasses surrounding them, making them stick out that much more.
These are, of course, early Pro Res Zoom samples, so we should have plenty more to come. For now, you can check out full-resolution versions of everything above at this Google Drive link.
And, if you want to give Pro Res Zoom a try for yourself, you can pick up a Pixel 10 Pro (or Pro XL) down below.
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